-
Hans Lippershey
Hans Lippershey is credited with the earliest recorded design of the optical lense. -
Period: to
400 years of the telescope
-
Galileo Galilei
Galileo was 1st to use the telescope to view celestial bodies using a 1 1/2 inch lense. They were fitted into simple wooden tubes just a few feet long. His invention brought Earth's moon, sunspots, and nearby planets into focus. -
Johannes Hevelius
In Danzig, Johannes Hevelius developed a refracting telescope 150 feet long. Hung by ropes from a pole, it was undulated in the slightest breeze. -
Sir William Herschel
Uranus was discovered in 1781 by Sir William Herschel with a hand made reflecting telescope. 8 years later, he was financially supported by King George III in the construction of his 40-foot telescope in Slogh, England. The telescope the telescope ended up being less effective because of its size and weight. Last observation made with it was in 1814. -
John William Draper
The first picture of the moon was produced by John William Draper. He used aprocess called dagnerreotype, which was created by Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre. -
Lord Russell
Lord Russell completed construction of his reflecting telescope popularly known as the "Leviathan of Parsonstown" in 1845 in Ireland. With its six feet diameter primary mirror, the telescope allowed russell to deicover the 1st spiral nebulae. -
D.C. Expeditions
from Washington D.C., 8 expeditions were sent throughout the world to observe the transit of Venus in 1882 by the U.S. naval observatory. -
Yerkes
In 1897, the 40 inch telescope at Yerkes observatory was completed. It remains the largest refracting telescope ever built and it later became the instrument of choice because of its uses of mirrors. Then the reflecting telescope, pioneered by Isaac Newton in the 17th century could be constructed successfully at much greater sizes than the glass lenses used in refracting telescopes. -
The Hooker
The Hooker 100-inch telescope built at the Mount Wilson observatory in Pasadena, California. One of the most significant discoveries made with the telescope was Edwin Hubble's determination of the distanceto the Andomena Nebula lay beyond the bounds of the Milky Way. -
Clyde Tombaugh
Pluto, the smallest planet the Milky Way, discovered by Clyde Tombaugh. Discovered with a 13-inch telescope at lowell observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. -
Hale Telescope
The 200-inch Hale telescope on Palomar Mountain, California, has done cutting edge science for 60 years, making key discoveries about galaxies and quasars. -
Hubble
Hubble telescope was lifted into orbit by the space shuttle discovery in April, 1990. Since, it has recorded out universe in unparalleled detail. Even today, it beams home new revelations about the life and death of stars and the nature of our universe. Much work has been done on it since its orbit, which has extended its life and increased its resolution. -
Twin-Mirrored Large Binocular Telescope
In 2005, in Arizona, the twin-mirrored large binocular telescope was completed. It delivers images ten times sharper than the Hubble.
