Final answer:
Hans Lippershey invented the telescope in 1608.
Step-by-step explanation:
The telescope was invented by Hans Lippershey, a Dutch eyeglass maker, in 1608. He was the first person to apply for a patent for a refracting telescope, which used lenses to bend and focus light. Although there were earlier prototypes of telescopes, Lippershey is credited with the invention of the modern telescope.
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