who was the first scientist to study the planets with a telescope?
<answer> Galileo Galilei was the first scientist to study the planets with a telescope. <context> Hence, prior to the invention of the telescope, nothing was known about the planet besides its position on the sky. The Italian scientist Galileo Galilei was the first person known to use a telescope to make astronomical observations. His records indicate that he began observing Mars through a telescope in September 1610.