headache

[daz01968]

hi people, i get very bad headaches from squinting when i look through my telescope is there anything that i can get or do to prevent this

[Stargazer33]

Get yourself an eye patch for the non-viewing eye if you can't view with both eyes open. In the meantime just cup a hand over your non-viewing eye to take the strain away.

[ronin]

Simple answer is you should not be squinting.

It makes me suspect that the image is not actually focussed correctly and you are forcing the eye compensate for this instead of the eye focusing at infinity (rest point).

Has the scope a 2 speed focuser?

Easier and cheaper is learn to relax the eye and keep it relaxed, then focus the mechanical bit just leave the eye relaxed, adjustment is by the focuser.

Another question is what eyepieces do you use?

The supplied items and short focal length plossl's have small lens and people tend to squeeze their eye for these.

If so then try something like the BST Starguiders, cannot be 100% sure but I guess others have larger final lens, just I don't have any others. Thinking that the X-Cels will be similar.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Simple answer is you should not be squinting.

It makes me suspect that the image is not actually focussed correctly and you are forcing the eye compensate for this instead of the eye focusing at infinity (rest point).

Has the scope a 2 speed focuser?

Easier and cheaper is learn to relax the eye and keep it relaxed, then focus the mechanical bit just leave the eye relaxed, adjustment is by the focuser.

Another question is what eyepieces do you use?

The supplied items and short focal length plossl's have small lens and people tend to squeeze their eye for these.

If so then try something like the BST Starguiders, cannot be 100% sure but I guess others have larger final lens, just I don't have any others. Thinking that the X-Cels will be similar.

I think you are onto it. Its the eye relief of the EP's being used that isnt quite right. 

[LeeB]

I keep both eyes open, but if not possible get a cheap pair of sunglasses with no bottom rims and take one lens out, the extra darkness on the none viewing eye will be enough and the squinting will stop

[cotterless45]

Easiest thing to try , is keep both eyes open , then hold your hand over one eye, hurrah !

Nick.

[nicoscy]

Or if you are feeling up to a monk hood, get this:

http://www.darkskiesapparel.com/hooded_vests.html

I can't live without it   Useful for parking eyepieces and filters and red light in the pockets, easy cover for any indiscreet car drivers passing by and also covers the eye not used.

[OscarTheGrouch]

Do you wear glasses?  Lots of people squint because they have an astigmatism and wear glasses because they think contact lenses can't correct this.  They're wrong and this may be something to consider. 

Additionally, I see that you've listed your location as "Croydon" so I presume you have a significant amount of light pollution to contend with.  It may be difficult, but you need to find a location that's not only out of direct light but also shielded from the orange glow of street lighting and all those annoying people who have security lights that come on whenever a cat/dog/fox/rabbit/hamster walks by (ok - so there may not be many hamsters but you never know!!), even if this means you lose access to some parts of the sky.  In my back garden, I can't see north at all because my house is in the way but the house also shields me from the street lights.  In order to look north, I have to pack my scope up and visit a nearby field but that's a small price to pay for the excellent southern and western views I have at home.

To help block out any residual light, go to your local Primark and look for a zip up hoodie.  Cut the sleeves off (or buy one without sleeves if you can) so that it can be worn under a coat when the weather gets colder.  Alternatively, buy something like this (link) but make sure it's made of t-shirt material then cut the sleeves off and the body at mid chest level (meeting up with the bottom of the arm holes to separate the front from the back below the arms) to make a hooded cowl.  The advantage of t-shirt material is that it won't fray when you cut it and it's easy to hem the raw edge by hand (even for a bloke like me!).

If you don't want to muck about making hoods to go under coats or over shirts/jumpers, then resort to your trusty bath towel.  If I say "Watch the birdie", the first thing that comes to mind for most people is a bloke with a box camera on a stand with his head under a black sheet looking through the back of the camera.  You can do the same with a towel, but just make sure you don't cover the "business end" of your scope!!  This is a great, free, way to see how that helps with keeping both eyes open in the dark and I also use my towel as a dew shield (I put it over the scope when not in use), blanket for sitting on and sometimes I even use it as a towel!!

Essentially, what I'm trying to say is that spending out vast sums of money on bits of kit is a waste of money until you know whether or not they're going to help you.  You're far better off getting your eyesight tested and using what you've got in the house already.

[Feral Rabbit]

This is spooky, I was out last night and I found it difficult to constantly look through the EP too. Mines a 40mm Plossl that came with the scope I have. I tried with and without my glasses (varifocals). In the end without was better but not perfect as every time I came away from the scope to look at the HS/book/phone app I would have to find my glasses to see and then remember to take them off when I went back to observing. No eyestrain, but I felt I was squinting and the scope was nice and focused with lovely round stars of Mizar and Alcor.

It was only my second time out so I put it down to poor technique. May have to try my contacts next time although these tend to dry my eyes out after a couple of hours.

The towel/hoodie seems like a great idea and even the eye patch is worth a try  .

Such a fantastic forum

[LukeSkywatcher]

Arrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

There be good reason me matey why so many of us skullduggeries use an eye patch while observing.

Actually, pirates used them for a very good reason. They used one on one eye, so if they were fighting at night, the covered eye would be dark adapted instantly and they could see/fight better in the dark.

Makes sense and this tid-bit of useless info is straight from the Mythbusters. Most local pharmacists will sell eye patches.

These days............for astronomy, an eye patch allows you to observe with whichever eye you are happiest with and the other one is covered and there is no squinting. It helps the muscles in the observing eye to be more relaxed and no squinting or head ache.

[OscarTheGrouch]

This is spooky, I was out last night and I found it difficult to constantly look through the EP too. Mines a 40mm Plossl that came with the scope I have. I tried with and without my glasses (varifocals). In the end without was better but not perfect as every time I came away from the scope to look at the HS/book/phone app I would have to find my glasses to see and then remember to take them off when I went back to observing. No eyestrain, but I felt I was squinting and the scope was nice and focused with lovely round stars of Mizar and Alcor.

It was only my second time out so I put it down to poor technique. May have to try my contacts next time although these tend to dry my eyes out after a couple of hours.

The towel/hoodie seems like a great idea and even the eye patch is worth a try  .

Such a fantastic forum

Dry eyes from wearing contact lenses can be caused by no blinking enough.  Try pretending you're fluttering your eyelids at your scope before lining up on your eyepiece.

[szymon]

My wife had a similar issue looking through the eyepiece.  I'd call her over and she didn't want to because it gave her a headache!  We did two things to fix it.  First, I had her hold her hand over her other eye, and she was able to use the cheap eyepieces that came with the scope 'OK' without squinting.  Then, I tried an eyepiece with a bigger final lens, the BST starguider 12mm, and she is *much* more comfortable with this.