How to Use a Telescope – Galileo’s First Telescope and Its History

2010 March 6
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Galileo Galilee is known as the "father of telescopes" and rightly so. He is the inventor of the telescope and every telescope made after his invention follows the same opinion that he used. Galileo's telescope was a primitive prototype of the telescopes that are used widely today. Though, the doctrine he used are the very same ones still being used to this day. Galileo's telescope used two lenses - one bowl-shaped and one convex - inside a tube-light shaped device. Convex lenses are those lenses whose edges curve inwards and bowl-shaped lenses are lenses that have outward curves at the edge. The eyepiece in the telescope was constructed with the bowl-shaped lens. Spy glasses, fake around the same time and used by militants to observe enemy endeavor in camps, were a major inspiration to Galileo in making his own telescope.

When two lenses are combined collectively, they are able to collect more light than party lenses. This is the main opinion behind Galileo's telescope. Most of the telescopes in use today, use the same opinion. The human eye also works on a similar opinion, but cannot collect too much light. Telescopes are able to gather more light since of the double lenses used in its construction. These lenses gather light and build an image by focusing the light at a point. Refraction is the mechanism in use to form such images. As a result, telescopes are also called refracting telescopes or refractors. The phenomenon by which the composed light bends and forms images is known as refraction.

Images were puffed up by a factor of 30 in Galileo's invention. Though, the shape of the lenses he used was such that his image became blurred and distorted. But no one had ever fake a touch so exciting with which to observe the night skies before Galileo's telescope. Galileo used his telescope to view the moon and observe it closely. He was also the one to figure out that the magnification factor of a telescope was provided by the ratio of the power of the bowl-shaped lens to the power of the convex lens. So he premised that the simplest way to boost this magnification factor was to use a high power bowl-shaped lens with a weaker convex lens.

In Galileo's time, there were only low strength lenses unfilled. Due to this restriction, Galileo chose to make his own lenses. He was soon able to realize a magnification of 9x with lenses hat he had ground himself. His telescope was fitted with his own lenses. It was just another feather in his already well-decked cap.

As time passed, Galileo improvised on his primitive telescope, making numerous modifications to it. He also demonstrated his invention at the Senate of Venice, and numerous senators climbed the peak towers of the time to observe the horizon with Galileo's invention. They viewed the distant ships from their perches and chose that the telescope was a very useful military device.

The telescope altered the face of Astronomy and became an indispensable part of the study. Numerous inventors used the same opinion and made telescopes of their own. Gradually over the years, the study of astronomy benefited immensely from the telescope and its uses. The same opinion was employed in the construction of much more powerful telescopes that made it possible to be with you our plane and its surroundings more widely, all thanks to Galileo's wonderful invention.

Author: John B Mayall
Condition Source: EzineArticles.com
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