Yes, it was too strong for me to say Galileo invented the telescope,
although people often say that the person who publishes it first, or
independently invents it, or makes it practical, or makes widespread use
of it, etc. can be stated as inventor or co-inventor.
It would appear that Galileo semi-independently invented it since he
figured it out himself with only rumored information about such an
instrument being possible.
Indeed, at the same website Bob Sciamanda showed us, there is another
section that states: "Hans Lippershey (c1570-c1619) of Holland is often
credited with the invention, but he almost certainly was not the first
to make one."
It appears Lippershey never received a patent even though he applied for
one. It may be that Lippershey was the first to do some broad
dissemination of the idea in Holland, but at the same time as he was
doing so there were other Dutch lens makers who claimed they were
responsible for the invention (such as Jacob Metius and Zacharius
Jansen). It is even claimed that Roger Bacon knew about telescopes more
than 300 years before Lippershey and Galileo. Most likely some of the
early glass makers in Italy had dabbled with lenses.
Leonard Digges was a British surveyor who lived the early and mid-1500s,
and he is credited with inventing the theodolite, which included a
telescope. In England he is often credited with inventing the
telescope. Thus, we might say that England, Netherlands, and Italy all
can claim one of their own as inventing the telescope.
Nonetheless, it would have been better if I had said, "... until Galileo
introduced the telescope to astronomy."
Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Physics
Bluffton University
Bluffton, OH 45817
(419)-358-3270
edmiston@bluffton.edu
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