Dutch took military view of telescope invention

WHO invented the telescope? The invention of the telescope came about as people experimented with eyeglasses, so they could see better.

The first documented evidence of a telescope came in 1608. That is when Jan Lippershey applied for a patent in Holland for an instrument that could help a person see a long distance. The Government realised this could be an important tool for the military. They would not give Lippershey a patent for his invention.

They encouraged him to keep experimenting and bought the rights to his work. By the next year, Galileo heard about the instrument and built his own version. Galileo's telescope still carries his name.

What started the Big Bang? The Big Bang is just a theory about how the universe began. Experts came up with the theory based on evidence that the universe continues to expand.

It is thought that it began as a tiny ball of energy. As objects that reflect light move away from you, it shifts the light towards the longer rays - the red ones - in the spectrum.

When scientists observe objects that are very far away, they see the faint traces of red light. This signals that the objects are moving away from us. For this reason and many other complicated ones, it is thought the universe is expanding. How it got started is a mystery.