De Tellescopiis Stellarum (1666). Was Galileo experimenting with four-lens terrestrial telescopes by 1630?

This paper presents a hitherto unknown seventeenth-century component-by-component description of a four-lens terrestrial telescope attributed to Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), complete with diagrams and measurements. The author is the Spanish friar Ignacio Muñoz O.P. (ca. 1608/1612-1686), who penned it on August 8, 1666, in Mexico City. The owner of the telescope was Antonio Sebastián de Toledo Molina y Salazar (1608-1715), II Marquis of Mancera and viceroy of New Spain (1664-1673). Images of the source, a transcription in the original Latin, an English translation, and the measured values derived from the piece-by-piece analysis are provided. The study also contextualizes the document and examines the reliability of the attribution, reflecting on its potential implications for the history of the telescope.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Annals of Science
Published
2026-05-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/00033790.2026.2661195
Primary Topic
Historical Philosophy and Science
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

De Tellescopiis Stellarum (1666). Was Galileo experimenting with four-lens terrestrial telescopes by 1630?

José María Moreno Madrid
Annals of Science
Historical Philosophy and Science
article

De Tellescopiis Stellarum (1666). Was Galileo experimenting with four-lens terrestrial telescopes by 1630?

José María Moreno Madrid
article en

Abstract

This paper presents a hitherto unknown seventeenth-century component-by-component description of a four-lens terrestrial telescope attributed to Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), complete with diagrams and measurements. The author is the Spanish friar Ignacio Muñoz O.P. (ca. 1608/1612-1686), who penned it on August 8, 1666, in Mexico City. The owner of the telescope was Antonio Sebastián de Toledo Molina y Salazar (1608-1715), II Marquis of Mancera and viceroy of New Spain (1664-1673). Images of the source, a transcription in the original Latin, an English translation, and the measured values derived from the piece-by-piece analysis are provided. The study also contextualizes the document and examines the reliability of the attribution, reflecting on its potential implications for the history of the telescope.

Annals of Science
University of Limerick (IE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Historical Philosophy and Science
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.