Looking to zoom in on distant builds or spot mobs from a safe distance? Learning how to make telescope in Minecraft is a simple and useful upgrade for any player. This handy item was added in the Caves & Cliffs update and is surprisingly easy to craft once you have the right materials.
It lets you see far-away things clearly, which is great for planning, exploring, or just getting a better view of your world. This guide will walk you through everything you need, from finding the parts to putting them together.
How To Make Telescope In Minecraft
Before you can start crafting, you need to gather two specific items. You cannot make a telescope without them. The recipe is simple, but one of the ingredients can be tricky to find if you don’t know where to look.
Here is the complete list of what you’ll need:
- 2 Amethyst Shards
- 1 Copper Ingot
Finding Amethyst Shards
Amethyst shards come from amethyst clusters, which grow inside Geodes. These are large, round structures that spawn underground. They have a distinctive outer layer of smooth basalt.
To find a Geode, you can explore caves extensively, especially near lava level or under the ocean. You’ll know you’ve found one when you see the smooth basalt and hear a faint ringing sound near the purple amethyst blocks inside. Breaking a fully grown amethyst cluster with any pickaxe will drop amethyst shards. It’s best to use a pickaxe with the Fortune enchantment to get more shards from each cluster.
Getting Copper Ingots
Copper is much more common. You can mine copper ore found in the Overworld. It looks like stone with greenish-blue spots. You need to smelt the raw copper you get from the ore in a furnace to create copper ingots.
Coore ore is commonly found in mountainous areas and underground. Any pickaxe made of stone or better can mine it. One piece of raw copper smelts into one copper ingot.
The Crafting Recipe Steps
Once you have your materials, follow these steps:
- Open your crafting table menu. You’ll see the 3×3 grid.
- Place the Copper Ingot in the very center square of the grid.
- Place one Amethyst Shard in the square directly above the copper ingot.
- Place the second Amethyst Shard in the square directly below the copper ingot.
- The telescope will appear in the result box on the right.
- Click and drag the telescope into your inventory.
That’s it! The vertical line of shard, ingot, shard is the only pattern that works. Now you’re ready to use your new tool.
How to Use the Telescope
Using the telescope is straightforward. First, place it in your hotbar and select it so you’re holding it in your hand. Then, simply use the secondary action key (right-click on Java Edition, left trigger on consoles, or tap on mobile).
Your screen will zoom in, showing a circular view. You can look around while zoomed in to scan the horizon or inspect details. Release the button to return to normal view. It’s perfect for checking if that distant figure is a friend or a creeper, or for admiring the details of a far-off mountain.
FOV and Visual Effects
When you use the telescope, your field of view (FOV) narrows significantly. The edges of the screen will become dark, creating a vignette effect that focuses your vision. This is normal and helps with the immersion of looking through a lens.
You might notice some visual distortion or a slight tint around the edges, depending on your graphics settings. This is part of the telescope’s designed effect and cannot be changed without mods or resource packs.
Practical Uses in Gameplay
The telescope isn’t just for fun; it has real gameplay benefits. Use it to scout out villages, pillager outposts, or other structures from a safe vantage point before approaching. It’s invaluable for nether fortress hunting, allowing you to spot walkways and blazes from a distance.
For builders, it’s essential for planning large projects or checking the alignment of structures from afar. For hunters, you can identify specific mobs before engaging. It really does change how you see your Minecraft world.
Enchanting and Durability
A common question is whether the telescope can be enchanted or if it has durability. The answer is no on both counts. The telescope does not have a durability bar and cannot be broken with use.
It also cannot be placed in an enchanting table or anvil to receive enchantments. It is a simple, single-purpose tool that functions the same for every player. You also cannot repair it, but since it doesn’t break, you’ll never need to.
Interesting Facts and Trivia
The telescope was added in Minecraft version 1.17, the first part of the Caves & Cliffs update. It was one of the first items to use copper in its recipe, giving the new ore a unique use beyond building blocks.
In real life, early telescopes were often made with lenses ground from quartz, and amethyst is a type of quartz. So the recipe has a fun, semi-realistic connection to history! The in-game model shows a extendable spyglass, much like a classic pirate’s telescope.
