††††Dutchman Hans Lippershey introduced binoculars around 1608. They were basically telescopes for use with two eyes instead of one.
In the nineteenth century, prism binoculars were developed. Although these were much more compact, they were still as powerful as many longer telescopes. More importantly, binoculars now produced a stereoscopic effect as well as magnifying the image. Today, binoculars are used in many fields, including by seamen and coastguards, and by aircraft spotters and bird-watchers.
