• A telescope is an instrument used for observing distant objects, such as stars, planets and galaxies. Using a system of lenses and mirrors, usually housed in a tubular casing, telescopes focus on the light of a distant object and use that light to create an image of the object.Amazing-Space: How Does a Telescope Work

• Fast Facts

  1. Hans Lippershey invented the first modern telescope in 1608Amazing-Space: Who invented the telescope?
  2. Types of telescopes: Refracting telescope, reflecting telescope and catadioptric telescope
  3. Sir Isaac Newton improved telescope design by using mirrorsTools of Cosmology: First Telescopes
  4. Early telescopic observations were recorded by hand
  5. The development of photography allowed for more accurate recording of telescopic observances
  6. Telescopes are mounted on a solid base to reduce shaking and improve visibility

• Galileo and Telescopes

  Italian researcher Galileo improved on Lippershey's original telescope design and used his telescopes to observe the sky. His observations expanded on earlier theories of heliocentrism, which placed the sun and not the earth at the center of the universe. Galileo's ideas disagreed with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Hubble Space Telescope | Astronomy | Stars | Constellations | Binoculars | Barometers | Microscopes | Lunar Eclipse (February 20-21, 2008)

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