Telescope vs. Other Zoom Methods
Before the telescope, players used other methods to see far away. The most common was adjusting the FOV slider in the video settings to a very low number, like 30. This would zoom the entire screen in but was clunky and made movement difficult.
The telescope is a dedicated, toggleable tool that is much more convenient and immersive. It also doesn’t affect your movement settings or UI. OptiFine mod also offered a dynamic zoom key, but the official telescope is now the standard vanilla method.
Multiplayer and PvP Considerations
In multiplayer, the telescope is a great tool for coordination. You can use it to point out locations to friends or spot threats for your team. However, be cautious in PvP environments.
Using the telescope makes your field of view very small, limiting your awareness of nearby dangers. A clever opponent could easily sneak up on you while you’re scoped in on something else. Always find a secure spot before using it in a risky area.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting
Sometimes players run into small problems. If your telescope isn’t working, first check your controls. Make sure you know which button is the “use” button for your specific platform (Java, Bedrock, etc.).
If the recipe isn’t working, double-check your crafting grid. The amethyst shards must be placed directly above and below the copper ingot, with no other items in the other squares. Also, ensure you’re using amethyst shards, not the amethyst blocks themselves.
Resource Pack and Mod Conflicts
If you use custom resource packs or mods, they might change how the telescope looks or functions. If it’s behaving strangely, try removing mods or switching to the default resource pack to see if that fixes it. Some older mods from before 1.17 might not be compatible.
Fun Build Ideas Incorporating Telescopes
Since telescopes are items, you can’t place them as blocks, but you can incorporate them into your builds thematically. Create a lookout tower with a chest containing a telescope for visitors. Build a pirate ship and give each crew member (or armor stand) a telescope.
You can also use item frames in a creative way. Place a map on an item frame on a wall, and then put an item frame with a telescope next to it, as if it’s a tool for studying the chart. These small details add a lot of character to your world.
Automatic Crafting with Redstone
For large-scale operations, you might want to automate telescope crafting. This requires an automatic farm for both amethyst and copper. Amethyst farming is slow, as clusters grow over time, but you can create a farm that harvests them with pistons.
For copper, you’ll need a general ore farm or a large mining operation. Feed the raw copper into furnaces and the resulting ingots and shards into a dropper/dispenser system that feeds a crafting table or autocrafter (available in newer versions). The setup is complex but possible for dedicated redstone engineers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you make a telescope in Minecraft without copper?
No, you cannot. The recipe strictly requires 1 Copper Ingot and 2 Amethyst Shards. There is no alternative recipe or substitute material in the vanilla game.
Where do you find amethyst in Minecraft?
You find amethyst inside Geodes, which spawn underground. Look for smooth basalt and tuff forming a large sphere. Inside, you’ll find amethyst buds and clusters growing on amethyst blocks. The clusters drop shards when broken.
What does a spyglass do in Minecraft?
The spyglass (another name for the telescope) allows you to zoom in on distant locations. Holding the use button will create a zoomed-in, circular view, making far-away objects and mobs easier to see clearly.
How do you use a telescope in Minecraft PE?
In Minecraft Pocket Edition (Bedrock), hold the telescope in your hand. Then, tap and hold the screen where the “use” button normally appears (usually on the right side). Release your finger to stop zooming. The controls are the same as for eating food or using a bow.
Is the telescope a one-time use item?
No, it is not. The telescope has infinite uses. It does not get used up, wear out, or break. You can craft one telescope and use it forever in your world.
Can you put a telescope on a tripod or mount it?
Not in the standard game. The telescope is a handheld item. However, using an item frame, you can place it on a wall to look like it’s mounted. For functional mounting, you would need to look into mods that add that specific feature, which some do offer.
Mastering how to make telescope in Minecraft is a small but satisfying achievement. It opens up your world and gives you a new perspective on the landscapes you create and explore. The materials might take a bit of effort to find initially, but the utility it provides is well worth the hunt. Now that you have your telescope, go find something amazing to look at. The view from your highest tower just got a whole lot better.