Jacob Metius - Invention of The Telescope

Invention of The Telescope

See also: History of the telescope

In October 1608, the States General discussed Jacob Metius's patent application for a device for "seeing faraway things as though nearby," consisting of a convex and concave lens in a tube, and the combination magnified three or four times. His use of a convex objective lens and concave eyepiece may have been a superior design to Hans Lippershey telescope design which was submitted for patent only a few weeks before Metius'.

Metius informed the States General that he was familiar with the secrets of glassmaking, and that he could make an even better telescope with the government's support. When Metius perceived that the States General was reluctant to review his claim, he prohibited anyone from seeing his telescope.

In his Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary (1795), Charles Hutton writes:

"In 1620, James Metius of Alcmaer, brother of Adrian Metius who was professor of mathematics at Franeker, came with Drebel to Middleburg, and there bought Telescopes of Jansen's children, who had made them public; and yet this Adr. Metius has given his brother the honour of the invention, in which too he is mistakenly followed by Descartes."

The States General voted Jacob Metius a small award, although it ended up employing Lippershey to make binocular versions of the telescope. At his death, Metius’ tools were destroyed according to his wishes in order to prevent anyone from claiming the honor of inventing the telescope.

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