Who invented the telescope?

Hans Lippershey (c. 1570- c.1619) was a spectacle maker in the Netherlands, who is credited with the invention of the telescope. Some telescopes and spyglasses may have been created much earlier, but Lippershey is believed to be the first to apply for a patent for his design, a few weeks before Jacob Metius (a Dutch instrument maker and optician), and making it available for general use in 1608. Although he failed to receive a patent, he was handsomely rewarded by the Dutch government for copies of his design. The telescope invented by Lippershey had a magnification of just 3x.