Inventor: Hans Lippershey

Hans Lippershey "invented" the refracting telescope in 1608. Although he was not the first to make one, he popularized it. The person who first made one was probably a spectacle maker, as they had access to many different lenses and tools. The refracting telescope was useful to many people. Spies used it for obtaining information about distant areas, and sailors used it to find land or study ships on the horizon.

Galileo Galilei was the first to use the telescope to look at space and examine far away planets. In the 18^th century, Sir Isaac Newton improved on the telescope by adding mirrors to increase the power and decrease the size. Today scientists all over the world use telescopes to discover more about our solar system, galaxy, and universe.

*Picture from Encarta Encyclopedia

Sources:

Bellis, M. (2003). Inventors from About.com. Available December 9, 2003, from About, Inc. <http://inventors.about.com/>

• This website has a useful timeline of inventions and many articles about the various inventions, their evolution, and their inventors.