Learning how to use telescopes was important. It took astronomers a lot of work to know how far away the cosmic bodies were. Also, telescopes allowed them to know where the earth fits into the Milky Way.
Hans Lipperhey, a Dutch eyeglass maker, was the first person to apply for a telescope patent. In 1608, he claimed that his telescope could magnify celestial objects 3 times more than previously made telescopes.
Telescopes have completely changed our view of the universe. Previously, people would believe that the earth was the center of our universe. Early telescopes were powerful enough to reveal the position of the earth in the Milky Way. Astronomers also found craters and mountains on the moon.
Over time, efforts were made to enhance the quality of telescopes. Today, we have advanced telescopes that have made new discoveries such as the geography, weather, temperature, signs of elements on the planets in the solar system.
The telescope helped scientists to measure the speed of light, understand gravity, and get to know the basic laws of the physical world. For instance, without telescopes, we wouldn’t be able to understand the concept of light radiating from the sun and other cosmic bodies such as stars and asteroids.
Besides, these devices are helping astronomers to discover new planets, stars, and asteroids. The discovery of black holes using the powerful Event Horizon Telescope is a recent development in the field of astronomy.
