英文的"telescope"(来自希腊的τῆλε,tele "far"和 σκοπεῖν,skopein "to look or see";τηλεσκόπος,teleskopos "far-seeing")。这个字是希腊数学家Giovanni Demisiani在1611年于伽利略在Accademia dei Lincei的一场餐会中,推销他的仪器时提出的。在星际信使这本书中,伽利略使用的字是"perspicillum"。
英语百科
Telescope 望远镜
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation (such as visible light). The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s, by using glass lenses. They found use in both terrestrial applications and astronomy.