Detailed observations of the planet became possible with the invention of telescopes, and in 1610 Galileo saw its rings for the first time, although he mistakenly believed them to be moons. In 1659, Christiaan Huygens using a more powerful telescope realized what was really being seen, and soon after discovered the planet’s first moon, Titan.
The invention of the telescope played an important role in advancing our understanding of Earth's place in the cosmos. While there is evidence that the principals of telescopes were known in the late 16th century, the first telescopes were created in the Netherlands in 1608.
