Did Galileo Invent the Telescope?

In any introductory astronomy course students are introduced to Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642).  Galileo was one of the key players in the history of astronomy.  It was his work that put the final nail in the coffin of the Earth centered solar system model.  Today we know that the Sun is the center of the solar system, but go back 400-500 years ago it was still widely accepted that the Earth was the center of the Solar System. Galileo's observations of the sky using his telescope provided the data needed to confirm that the Sun is indeed the center and not the Earth.

Galileo was the first person to use the telescope for astronomical purposes and as a result he's often credited with inventing the telescope.  This is not true.  The telescope was invented in 1608 by a German optician.  Galileo heard about the telescope and built his own in 1609 and used it to look at the sky.