Lippershey, Hans (1570?-1619), a German-born Dutch eyeglass maker, is often credited as the inventor of the telescope. Lippershey invented his telescope in 1608. In the years leading up to 1608, many other people had tinkered with a particular telescope design. That design used a mirror and a glass lens together to produce an image. Lippershey’s design, by contrast, combined two lenses, one small and one large. By holding the small lens nearer the eye and looking through both lenses, Lippershey made distant objects appear closer. This design became known as the refracting telescope.
Stories vary as to how Lippershey discovered the potential of combining two lenses. Some stories speculate that his apprentice or some children playing with lenses in his shop actually made the discovery.
In 1608, the Netherlands was at war with Spain. Lippershey knew that the Dutch government would be interested in his invention as a spyglass for spotting enemies at a distance. At the government’s request, Lippershey manufactured a version of his telescope for military use. However, he was denied a patent because it became apparent that others in the Netherlands also knew how to build such a device. Lippershey may or may not have invented the telescope. But he did improve upon the optics of earlier designs and helped bring widespread attention to the device.
Hans Lippershey was born in Wesel, Germany, around 1570. He became a citizen of the Netherlands in 1602 and died there in 1619. Lippershey spent his career working in Middelburg, a city in the Zeeland province of the Netherlands.
See also Telescope.
