According to Liu Chun-tsan, a scholar researching the history of Chinese science, the telescope was the key factor propelling Western astronomy to new heights and overshadowing Chinese astronomy.
致力於研究中國科學史的歷史學者劉君燦則認為，望遠鏡才是改造西方天文學的最大功臣，相對也造成中國古天文的「沒落」。