Re: History of the Telescope

From: Martin R. Howell (martinhowell_at_ilikestarsearthlink.net)
Date: 09/20/04 

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 00:04:04 GMT

On 19 Sep 2004 15:28:16 -0700, Sailcat wrote:

> I am interestd in a scholarly account of the earliest history of the
> telescope, it's development and the paths that process followed. I
> read recently that Galileo never claimed to be the telescope's
> inventor and it's possible that its origins might be much older. It
> may be that it has been made independently in different places at
> different times. Who knows a good book that can account for the
> telescope's birth?
>
> Thanks!

Hi Sailcat,

I posted the following in 2003 and repost it now believing you may find it
interesting:

SUBJECT: Two kids in Hans Lippershey's workshop

The other day I came across the following in an article
(www.honors.unr.edu/~fenimore/wt202/apple/) titled "Who Really Invented the
Telescope?," by Jessica Apple:

snip>>
Hans Lippershey, a spectacle-maker from Holland, is the man that most
historians believe invented the telescope. If he was not the actual
inventor, he was at least the first person to market it. It is possible
that Lippershey stole the invention from two little kids who were playing
in his shop with his lenses. The kids saw that when they held two lenses
together, the weather vane on a nearby church became larger and distinct.
Lippershey then tried that himself, slapped a tube in between the two
lenses, and, viola!, a telescope.
<<unsnip

The fact that a couple of kids playing around in the shop of a
spectacle-maker of the late 16th century may be responsible for today's
space program and all the benefits it has bestowed upon humanity is
astounding but nevertheless a fairly easy connection to make.

Without the invention of the telescope humanity could still be tied to the
earth's surface. The reason is obvious. The telescope revealed that there
are other worlds beyond ours upon which we could set our sites. It
provided a virtual "field of dreams." Furthermore, while humankind is
still in the very early stages of universal exploration (we've only walked
on the moon), the day will come when the earth will become too hot to
support life. If we are fortunate (?) enough to still occupy this planet
at that time then hopefully there will be other places for us to flee to on
which we have already established a presence.

Accurate weather forecasts which benefit every aspect of our lives are
another gift these two children have indirectly given to us by way of the
satellite facet of our space program. Much of today's communication
between people and computers is also satellite dependent and a present of
these two little individuals. There are probably countless other ways in
which the telescope's "trickle-down" effect manifests itself in our world
on a daily basis. Other yet undiscovered technology linked to the
telescope's existence will surely unfold.

Maybe I'm giving these two kids too much credit. . .maybe not. Common
sense would dictate that if they had not discovered the additional
properties of lenses when they did that sooner or later someone else would.
But when? If Franklin had not discovered electricity when he did we still
might be waiting for another person to chance upon it. 

-- 
Martin
"Photographs From the Universe of Amateur Astronomy"
http://home.earthlink.net/~martinhowell

Relevant Pages

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