Read the beginning of the section Refining the Telescope from Chapter Two of Windows to the Universe: Revolutions in Astronomy.Galileo Galilei, an Italian scientist, is often credited with significantly improving the telescope. By 1609, he had built a version that magnified objects up to 30 times.Which statement best explains the central idea that this excerpt introduces?
Answer
A
Technological advancements in telescopes began to accelerate after 1609.
B
Galileo's work with telescopes focused primarily on increasing magnification power.
C
The telescope's development was driven by individual contributions from prominent scientists.
D
Galileo's improvements to the telescope greatly advanced humanity's understanding of the universe.
Explanation
The excerpt emphasizes Galileo’s improvement to the telescope and specifies that his version magnified objects up to 30 times. That detail points to increasing magnification as the focus of his work. The excerpt does not say that telescope development accelerated after 1609 or describe how his work changed humanity’s understanding of the universe.
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