Viruses were seen for the first time in the 1930s when electron microscopes were invented. These microscopes use beams of electrons instead of light, which have a much shorter wavelength and can detect objects that cannot be seen using light microscopes. The typical magnification obtained using electron microscopes is up to 10,000,000 timesPayne S. Methods to Study Viruses. Viruses. 2017;37-52. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-803109-4.00004-0 whereas the highest magnification obtainable with light microscopes is around 1,500 times.
