Viewing technique n Smoking ?

[AztecastroMcJ]

seems when viewing objects in my ep i seem to be always using my right eye,

and usually use my left hand to cover other left eye which stops me from screwing my face up LOL

is it ok to view with one eye all night?(find it difficult to view with left eye for sum reason?)

also noticed at times my eye sems to play tricks on me

e.g sometimes think i seen something but realise i'm maybe straining my eye to much possibly

is this just 'cause i'm beginner and using my eye this way takes a bit of training maybe ?

also wondering if lighting cigarette would ruin ur nightvision?

heard an eyepatch cud b handy for trips indoors ? (n making u look like Pirate )

also when going to sleep after some observing sessions when 1st closing my eyes i seem to b able to see a star as viewed in eyepiece

again very strange this happened a few times,is this normal?

can viewing bright stars and bright planets and full moon do ur eyes any damage?

i dont wear glasses so think my eyes and eyesight is ok(at min)

any tips advice appreciated

James

[Gadget]

Hi James

Dont know much about viewing, eyepieces, or the other things you mention

But know plenty about smoking all i can say is enjoy your smoke in the garden why we are still allowed to do that

Im sure a more serious answer will be along soon

Kev

[astromerlin]

Hi, Not a good thing smoking near the telescope, it will ruin EP's and/or possibly lenses and mirrors.

Being a smoker myself I try not to smoke near the scope, but sometimes forget.

As for viewing, yes I have similar problems ending up with eye strain at the end of the night. Havn't found the answer to that one yet.

John

[Beulah]

My left eye is rubbish - I have a rare genetic defect that has fixed the range of sight, (blurred), so no amount of focussing & glasses wearing can fix it. Right eye is fine, and this is the one I use ALL the time for looking into the EP..

If you get eye strain - simply stop and rest your eyes.

As for the scrunching of the other eye - I do that too, and am thinking of getting a patch!!

[calibos]

I wouldn't store the scope in a room where you regularily smoke because as we all know, constant exposure will start to leave a yellow film on the optical surfaces. Won't damage them but will require a mild solvent cleaning after a few months.

Smoking while at your scope outside?? Don't worry. Even if you blew your smoke on your eyepiece every single time you exhaled, you wouldn't damage them. Worst case is the next non smoking observor that peeks through your EP will get a slight whiff of smoke.

The only damage one risks is to ones hearing when one gets a paranoid anti smoker telling you that 100 feet away from them downwind on an observing field is not far enough. A dilution ratio of cigarette molecule to outdoor air of 1:1,000,000,000,000 is not enough....cause the wind might change.

[brianb]

is it ok to view with one eye all night?

Yes.

also wondering if lighting cigarette would ruin ur nightvision?

Use a car cigar lighter if you must light up. A match or gas lighter will ruin your night vision, you'll just about be getting dark adapted again by the time your nicotine level becomes dangerously low.

[George]

Yes don't let a NON smoker near your scope, they have already killed off the great British pub

[John]

If your eyepieces and scope mirrors / lenses get impregnated with smoke particles I don't know about their optical performance but it would affect their re-sale value if and when you wanted to sell them.

John

[AztecastroMcJ]

thx for replys sum interesting points n tips

[Talitha]

Hi James, i'm a left-eyed viewer, and when i got into all this about 10 years ago, it was a bit difficult not to 'screw my face up' while viewing. But after a while, it became pretty easy to close my right eye and keep the facial muscles relaxed at the same time.

Yes, it's perfectly fine to view with one eye all night.. in fact, it's better to do so, because eventually that eye will be trained. You may already be experiencing this, if, as you say, you find it difficult to view with your left eye. Of course, it could be that you have a slight astigmatism in your left eye, or it may be just a tad weaker than the right one.

I'm curious.. what is it that you 'think' you see when your eye seems to be playing tricks on you? If you see things momentarily pop into view and then vanish, you're experiencing variations in the atmospheric 'seeing'.. perfectly normal.

If you see things brighten up when you look slightly away from them, you're experiencing 'averted vision'. Again, perfectly normal. Averted vision is the deep sky observer's friend. You see, our eyes have cones which control our color-sensitive central vision, and rods which control our B&W peripheral vision. When it's dark, the rods step up to the plate because there's no color to be detected (a residual from our primitive warning system?).

Here are some links which include info regarding smoking and night vision:

The Eye and Night Vision

No Smoking

Yes, many Amateurs use an eye patch on their non-viewing eye, and switch it to their viewing eye when going into an area of white light.

The 'image' of a star in your closed eye after a session is a new one on me.

No damage can be done to your eye by viewing bright planets or the Moon. Viewing the Sun without proper filtration can do a nasty bit on you, but not our night-time friends.

Hope this helps!

