The Telescope - A Short History Author: Richard Dunn Publisher: Natural History Museum ISBN: 978-1-906367-04-6 Price: £12.99 (Hb), 192pp
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Conceding that the court is still out on pre-1600 allusions to far-seeing devices, this book quickly moves to the firmer ground of the seventeenth century invention, aware that prior optical experimentation had been rife for many years, including, we discover, work by Galileo himself. Almost immediately improvements to this new device were sought, by some measures very strange to today’s standards, including tubeless varieties. Robert Hooke built a giant vertical column (London’s ‘Great Fire’ commemorative ‘Monument’), whilst at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, while John Flamsteed went in the opposite direction by mounting a lens at the aperture of a well!

We are reminded, too, that early telescopic observations were not entirely welcomed. They not only challenged the accepted dogma of the natural world but also the mores of its still widely accepted sister science, astrology. There ensues a story of endeavour familiar to every astronomer today: the acquisition of steadily larger apertures and focal length, overcoming along the way those aberrations that optics seem delighted to provide. In this pursuit we move through the age of the great aerial refractors of Hevelius and Huygens to the behemoth reflectors of Herschel and beyond. As we tread steadily towards the end of the nineteenth century, Dunn expertly traces the growing technical abilities of telescopes together with fascinating tales and insights of the men who used them.

Despite its obvious application to astronomy, the author is at pains to point out that the telescope quickly invaded every aspect of human activity – practical and cultural – even becoming a fashion accessory. Allusions in literature appear almost immediately after its invention. Writing a humorous poem about the fictitious gift of a telescope and wine from Galileo, Niccolo Aggiunti writes (in about 1630) that the optical device enlarged images whilst the wine multiplied them!

The book ends with a look at modern telescopes (including Hubble) whilst examining their role in modern culture. A thorough history and a grand read!

Steve Ringwood