Astronomy has been very important to humans for thousands of years. Many ancient civilizations would look to the stars and planets to create star charts. These were then used for directions when navigating a ship or used to predict solar and lunar eclipses. Over the course of thousands of years, astronomers have learned a lot about the universe, sometimes even causing dissent in the scientific community as commonly accepted theories were challenged. The development of different tools has greatly contributed to some of these discoveries.
One of the greatest inventions for astronomers was the development of the telescope. The first actual telescope had a magnification capability of 3x, later developing to a stronger 30x magnification. With the use of these tools, astronomers have been able to study even more of the night sky, discovering new planets and celestial objects.
Modern scientific tools allow astronomers to study even further into the universe. One famous telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, is located in space and has been revolving around the earth for over 20 years. This telescope allows astronomers to see past our solar system into distant galaxies. Astronomers have even been able to identify other planets that could possibly be inhabitable due to estimates on the planet’s size and location to the nearest sun.
