Eyesight against AP?

[sologuitarist61]

I realise that the eye cannot capture enough photons to be able to compete with long exposure AP, but why is that? My initial thought is that the eye must act a bit like a quick exposure on a camera - takes in 'x' amount of photons and then they are discarded when the next 'view' is made - whereas with AP the photons just keep being collected. If this is so, what is the refresh rate of the human eye?

Am I close, or just talking a load of old rubbish?

[LukeSkywatcher]

The human eye (as amazing as it is) is not designed that well to percieve colour. Its all to do with the "rods and cones". Rods i think are the ones that deal with colour. Apparently women are better at seeing colour because (and i dont know if this is true or not), apparently women have 4 different tyes of rods in their eyes and men only have 3 types.

Most men when observing M42 (Orion Nebula) never report seeing any kind of colour. However the number of women that detect a hint of colour (red or green usually) is far greater.

To answer your question....................i have no answer.

If you stare at something for 5 mins (without blinking) does the image improve?

No.

If you leave a camera running for 5 mins...................does the image improve?

Yes.

I think the human eye is a basic "point and shoot" type camera. No control over any of the settings.

Refresh rate?

I dont know but if movies are made at 24 frames per second and the human eye sees those 24 frames per second as a "movie" then i would say ther human eye operates at 24 frames per second.

p.s.~~~I may also be talking a load of old rubbish.

*Footnote*

Only men suffer from colour blindness. Its always red/green. Interesting how women say they see either red or green in M42. So there may be some truth in the comment that women percieve colour differently/better then men.

[sologuitarist61]

As you so rightly say, I also think the eye is a point and shoot type camera and a lot of the points you make are valid. Never tried staring at something for 5 minutes without blinking, so I'll take your word for it!!

Just for the record, I think it is the other way around, I believe cones are the colour receptors and rods are for black and white. Not sure if women have more types of cones than men but it might well prove why they come out with colours like 'puce' and 'fuchsia' !!

[LukeSkywatcher]

The Rods and Cones of the Human Eye

You are correct. It is cones that are more colour sensitive and women have more then men.

[Williams]

The eyes and brain are one big movie. The human eye does upto 300 frames a second but can only interpret data from 5-20 of them. A long exposure photo stacks data and does nothing more.

[sologuitarist61]

True, but a long exposure photo does let us see DSO's in their full glory, and for that I, for one, am extremely grateful - there is nothing that quite beats the views of the night sky that our eyes are unable to see directly. I cannot wait to get my Canon DSLR fixed up to see exatly what I can get. Unfortunately FLO fulfilled all my order with the exception of the bits that fit the DSLR to the scope - on well, the weather is pants down here in Cornwall anyway.