Born in the U.S.A. (Bruce Springsteen)

History's Best Selling Tech of the 1660s

1. Reflecting Telescope

   Released in 1668 by Sir Isaac Newton

   In 1668, Sir Isaac Newton built the first operational reflecting telescope (the Newtonian reflector). Developed as a solution to the severe chromatic aberration (color distortion) that plagued contemporary refracting telescopes using glass lenses, Newton's design utilized a concave primary mirror to collect light and a flat diagonal secondary mirror to reflect the image to an eyepiece. This breakthrough revolutionized astronomy, allowing for compact, highly powerful telescopes that could view distant celestial bodies with unprecedented clarity.