Here's what we know:
* Lippershey applied for a patent in 1608 for a device that magnified distant objects. This is the first documented claim to the invention.
* Other Dutch spectacle makers were also working on similar devices around the same time.
* Galileo Galilei heard about the invention and built his own, improved version of the spyglass, which he famously used to observe the Moon, planets, and stars.
Therefore, while Lippershey is often credited as the inventor, it's important to remember that he might have been working independently of others with similar ideas. The precise origins of the spyglass remain somewhat unclear, but Lippershey's patent application marks a crucial moment in its development.