We see the evolution of the tool over the years

Telescopes are objects commonly used by astronomers to investigate celestial bodies and galaxies, study their properties and understand questions about their motion and speed, among other information. Check out below more about how this tool works and its evolution over the years.

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What is it, how does it work, and who invented the telescope?

Telescopes can examine celestial bodies located in space and at a great distance from Earth. The trick is important for identifying a series of properties that make up celestial bodies, and useful for understanding how they work, what they’re made of, or just to admire the sky. The development of this instrument has allowed, over the years, to develop innovative technologies, creating virtual images and diagrams of various regions of space, expanding the knowledge of astronomers and greatly contributing to the enrichment of science as a whole.

The history of the telescope extends back to two major pioneers: Hans Lippershey and Galileo Galilei. While the first developed binoculars with glass lenses for observing great distances, the second perfected the idea with a design that included tubes and lenses. Everything takes place between 1608 and 1610 and supports the first experiments of what would later develop into a telescope.

Currently, it is possible to find models of portable telescopes, consisting of a cylindrical design balanced by a kind of tripod: with them, users can see satellites, stars and planets in more detail than they can with the naked eye. However, most of the modern and professionally used models by astronomers have a massive architecture and need enough space, because they carry a series of resources (more expensive, sophisticated, modern, larger) that allow a more reliable and significant visualization of celestial bodies.

Watch the evolution of telescopes throughout history

Before commenting on the evolution of the tools, it is interesting to tell a little about how they work. In general, telescopes use curved lenses or mirrors, which are responsible for capturing and focusing light from celestial bodies. The latest models have giant mirrors and promise to see things at great distances with very little light.

Hans Lippershey Speculum

The artifact is considered one of the precursors of astronomical science and allowed the astronomer to investigate objects at great distances.

Galileo Galilei telescope

Help the astronomical body verify the defects of our Moon (in this case, the craters on Earth) as well as verify, among other facts, that Jupiter also has moons and that these moons orbit the planet. He examined spots on the Sun, rings on Saturn and noticed more stars in the Milky Way belt.

A ground-based telescope with a giant mirror

They are gigantic structures located in spaces designated for professional astronomical research. These telescopes contain giant mirrors, some of which are more than ten meters in diameter, and are used to see celestial bodies at a distance that conventional objects cannot see. It is essential for the development of space research and analysis while on Earth.

space telescope

The element is basically a satellite: a man-made celestial body gravitating in space around planets, stars, galaxies, and so on. Since it is not an artifact associated with Earth’s soil, it does not interfere from the atmosphere and can capture celestial bodies and astronomical events (such as solar storms, meteor showers, starbursts and wormholes with greater efficiency, sharper blacks, and much more). These artifacts also include advanced technologies that further enhance the visualization of events, such as infrared and x-rays.

refractor telescope

It is a more advanced model than the telescopes produced in the early days of astronomy. It has two lenses and is able to observe very distant objects. It is best suited for recreational use and not for professional use. They are indicated for seeing the moon, satellites and planets.

Reflecting telescope

It works by reflecting mirrors that reflect starlight into a concave mirror and then into another slightly smaller mirror that reaches the human eye. It is best suited for examining galaxies and nebulae, as it detects low-light objects (almost always due to its location’s enormous distance from Earth).

Refractive telescope

These technologies are used in both refracting and reflecting telescopes. It has been developed to be more accurate than the last two mentioned, as it aims to correct errors introduced in the refraction and reflection models. Additionally, they tend to be smaller, lighter, more portable, and have better image resolution while firmly capturing light. It is for birdwatching, camping, traveling, and getting started with astronomical observation.

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