1608
1608 is the year the telescope was patented in the Netherlands.
- Even
- Composite
Where 1608 fits
Why 1608 is special
The patent was refused as the design was too easy to copy. Within a year the instrument had reached Galileo, who improved it and pointed it upward, which the original spectacle-makers had not thought to do.
1608 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (16)
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 67, 134, 201, 268, 402, 536, 804, 1608
- Prime factorisation
- 2^3 × 3 × 67
- Digit sum
- 15
- Digital root
- 6
Representations
- Decimal
- 1608
- Scientific notation
- 1.608 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M D C V I I I
Binary
1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 0 × 256 + 0 × 128 + 1 × 64 + 0 × 32 + 0 × 16 + 1 × 8 + 0 × 4 + 0 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 1,608
Octal
3 1 1 0
3 × 512 + 1 × 64 + 1 × 8 + 0 × 1 = 1,608
Hexadecimal
6 4 8
6 × 256 + 4 × 16 + 8 × 1 = 1,608
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 64 + 8 = 1,608.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 6 coils of rope, 8 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 6 × 100 + 8 × 1 = 1,608. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
2 corner wedges + 6 vertical wedges (sixties place), 4 corner wedges + 8 vertical wedges (units place)
26 × 60 + 48 = 1608. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Abundant number
Related numbers & connections
1608 is a year in the 17th century, in the 1600s.
The telescope was patented in the Netherlands in 1608 and Galileo published observations made with an improved version in 1610. Two years separate an instrument for looking at ships from one pointed at Jupiter.
View 1610 →Numbers Around Us
- appears inHistorical years
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Other connections
- developed from1610
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Technology & computing
Hans Lippershey's telescope application was denied because the device was trivially reproducible. That refusal is part of why the design spread across Europe within months and reached Galileo in time for the 1610 observations.
DocumentedTechnology & computingGeography: NetherlandsPeriod: 1608In 1608, the refracting telescope was first documented in the Netherlands (Netherlands).
DocumentedTechnology & computingGeography: NetherlandsPeriod: 1608
Common questions
Is 1608 a prime number?
No, 1608 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1608?
The factors of 1608 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 67, 134, 201, 268, 402, 536, 804, 1608.
What is 1608 in Roman numerals?
1608 in Roman numerals is MDCVIII.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026