Instead, submarines have a special device called a periscope. It allows people inside the submarine to see what’s going on above water. Where does the word “periscope” come from? It’s a combination of the Greek words “peri” and “Scopus,” which mean “around” and “look.”
Periscopes can be used in many ways beyond seeing above water from a submarine. In World War I, they helped soldiers see beyond the tops of trenches. They’re also used in armored vehicles, such as tanks, to see outside when all the vehicle’s openings are shut tight.
Periscopes are similar to telescopes in how they’re built and how they work. The main part of a periscope is a long tube that has a mirror at each end. The mirrors are attached so that they are parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle.
Arranged in this way, the mirrors bounce reflections of light between them. For example, light bounces off the object you’re looking at with the periscope. That light enters the periscope and bounces off the top mirror. The light then hits the bottom mirror and bounces into your eyes.
Isn’t it cool how a periscope uses simple scientific principles to let you see around corners or even above water from a submarine? Submarines often can’t come all the way to the surface of the water. For that reason, their periscopes have special magnifying lenses. They make the reflected images bigger so that you can see them easier.
Who invented the periscope? It’s existed in different forms for a long time. For example, Johann Gutenberg created a periscope-like device in the 1430s. It allowed spectators to see over other people in a crowd at religious festivals. The first naval periscope was invented by Hippolyte Marie-Davy in 1854. Later, Simon Lake added the device to the submarine in 1902. Sir Howard Grubb made major improvements to the invention during World War I.
Today, submarine periscopes use all sorts of new technology to replace simple mirrors. Some use complex prisms that are much sturdier. Some newer submarines don’t even have periscopes. They use special electronic sensors that can be raised above water. These sensors then send electronic signals back to special computers inside the submarine!
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