Keeping Both Eyes Open

[todd8137]

Pirate eye patch captain ar argh 

pat

[Brasspoodle]

I'm an eyepatch user too, but think it's just one part of being comfortable at the eyepiece. An observing chair is vital IMHO. You can build one, buy a nice adjustable one, use a drum stool or whatever let's you still tall and comfortably with your eye at the height of the eyepiece. Then don't forget to breathe!

[brantuk]

Totally agree - comfort and calm is the best way to see everything you want to see. If you're twitchy or strained or stretching at a wrong angle, then you just miss so much. An adjustable stool or seat is vital - I like raci's and Telrads for finding - eye patch I never used but can see the benefits - and all eyepieces, accessories, and star maps, within easy reach. The hours fly when you're relaxed and calm.

[Dave In Vermont]

I have a genetic anomaly on one side of my family: We always use one eye as focus, and the other as a range-finder. We do see in 3D with full depth perception, but we accomplish this in a different way than most people. It's been called a "wandering eye" or "monocular vision" - but these descriptions don't really do it. One casualty of this: 3D glasses and movies where the boogyman leaps out of the screen at you don't work for me. Oh dear!

So I don't need to use a patch, or close an eye. I can easily shut it down from feeding me any undesired input on one side.

Woof!

Dave

[BGazing]

I cover my left eye with a hand, worked OK, but a patch with skull and bones would certainly be an improvement.

[Waldemar]

How about binoviewers ?

relaxed vieuwing; more depth ; more contrast; more fun....

[BritAngler]

On ‎18‎/‎03‎/‎2016 at 09:49, Waldemar said:

How about binoviewers ?

relaxed vieuwing; more depth ; more contrast; more fun....

More expensive.

[Piero]

Another left eye observer here   Just don't get on with my right eye..

The eyepatch seems a good idea to me too, but for some reason, I always forget to buy one when out in day time!  

I observe in one of the following three ways. 1) right eye closed (generally for star hopping, as I need my hands to move the telescope), or 2) right eye covered by my right hand (when carefully observing or catching DSO light, as this relaxes all facial nerves and keeps half of my face warm in the winter), or 3) right eye open (sometimes when observing planets).

I found the latter option (3) quite interesting with planets as surrounding lights help avoid dark adaptation for my right eye, which somehow prevents a bit the left eye to become dark adapted too. In addition, this relaxes my face/ eye nerves making details capture a bit easier. 

[RT65CB-SWL]

I too am left eye dominant. My right eye is the weaker one and I cannot get on with it, even if I try and cover my left eye with a patch, hand or keeping both eyes open.

This may or may not relavent to the OP, but upon reading the supplied instructions of how to use an RDF, all seem to say '...use with both eyes open about 12"/30cms or more away...' Every time I am sighting with an RDF, I end up with two targets. When using both eyes, I have my intended target in the RDF and the other to the right of my RDF, (the same happens when I use a finderscope too)! I end up closing or covering my right eye. Am I doing something wrong?

Just don't ask me how do I get along with my binoculars!

[tawnyman]

I'm left-eye dominant but recently I've been trying with my right eye and I'm sure I can see more detail on Jupiter.It's something I've only just started thinking about really. I'm a glasses wearer and I'm also experimenting with them off and on.  Having two street lights looking into my garden I put a dark cloth over my head and leave both eyes open, I find that keeps any stray light out of the observing eye too.   Julian

[AlentejoSkies]

Thanks guys, never gave this a moment's thought before, but for the last few sessions I've been trying it out.

Both eyes open gives me a kind of spaceflight feeling, with the starfield superimposed on 'normal' reality. Very interesting. But not yet the easiest thing.

One major benefit of spending time watching the heavens is that I have become a more perceptive observer of my own vision.