Use of a left eye…

[PeterW]

I’ve always been a right eye observer, but when the exit pupil gets small, the floaters start to get annoying. Well tonight I decided to get the other eye have a go, and it seems suffers less from floaters. Previously I’d found it harder to use as it’s my non-dominant eye. Quick session as there were clouds about and so I didn’t get the maps out. 

Saw a fine shadow down the southern edge of the alpine valley and a couple of the small craters along catena Davey with the 127Mak, which seems good, so maybe left eye for the moon from now on!

 

Peter

[Mr Spock]

I'm the opposite. I've always been a left eye observer but recently my retinopathy has been putting floaters right across the middle. Tonight I did my observing right eye. It feels really weird but I'm going to have to get used to it.

[Zermelo]

I've always used my right eye, but it has more astigmatism than my left, which becomes a problem with larger exit pupils.

It has deteriorated another 0.25 cyls at my last checkup, so I've been experimenting with the left eye for observing with longer FL eyepieces. It still feels a bit uncomfortable, but the stars are rounder.

Like you, I see floaters with the moon at higher mags, but they're as bad with either eye.

[jjohnson3803]

My right eye is "stronger" uncorrected, but I use my left eye for observing.  I find it more comfortable than using my right eye.  I usually do wear eyeglasses when observing though. 

I think my eye doc said I have more floaters in the left, but I don't recall details.  I should compare the next time I'm lunar observing.

 

 

 

[Highburymark]

It only takes a little practice to feel more comfortable using the other eye, I find. Bit like everything in life. 

[Stu1smartcookie]

12 hours ago, PeterW said:

I’ve always been a right eye observer, but when the exit pupil gets small, the floaters start to get annoying. Well tonight I decided to get the other eye have a go, and it seems suffers less from floaters. Previously I’d found it harder to use as it’s my non-dominant eye. Quick session as there were clouds about and so I didn’t get the maps out. 

Saw a fine shadow down the southern edge of the alpine valley and a couple of the small craters along catena Davey with the 127Mak, which seems good, so maybe left eye for the moon from now on!

 

Peter

I actually maentioned this topic in one of my posts as i am usually a right eye viewer . But when i tried my left eye it actually made the image brighter . But getting used to observing with the left eye is very difficult . Maybe bino viewers is a good idea ? 

 

[F15Rules]

22 hours ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

I actually maentioned this topic in one of my posts as i am usually a right eye viewer . But when i tried my left eye it actually made the image brighter . But getting used to observing with the left eye is very difficult . Maybe bino viewers is a good idea ? 

 

I have found the exact same Stu..

About 6 years ago I was driving to work and my right (dominant eye) vision quite quickly went very blurry and "milky".. it was a scary experience!

I got an urgent appointment with an optician, who advised it was age related (I was 62 then) and he likened it to bits of material detaching from the sides of my eye and floating around - rather like a snow scene ornament you shake and then watch the "snow" settle..

He said it should settle by itself but that there is no treatment for it. Thankfully it did settle a fair bit. But I can't now view with right eye only.

I trained myself to view with my left eye, which thankfully is still reasonably good.

I have also found that binoviewers definitely help with viewing Moon and planets..there is some light loss when using binoviewers vs "cyclops", perhaps c half a magnitude, but more comfortable.

And I definitely find when binoviewing that my "good" left eye "lifts" my bad right eye, not the other way around.

For stellar images (point sources), doubles and fainter clusters I find left eye only viewing best.

So now, I have Maxbright II binoviewers and 3 pairs of eyepieces plus barlows, and c 8 single eyepieces plus an eyepatch to cover my weaker right eye for cyclops.

HTH,

Dave

[Mr Spock]

My eyes have always been different. Different brightness, different colour saturation. I imagine its normal.

[Saganite]

A couple of years ago I discovered that my left eye has developed an Epiretinal membrane, which makes sharp focus impossible. I feel fortunate because I am right eye dominant so 'cyclops' viewing is fine and despite having a 'forest' of floaters, I managed 400x on Lunar, pretty well  last night.  As Dave has said , using Binoviewers seems to allow both eyes to reach a good compromise, and this I have definitely found.

My left eye gives a brighter view than my right.

Edited February 20 by Saganite

[Stu1smartcookie]

1 hour ago, F15Rules said:

I have found the exact same Stu..

About 6 years ago I was driving to work and my right (dominant eye) vision quite quickly went very blurry and "milky".. it was a scary experience!

I got an urgent appointment with an optician, who advised it was age related (I was 62 then) and he likened it to bits of material detaching from the sides of my eye and floating around - rather like a snow scene ornament you shake and then watch the "snow" settle..

He said it should settle by itself but that there is no treatment for it. Thankfully it did settle a fair bit. But I can't now view with right eye only.

I trained myself to view with my left eye, which thankfully is still reasonably good.

I have also found that binoviewers definitely help with viewing Moon and planets..there is some light loss when using binoviewers vs "cyclops", perhaps c half a magnitude, but more comfortable.

And I definitely find when binoviewing that my "good" left eye "lifts" my bad right eye, not the other way around.

For stellar images (point sources), doubles and fainter clusters I find left eye only viewing best.

So now, I have Maxbright II binoviewers and 3 pairs of eyepieces plus barlows, and c 8 single eyepieces plus an eyepatch to cover my weaker right eye for cyclops.

HTH,

Dave

As i have sort of settled on planetary /Luna viewing i think i am going to try BinoViewers (again) . Firstly i think they take the pressure away from using one eye but also , despite a slight brightness limit , i think the overall experience can only be positive . Not for everyone of course . 

[dweller25]

11 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

As i have sort of settled on planetary /Luna viewing i think i am going to try BinoViewers (again) . Firstly i think they take the pressure away from using one eye but also , despite a slight brightness limit , i think the overall experience can only be positive . Not for everyone of course . 

Good decision, would suggest Baader Maxbrights 👍

[mikeDnight]

Binoviewing the Moon definitely allows you to get the best from both eyes. Using a 2X barlow on the nose of the BV gives an approximate 4X amplification, which then allows the use of more comfortable longer focal length eyepieces. I rarely ever use anything shorter than 18mm fl, yet the views are better than any single eyepiece, or single eyed view I've ever had no matter how "top end" the single eyepiece may be. I use five element Ultima's with 35mm, 25mm, & 18mm as my main binoviewer pairs and they are stunning. No need to spend the earth on pairs!

[John]

I wish I could get on with binoviewers. I've tried them a few times, borrowed and even bought a set once, but I just haven't felt relaxed and comfortable when using them 🤔

 

[Piero]

15 hours ago, John said:

I wish I could get on with binoviewers. I've tried them a few times, borrowed and even bought a set once, but I just haven't felt relaxed and comfortable when using them 🤔

 

I reached the same conclusion with binoculars..

My eight eye is not as good as my left one and thankfully I'm "lefty" (..like Al Pacino in Donnie Brasco) .