cop ic ▁sight . ▁He ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁astronom ers ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁England ▁who ▁followed ▁the ▁astronom y ▁of ▁Johannes ▁Ke pler ▁which ▁included , ▁Jer em iah ▁Hor ro cks ▁and ▁William ▁Cra bt ree . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁work ▁▁ ▁Gas co igne ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Middle ton , ▁Le eds ▁in ▁ 1 6 1 2 , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁minor ▁country ▁gentleman . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁Henry ▁Gas co igne , ▁E sq ., ▁of ▁Thor pe - on - the - H ill ▁in ▁the ▁parish ▁of ▁Roth well , ▁near ▁Le eds , ▁York shire . ▁His ▁mother ▁was ▁Margaret ▁Jane , ▁daughter ▁of ▁William ▁Cart w right . ▁Little ▁is ▁known ▁of ▁his ▁early ▁life . ▁He ▁claimed ▁he ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Oxford , ▁although ▁no ▁record ▁of ▁this ▁has ▁been ▁found . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 6 3 0 s , ▁Gas co igne , ▁was ▁working ▁on ▁a ▁Ke pler ian ▁optical ▁arrangement ▁when ▁a ▁thread ▁from ▁a ▁sp ider ’ s ▁web ▁happened ▁to ▁become ▁caught ▁at ▁exactly ▁the ▁combined ▁optical ▁foc al ▁points ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁l enses . ▁When ▁he ▁looked ▁through ▁the ▁arrangement ▁Gas co igne ▁saw ▁the ▁web ▁bright ▁and ▁sharp ▁within ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁view . ▁He ▁realized ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁more ▁accur ately ▁point ▁the ▁teles cope ▁using ▁the ▁line ▁as ▁a ▁guide , ▁and ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁invent ▁the ▁teles cop ic ▁sight ▁by ▁placing