Exploring the Universe with Telescopes In 1609 Galileo began using a new kind of instrument that magnified distant objects: a telescope. When he trained it on the heavens, he saw countless stars and other faint objects never before seen. Suddenly, the Universe was no longer limited to what the naked eye could see. As telescopes improved, astronomers continued to push back the boundaries of the known Universe, peering ever deeper into the surrounding sea of stars known as the Milky Way.

Featured Artifacts in this section:

Herschel 20-foot Telescope

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