Who Invented the Telescope?
Answer – Hans Lippershey is traditionally credited with inventing the telescope.
Explanation:
Dutch spectacle craftsman Hans Lippershey (or Lipperhey) was the first individual to seek a patent for a telescope. In 1608, Lippershey came up with a device capable of tripling the magnification of objects. His telescope featured a concave eyepiece fit together with a convex objective lens. Other Dutch spectacle makers, such as Zacharias Janssen and Jacob Metius, also claimed to have invented the telescope around the same period. Despite these claims, historically, Lippershey has received the most recognition due to his patent application.
Image credit: Ryan Wick / Wikimedia Commons (licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)
In 1609, Galileo Galilei improved Hans’ device by increasing the magnification power 20 times. He was the first to use a telescope to look at the sky.
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