The first telescope

The first historic mention of a telescope ‘ a tube to see far’ is a patent application dated 25^th September 1608 by Dutch spectacle maker Hans Lipperhay. Lipperhay was born in Wesel Germany in 1570 . He worked in the Dutch  harbour town famous for its glass industry.

Lipperhay demonstrated his instrument to Prince Maurits at the Hague, the Prince was very excited. The Main reason was the Dutch Republic was at war with Spanish Empire.  Telescope on towers would reveal enemy troops from afar. And would be equally useful at sea for the same reason.

However other also claimed the invention . Zacharias Janessen , another spectale maker , from Middleburg and scientist Jacob Metius from Alkmaar.

The result was that the patent was never given However thanks to Lipperhay’s demonstrations word of the invention quickly spread through Europe. 

In 1609 English astronomer Thomas Harriot made the first telescope drawings of the moon.

Not much later Italian Physicist/astronomer Galileo Galilei heard about the Dutch invention and quickly built much better telescopes. Gelileo discovered  lunar mountains, sunspots, moons of Jupiter and Saturn’s rings 

The publication of Galileo’s discoveries in March 1610 marks the birth of modern telescopic astronomy. 

Subsequently telecopes were much improved by Johannes Keppler , Germany, and Christiaan Huygens , Netherlands.