Hello Jessia,

The Chinese observed sunspots much earlier than Galileo, and they did this by using thin jade disks that acted as filters so they could make the observations safely. Pretty awesome! So, yes, Galileo was the first to observe sunspots with a TELESCOPE, but other earlier observers looked at sunspots using other means. During sunsets or sunrises, when the sky is particularly clear, a person can possibly observe sunspots if they are large enough. But remember it is not safe to look at the sun with the naked eye!! You can cause serious damange to your eyes.

Isabel Hawkins