Astronomer's Eye

[David55]

What a fantastic night it was. I started at 11pm and carried on until about 2:30am. It was cold and the seeing was as good as I can remember at any time this winter. A magical night, wherever I looked there was a new target. I focussed mostly on the galaxies in Virgo, Leo and Coma Berenices- who knew there were so many? Eventually it was all a bit much and my feet were getting cold, so I packed away, only to notice that Mars was now high enough in the sky to make an observation worthwhile; so out with the 'scope once again.

But today my left eye- my observing eye- is puffed-up and red, which I can only assume comes from staring though five glass lenses, two mirrors and eighty million light years across the universe. 

Anyone else suffer from 'astronomer's eye' or suffer other maladies from this hobby?

[Avocette]

Friday evening I attended the 'Jupiter Watch' at Attingham Park, Shropshire, and spend a couple of hours looking through six or seven different scopes belonging to the members of the Shropshire Astronomical Society. Later on back home my observing eye was red - for the first time after an observing session that I could remember. Of course I started to think I'd caught something from one of the eyepieces! Happily everything looked normal again by the morning.

[cotterless45]

Think my eye went red last night, crying at the never ending rain !

Nick.

[MYLUCKYSTARS]

I've experienced similar thing's my eyes have been "puffed-up and red" only seems to happen when I've done long Planetary &/or Lunar observation. Also once after observing the Moon for quite long time, I felt like everywhere around me was bright, I think being tired had a lot to do with it.

[Bart]

It's my back that kills me after some sessions. A nice little anti inflammatory and two paracetamol and off to bed to let the chemicals do their thang!

Barry

[chiltonstar]

Worth taking care re eye infections where other folk have been using your EPs. A common problem in our lab with microscopes, with regular outbreaks.....

[Bart]

Of course, there's Golfers Crack, but that's another story.

Barry

[StarSapling]

I often suffer from "binocular neck" when I spend too much time observing objects near the zenith.  I have often suffered from this condition when birding as well.  When birding we call it "warbler neck".

[Sandraj]

My first few times out I couldn't understand why my right thigh was hurting, it was only later that I realised it was the way I was standing and putting all my weight on my right side whilst leaning over the Dob that was causing it, I have bought a little stool now to cure that.