Who deserves more recognition in the invention of the refracting telescope?
Many historians would be fast in giving credit to Galileo Galilei. Galilei’s Galileo Telescope was actually the first refractor that was used to study the stars and heavens seriously.
Galileo is actually recognized as the “Father of the modern refracting telescope.”
Others would contend that Hans Lippershey, a lens maker originally from Germany but later migrated to the Netherlands, was actually the inventor of the refracting telescope.
A popular story is that Lippershey’s children were playing and tinkering on two lenses. The children were delighted that the images of objects that they see through the lenses appear larger.
Lippershey noticed this, begun working around the mechanics and was build to build a crude refractor.
Another “inventor” of the refractor?
But did you know that many historians are considering a prominent academician from Naples, Italy, Giambattista della Porta, as the one who deserves the credit in the invention and development of the astronomical telescope in question?
Giambattista della Porta is a scholar and expert on many fields such as cryptology, and also has a wealth of knowledge on lenses and eyepieces. He made claims about being the one who invented the refractor, albeit he was not able to present the invented optical instrument to support his claim.
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