How Newton's Telescope Changed the World

Sir Isaac Newton is often considered as the greatestIt is commonly thought that Newton invented the first
Astronomer and Mathematician to ever live. There is areflector telescope but it isn't true. Credit for making
lot of validity to this claim. This article looks at histhe first reflector goes to and Italian Monk, Physicist,
famous reflector telescope and describes some of hisand Astronomer named Niccolo Zucchi. He published a
discoveries.book on Optics in the 1650's and it is this book that
A reflector telescope is one that uses a mirror ratherinspired Sir Isaac Newton to build his own telescope.
than lenses to bend light and magnify images.Zucchi created his first reflector around 1616 while
Reflector telescopes, because they are easier toNewton completed his first (and famous) telescope in
make and can be made in sizes much larger than1670. But while Zucchi did make some new discoveries
refractors, are an invention that changed astronomywith his telescope it didn't work well and was difficult to
and our understanding of the universe. The largestmake and to use. It was Newton's telescope that
refractor telescope in the world is forty inches inworked really well and that brought the art and
diameter and reflector telescopes dwarf this inscience of reflectors into the world of science.
comparison. There are currently several reflector typeThe real Genius of Newton's Telescope
scopes that are over four hundred inches in diameter.All of that stuff is remarkable but there is something
Why a reflector is better than a refractormuch more important in Newton's Astronomy and in
If you are familiar with a prism or a rainbow you canhis telescope. He didn't after all, discover moons around
understand why reflectors are superior to refractors.Jupiter like Galileo did, or plot the return of a comet like
When light passes through glass the different bandsHalley did. But what he did do was tie in Mathematics,
(or colors) pass through at different angles and thisAstronomy, and our understanding of the universe
causes aberrations or problems in the images. This isusing his telescope and his theory of universal
called chromatic aberration and it gives us distortedgravitation. He proved mathematically that gravitation
views of what we see through a lens. In the time ofwas a two way operation and that while the earth
Newton glass making and lens making was verypulled on a falling apple so the apple too pulled on the
primitive and the problems of chromatic aberrationearth. This was clearly seen, calculated, and confirmed
were not yet overcome. Today we can make lensesin the motions of heavenly bodies which was refined
that have almost no chromatic aberration but we can'tand made possible by the new science of reflector
make them very large. When a lens gets to be reallytelescopes which we can credit to Newton.
large it gets very heavy and its own weight will distortSir Isaac and his telescope carried on with the work of
the lens and ruin the image.Copernicus and Galileo by furthering our understanding
Newton's telescope solved these problems. A mirrorof the universe we live in and helping us to realize
doesn't pass light through it. It simply bounces all thethere are laws that govern the whole of the universe.
light off the surface. There is no chromatic aberrationAnd this rule holds true for falling apples and for
at all. And because you only need to bounce light offplanets revolving around stars.
the surface you can place the whole mirror on aThe actual telescope that Newton built still survives
supporting structure or base which takes a lot of thetoday and is in the care of the Royal Society of
weight off the mirror. This way you can build muchLondon. They keep it on display in London and
larger mirrors without any distortion.sometimes it travels the world as part of an exhibit.