The last remaining telescope made by Galileo!
The oldest telescope in the world is a leather-bound show piece with golden ornaments made for Cosimo II de Medici, which now is on show in Florence. This is the telescope that started modern astronomy! In the year 1609 Galileo took the Dutch invention of the telescope, perfected it, and pointed it at the night sky. His discoveries - craters on the Moon, the phases of Venus, the Jovian moons - were scientific sensations! They laid the foundation for a completely new kind of astronomy that defines our view of the world until today.
With this beautiful and historically accurate cardboard replica you can experience the great achievements of Galileo yourself. In terms of size and optical properties, the kit corresponds to the telescopes of the time and is based on the only surviving telescope that can be attributed to Galileo with certainty.
High quality cardboard kit with four colour and gold print, complete with glass lenses for 12x magnification and a wall/desktop mount.
For tripod observations, we offer an inexpensive photo tripod adapter
This kit contains:
- 6 pre-cut and printed sheets of A4 construction cardboard
- 2 glass lenses, 25 - 42 mm, focal length -65 mm and +780 mm
- accessories: 1 sheet of velours paper, A4, black
- detailed construction manual
Features: 12x magnification, wall or desktop mount
Dimensions of the built model: diameter approx. 4.5 cm, length 65 - 78 cm (holder: 12 x 14 x 6 cm)
Construction time: approx. 15 hours
Producer: AstroMedia GmbH, Im Wirrigen 30, 45731 Waltrop, Germany, astromedia.de
Below you can download the instructions for this kit.
Written Instructions
Things you need for the assembly or which are helpful:
- a firm and even work surface, e.g. a cutting mat is helpful
- a sharp craft knife or a scalpel
- a good all-purpose glue
- adhesive film and masking tape
- small scissors, e.g. nail scissors
- a thick, black felt-tip pen
- a round piece of wood, approx. 20 cm long and 1.5 cm thick
- fine sandpaper or a craft file
- some spirit to clean the lenses
For the perfectionists:
- a gold touch-up pen
- brown and red felt-tip pens
- 2 metal washers, diameter approx. 20 mm (outside) and 8 mm (inside)
Supervision by adults:
Children under the age of 14 should use the kit under adult supervision to avoid risks due to improper handling.
Take care with small parts:
Choking hazard! Keep small parts out of the reach of small children.
Risk of injury:
Take particular care when handling pointed and sharp parts! Use sharp tools with care and take suitable safety measures to avoid injury if necessary.
Fire hazard:
Keep away from open sources of fire and heat. Product contains highly flammable materials.
Caution when focussing light: Do not expose lenses to direct sunlight unattended as they can create a focal point.
Danger from sunlight:
Never look directly at the Sun through the telescope without using a suitable solar filter as this can cause serious eye damage.
Use of adhesives:
When using adhesive, follow the manufacturer's safety instructions. Work in well-ventilated areas and avoid skin or eye contact.
Intended use:
The kit should be used in accordance with the enclosed instructions. Unauthorised modifications may impair the functionality and safety of the model built.
