All About Telescopes

The telescope was one of the very first tools ever used to study outer space. This ability to see an image in space magnified has lead to countless discoveries in astronomy, beginning with the early and complicated classification of the planets, the Sun, the stars and beyond.

Early versions of what we now know as the telescope date as far back in time as the 10th century, though modern publicized recognition is usually given to an unknown English spectacle maker around 1600. In 1609, Galileo Galilei constructed his own version of the tool, and is typically credited with being the first to use the telescope for the purpose of astronomy. Galileo’s creation is now known as the Galilean telescope.

All modern telescopes are generally classified into two main categories, optical telescopes and radio telescopes. An optical telescope, which is the most common, can be separated into three types; the Galilean refracting telescope, the Newtonian reflecting telescope, and the Catadioptrics telescope. The optical telescope works by utilizing one or more curved optical lenses or mirrors to gather light and electromagnetic radiation, then bringing that light or radiation into focus, making objects that are actually great distances away appear to be much closer.

For additional telescope information, including information on the Meade telescope, the Hubble space telescope, the Orion telescope and other news, just select any telescope article or other interactive feature below to get started!