![]() The basic Newtonian design uses a concave primary mirror (the first mirror that starlight hits on entering the telescope) and a flat secondary mirror, which is positioned above the primary mirror and angled diagonally to reflect and direct the light to an eyepiece. ![]() The first successful reflecting telescope (one that uses mirrors rather than lenses to focus light) was built by Sir Isaac Newton in 1668. Once it is completed in 2024, the dome will be as large as a football stadium.ĮSO/L Calçada/ACe Consortium From Newton to today Although large mirrors are easier to produce than large lenses, producing modern astronomical telescopes is still a real challenge.Īrtist’s rendering of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). The larger the mirror, the more light can be collected, allowing astronomers to see fainter celestial objects – which are often further away – in greater detail. Today, most of the world’s largest optical and infrared telescopes – many of which are built and operated by the European Southern Observatory w1 (ESO) – use mirrors rather than lenses to gather and focus light. Four hundred years later, telescopes are still vital for astronomy, but they have evolved from small, hand-held instruments to gigantic, computer-controlled devices. Shortly after this invention, Galileo famously built one of his own, and was the first to use a telescope for astronomical observations. In 1608, a German-Dutch spectacle maker named Hans Lippershey filed a patent for a small device that used lenses to focus light and produce a magnified view of distant objects: it was the earliest known design for a telescope. But what’s involved in making – and maintaining – the complex instruments of today? Author(s): Nicole Shearer, Tania Johnstonįor hundreds of years, telescopes have helped astronomers unravel the mysteries of the Universe.
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