Myth: Galileo Galilei invented the telescope. Result: False. Galileo’s telescope may have been the first used for astronomical purposes – he did not invent it. Like Thomas Edison with the light bulb – he didn’t invent it – he improved on it. Actually, a man named Hans Lipperhey is the earliest person who has documented proof that he invted the telescope. He was born in Wesel, Germany and made his home in Middleburg, part of the Zeeland province in the Netherlands. He was married there in 1594, and became a citizen in 1602. He was a spectacle-maker by trade. Many others claim to have invented it but Hans Lipperhey is the only person to have documented proof that he applied for a patent for it. The Italians developed new glass-making techniques which were introduced to the Netherlands in the 1590s. These new techniques helped to bring about new ideas and innovations in the glass-making community and people started to experiment with different ways to combine lenses.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 21:31:17 +0000
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