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The universe is far more complex than the solar system, of course, and before the invention of the telescope the full extent of the universe was virtually unknown to astronomers. With increased size and improved optics, telescopes began to reveal more of our universe. Catalogues of deep sky objects were created, but the nature of the objects was unknown until the 20th century. Galaxies were finally understood as distant collections of billions of separate stars, and our place in the Milky Way was discovered. Telescopes are now incredibly technical, with mirrors 10 metres across, adaptive optics systems which correct for turbulence, and an orbiting telescope worth billions of dollars.
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