[Keithp]

And if you've a reflector...careful you don't drop ash down the tube:icon_eek:

[AztecastroMcJ]

I'm curious.. what is it that you 'think' you see when your eye seems to be playing tricks on you?

hi thx for comments think it is possibly my pupil that i am seeing,

as seems to happen when sky lightens n twilight, best i can describe it is sm dark blob in eyesight,

or maybe its linked to eyestrain or scanning around to quick ?

thx for links n advice

[jonbarr87]

Well the smoking.... honestly just if you must use a combustion lighter, light it with ur eyes closed and pray you dont get ur eyebrows in the process.

Seeing stars afterward is the same as those optical illusions. Look at a black drawing on a white sheet of paper and then look at a well lit white surface, and you will see the same result.

And the eyepatch is deffinately the way to go. Both while observing and when you go into the light.... so to speak.

[A McEwan]

A friend of mine bought a 4" refractor from a smoking astronomer and couldn't work out why the view was so dim. After he'd examined it he found that everything was coated in a very fine dusty ash substance. He dismantled the scope, cleaned it all up, and noticed an immediate improvement in the views! Wierd but true.

Haven't heard about the after-image on the eye before, after observing. Usually I can't sleep afterwards anyway though as I'm usually buzzing!

Eye patches are very handy, but the not-screwing-face-up technique does get easier after a while.

Have fune!

[Astro_Baby]

I never smoke in my flat so the scope isnt affected. Usually smoke outdoors though but always downwind of the scope and at least 20' away.

I also have an outdoor lighter which doesnt flame - it produces a mini jet engine type effect and only glows red. Perfect.

[Beulah]

I also have an outdoor lighter which doesnt flame - it produces a mini jet engine type effect and only glows red. Perfect.

Just don't get it too close when you're trying to read the star maps!!

[bish]

I somtimes wonder whether really faint details are just my eyes 'playing tricks' on me, or my imagination or reflected light etc. Some things can be right on the limit of my vision so I tend to come away from te scope and go back again to see if I can still see it! I've tried an eyepatch because I always use my left eye and can feel a bit strained at the end of the night. It does help but I don't use it all the time. I once read that some people unintentionaly hold their breath a bit when trying to see faint objects and this can limit their vision, don't know whether smoking has the same effect. Being an ex smoker to be honest I can't say I noticed the difference.

[Beulah]

I once read that some people unintentionaly hold their breath a bit when trying to see faint objects and this can limit their vision

Hmmm, I hold my breath sometimes unintentionally too - mainly because I have breathed over the EPs once too often...

[bish]

I know what you mean - it's either hold your breath or get the hair dryer out!

[Rob]

I used to get eye strain, as I only use one eye to observe. I bought LER ep's.. much more easy to use, and your eye will thank you for it.

[haitch]

I can only afford my astro gear because I gave up smoking.

[AztecastroMcJ]

I can only afford my astro gear because I gave up smoking.

u must of smoked alot lol

[haitch]

u must of smoked alot lol

Gave up 5 years ago (+ a couple of months).

20 a day at average £5.50 a packet over the last 5 years for the original B&H (gold I think they call them these days)

365 x 5 x £5.50 is just over £10k if I'm not mistaken.

Of course not all of it has gone on astro gear - the missus has changed hairdresser too.

Trouble is I've put on 2 stone that's proving a [removed word] to shift now I've hit 40.

[Talitha]

Good for you, Haitch!

Don't worry about the weight, you can always work on that in time... the main thing is to keep your lungs crystal clean.

And congrats on the savings... way cool!

[Macavity]

May Dad introduced me to the intriguing concept of (also showed me how to identify!) my "master eye". I see there's a technical term too: Ocular Dominance! FWIW, I am another "leftie". And yes, as a right hander, it did make playing Darts a bit more more "interesting", during my misspent youth!

It is usual to see short-lived "after images" of bright objects. Nothing nocturnal astronomical can damage the eye through LIGHT alone. It can dazzle temporarily though! It goes without saying that the SUN (light and HEAT source) is an exception and should not be viewed without any precautions - Objective filtering, e.p. projection etc.

Unfortunately my eyes are not the "best". LOL. My left (master) eye is very short sighted, by right, less so, but quite astigmatic. So I tend to use my left eye, remove my glasses, and "refocus" for extended viewing periods. On the other hand, I use my "vari-focals" for a quick look-see. In truth, it all gets a bit complicated and non-ideal!

Aside: I also note that for some reason my eyes do not "dark adapt" at quite the same rate and may show slight differences in daytime colour perception? My GP says things are "OK", but I may get this checked out! My maternal grandfather and (to lesser extent) mother lost central vision in some "degenerative process" that is apparently TREATABLE - if caught early! I sense I may seek expert opinion.

Oh yeah, I gave up smoking about 7 years ago. A bit of a "cheat" really... for it was from a hospital bed, following a slight MI. But that certainly took my mind off the process of "stopping smoking"...