Hans Lipperhey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hans Lipperhey
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| Born | c. 1570 Wesel, Duchy of Cleves, Holy Roman Empire
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| Died | September 1619 (aged 48–49) |
| Nationality | German, Dutch |
| Occupation | spectacle-maker |
| Known for | Inventor of the telescope (earliest known patent application) |
Hans Lipperhey (born around 1570 – died September 29, 1619) was a German-Dutch spectacle-maker. He is famous for being linked to the invention of the telescope. He was the first person to try and get a patent for this amazing new device. However, it's not completely clear if he was the very first person to actually build a telescope.
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About Hans Lipperhey
Lipperhey was born in a town called Wesel, which is now in western Germany. This was around the year 1570. In 1594, he moved to Middelburg, which is the capital of the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands. He got married that same year.
In 1602, he became a citizen of Zeeland. During this time, he became a skilled lens grinder and a spectacle-maker. He opened his own shop. Hans Lipperhey lived in Middelburg until he passed away in September 1619.
How the Telescope Was Invented
Hans Lipperhey is known for the first written record of a refracting telescope. He filed a patent for it in 1608. A refracting telescope uses lenses to make faraway objects look closer. His work with these optical tools came from his job as a spectacle maker. Making eyeglasses had started in places like Venice and Florence in the 1200s. Later, this skill spread to the Netherlands and Germany.
On October 2, 1608, Lipperhey asked the States General of the Netherlands for a patent. He wanted to protect his invention, which he described as an instrument "for seeing things far away as if they were nearby." Just a few weeks later, another Dutch instrument-maker named Jacob Metius also asked for a patent for a similar device.
Lipperhey did not get the patent because other spectacle-makers had also claimed to invent the same thing. However, the Dutch government paid him a lot of money for copies of his design.
Spreading the News of the Telescope
News of Lipperhey's patent application spread quickly. It was mentioned in a report about a visit to Holland by people from the Kingdom of Siam. This report was published in October 1608 and shared all over Europe. This made other scientists curious and they started experimenting.
For example, Paolo Sarpi in Italy got the report in November. Thomas Harriot in England was already using a telescope by the summer of 1609. And Galileo Galilei in Italy later made the device even better.
There are many stories about how Lipperhey came up with his invention. One story says he saw two children playing with lenses in his shop. They were holding two lenses and noticed they could make a faraway weather-vane look closer. Other stories suggest that Lipperhey's apprentice had the idea, or that Lipperhey copied someone else's discovery.
Lipperhey's first instrument was called a "Dutch perspective glass." It had a magnification of three times (3X). This means it made objects look three times closer. The name "telescope" was not used until three years later.
Honoring Hans Lipperhey
Several things in space are named after Hans Lipperhey. These include the lunar crater Lippershey, the minor planet 31338 Lipperhey, and the exoplanet Lipperhey (also known as 55 Cancri d).
See also
In Spanish: Hans Lippershey para niños
