Nyob rau hauv 1611, German astronomer Kepler coj ob daim ntawm lenticular lens raws li lub hom phiaj thiab lub eyepiece, lub magnification yog obviously txhim kho, tom qab cov neeg suav hais tias qhov kho qhov muag system li Kepler telescope.

Nyob rau hauv 1757, Du Grand los ntawm kev kawm ntawm iav thiab dej refraction thiab dispersion, tsim lub theoretical foundation ntawm lub achromatic lens, thiab siv lub crown thiab flint tsom iav tsim achromatic lens. Txij thaum ntawd los, achromatic Refractor Telescope kiag li hloov lub iav tsom iav ntev lub cev.

Thaum kawg ntawm lub xyoo pua puv 19, nrog rau kev tsim cov cuab yeej siv tau zoo dua qub, ua kom lub caliber loj ntawm lub tsom iav raj refracting yog ua tau, tom qab ntawd muaj kev tsim cov kab loj loj Refractor Telescope climax. Ib tus neeg sawv cev tshaj plaws yog Ekes telescope ntawm 102 cm txoj kab uas hla hauv xyoo 1897 thiab Rick telescope ntawm 91 cm txoj kab uas hla hauv xyoo 1886.

Refracting telescope muaj qhov zoo ntawm qhov focal ntev, lub phaj nplai loj, lub raj khoov yog qhov tsis hnov ​​​​tsw, feem ntau haum rau kev ntsuas astronomical. Tab sis nws yeej ib txwm muaj cov xim residual, tib lub sij hawm rau ultraviolet, infrared radiation absorption muaj zog heev. Thaum lub iav kho qhov muag loj loj yog qhov nyuaj, mus rau Yerkes telescope refracting telescope tsim nyob rau hauv 1897, txoj kev loj hlob tau mus txog qhov kawg, txij li qhov no ib puas xyoo tsis muaj ntau dua refractive telescope tshwm.