telescope

Everyday

A tube with lenses or mirrors that makes far-away things, like stars and planets, look bigger and closer. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons about space, pupils learn that telescopes helped people discover moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. Some telescopes, like the Hubble and James Webb telescopes, are in space. Phrases: look through a telescope, space telescope, telescope lens.

Examples

• We looked at the Moon through a telescope. tree →
• Galileo used a telescope to see Jupiter's moons. tree →
• The Hubble Space Telescope takes photos of faraway galaxies. tree →
• My telescope makes the stars look brighter. tree →
• Pirates used a small telescope to look for ships. tree →
• Astronomers work with huge telescopes. tree →
• Now the Wicked Witch of the West had but one eye, yet that was as powerful as a telescope, and could see everywhere. tree →

Note

Countable: a telescope, telescopes. "Tele-" means far, "-scope" means look. A microscope makes tiny things look bigger; a telescope makes far things look bigger. Safety: never look at the Sun through a telescope or binoculars; it can blind you.