The telescope was invented in the Netherlands in 1608, with the first known patent application filed by Dutch eyeglass maker Hans Lippershey. He designed a device that could magnify objects about three times, using a concave eyepiece and a convex objective lens

. Around the same time, other Dutch spectacle makers, including Zacharias Janssen and Jacob Metius, also claimed to have invented the telescope, but Lippershey is generally credited because he was the first to apply for a patent

. Galileo Galilei did not invent the telescope but was the first to use it for astronomy. After hearing about the Dutch invention in 1609, he built his own improved version that could magnify objects about 20 times and made significant astronomical discoveries with it

. In summary, while the exact inventor is somewhat disputed, Hans Lippershey is most often credited with inventing the telescope in 1608, with Galileo being the first to use it for astronomical observations shortly thereafter