THE BEGINNING OF THINGS

Evening Star, Issue 20687, 9 January 1931, Page 11

THE BEGINNING OF THINGS

TELESCOPES A new telescope will soon bo made which it is estimated will ho capable of revealing more than half a billion stars which at present cannot bo seen. It will bo twice tho size of tho largest existing instrument. What a contrast it will bo to tho earliest examples of tho telescope! Tho telescope is generally believed to have been invented by a Dutch spectacle-maker, Hans Lippershey, of Mid'dleburg, in 160 S; although some attributed its origin to James Mctius, brother of tho famous mathematician of Alkmnar.

Tho popular story is that Lippcrshey chanced one day to glanco up at a church steeple through .some lenses which ho was carrying. Ho was astonished to find that tho weather-cock appeared to ho very much nearer than it was. Ho hurriedly set to work to fix tho lenses in a long tube in order to keep them at their relative distances. Thus tho first telescope was made. A sum of ivumcv was granted by tho assembly of the Slates General at Hague to Lippcrshey. During the same year a petit ion was presented by Melius, who declared that ho had discovered the instrument during his experiment. Telescope-1 wore made in great numbers and were sent, to all _ parts of Europe. From time to time many people, including Sir Isaac Newton, improved tho lenses and the instrument in general. All modern observatories are equipped with lingo telescopes with which to view the distant planets. The greatest of them are that at Mount Wilson (California, U.S.A.), which has a mirror lOOin in diameter, is more than 40ft in length, and weighs about TOO tons; and the Victoria telescope, in British Columbia, which i,s 30ft long