The invention of the telescope in 1608 is usually credited to the Dutchman Hans Lippershey. The astronomical telescope became one of the most important of all instruments during the Scientific Revolution when figures like Galileo (1564-1642) and Isaac Newton (1642-1727) used it to provide evidence for bold new theories about the heavenly bodies and the nature of the universe itself.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2270/the-telescope--the-scientific-revolution/.