Telescope Telescopes are optical instruments that make distant objects appear magnified by using an arrangement of lenses or curved mirrors and lenses, or various devices used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation.The first known practical telescopes wererefracting telescopes invented in theNetherlands at the beginning of the 17th century, by using glass lenses. They found use in both terrestrial applications andastronomy. Telescope collection Telescope in 1930
Isaac Newton is credited with building the first reflector in 1668 with a design that incorporated a small flat diagonal mirror to reflect the light to an eyepiece mounted on the side of the telescope. Laurent Cassegrainin 1672 described the design of a reflector with a small convex secondary mirror to reflect light through a central hole in the main mirror.