The Telescope Museum
Four centuries of reaching for the stars — from Galileo's lens to the James Webb Space Telescope.
How Telescopes Work
See how different telescope designs focus light. Click a type to trace rays through its optical path.
The Collection
Click any telescope to copy its key specs. Filter by category or era to explore different instrument families.
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Four Centuries of Telescopes
Scroll through the milestones that shaped how we observe the universe.
Playground
Calculate telescope performance, magnification, and cosmic distances with real optics formulas.
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