Oldest Dutch telescope, archaeological discovery

Translated from NOS TV in the Netherlands:

Oldest telescope found in Delft

Update: Wednesday, May 14, 2014, 13:05

In Delft, during excavations, recently the oldest telescope in the Netherlands was found. The technological marvel dates back to the early 17th century.

Archeologists found the device during the construction of a tunnel. After extensive research, scientists concluded that the telescope is older than a telescope by Christiaan Huygens in 1655. The viewer enlarged five times, enough to see mountains on the moon. The telescope is one of the highlights of the renovated museum the Prinsenhof, which re-opens this Friday.

The oldest telescope in the world dates back to 1609 and was by Galileo Galilei.

Unfortunately, in an interview archaeologist Steven Jongma said the telescope was probably not for astronomy, but for war; for spying on the enemy side.

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