Telescope

A telescope (from the Greek tele = 'far' and skopein = 'to look or see'; teleskopos = 'far-seeing') is an astronomical tool which gathers and focuses electromagnetic radiation. Telescopes increase the apparent angular size of ingerso objects, as well as their apparent brightness.

Other meanings

• There is a constellation called Telescopium.
• Old-type telescopes were often made from tube sections that slid inside each other for easier stowage when not being used. As a result, anything that can lengthen and shorten in this way is said to be telescopic (adjective), and the process of shortening in this way is called telescoping (verb).
• When trains collide, the carriages can sometimes slide through eachother, rather like a telescope folding into a more compact form for ease of storage. Unlike a telescope which a full of air, a train may be full of passengers, who will suffer serious fatilities if telescoping occurs.