The Practical Astronomer Comprising illustrations of light and colours--practical descriptions of all kinds of telescopes--the use of the equatorial-transit--circular, and other astronomical instruments, a particular account of the Earl of Rosse's large telescopes, and other topics connected with astronomy

CHAPTER I.

Chapter 769 wordsPublic domain

HISTORY OF THE INVENTION OF TELESCOPES.

The telescope a noble instrument--Effects it produces--Whether known to the ancients--Friar Bacon’s ideas respecting telescopes--First constructed in Holland--The invention claimed by different persons--Galileo’s account of the construction of his telescope--Discoveries which he made with this instrument--How his discoveries were received by the learned--Specimens of learned nonsense brought forward by pretended philosophers--Supposed length of Galileo’s telescope--Various claimants to the invention of this instrument

_page_ 169-183.