A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



lens respectively at the ends of a tube about eighteen 

 inches long, and used this instrument for the purpose of 

 magnifying small objects producing, in short, a crude 

 microscope. Some years later, Johannes Lippershey, 

 of whom not much is known except that he died in 

 1619, experimented with a somewhat similar com- 

 bination of lenses, and made the startling observation 

 that the weather-vane on a distant church -steeple 

 seemed to be brought much nearer when viewed 

 through the lens. The combination of lenses he em- 

 ployed is that still used in the construction of opera- 

 glasses; the Germans still call such a combination a 

 Dutch telescope. 



Doubtless a large number of experimenters took the 

 matter up and the fame of the new instrument spread 

 rapidly abroad. Galileo, down in Italy, heard rumors 

 of this remarkable contrivance, through the use of 

 which it was said " distant objects might be seen as 

 clearly as those near at hand." He at once set to 

 work to construct for himself a similar instrument, and 

 his efforts were so far successful that at first he ' ' saw 

 objects three times as near and nine times enlarged." 

 Continuing his efforts, he presently so improved his 

 glass that objects were enlarged almost a thousand times 

 and made to appear thirty times nearer than when 

 seen with the naked eye. Naturally enough, Galileo 

 turned this fascinating instrument towards the skies, 

 and he was almost immediately rewarded by several 

 startling discoveries. At the very outset, his magnify - 

 ing-glass brought to view a vast number of stars that 

 are invisible to the naked eye, and enabled the ob- 

 server to reach the conclusion that the hazy light of 



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