How do you look through the eyepiece?

[Sirius_Starseed]

OK, this is probably the stupidest question ever but how does everyone else look through their eyepiece? For some reason I find it really difficult to close just one eye (I can't even wink) lol so I've found myself covering my free eye with my hand. This is quite annoying and I wish I could simply close my free eye with ease instead of it being all tense and unrelaxed. I just can't do it though. I've tried to keep my free eye open whilst using my other eye to look through the EP but this gives weird views.

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

How do you guys do it? I'm thinking I may have to resort to being a pirate soon

[milkyjoe]

Ooo arrgh capn, pieces of eight etc etc!

I always put my hand over left eye and look using my right eye, I find this helps to keep my eyes relaxed because If I close my left eye, I find it uncomfortable and I don't want a lazy eye any time soon! :-/

For some strange reason though, when I look at objects using my left eye, they seem much brighter than my right??!

Hope that helps.

Richard.

[Bigwings]

Cheap option....eye patch.

Expensive option... binoviewers

[NGC 1502]

Most of us just close one eye, but if that is a problem (I've heard of it before)

then Bigwings hits the nail on the head and gives you two options !!

Cheers, Ed.

[Uplooker]

I am sure that I read somewhere that it is recommended (only practical if in a dark observation site) to keep both eyes open and view with only one. It takes a bit of practice but you get the hang of it reasonably quickly.

[jgs001]

Your hat can help, if it's big enough to pull down over one eye...if you don't have, can't find or don't want to wear a patch, it also then helps as at least one eye will be dark adapted if a member of your household should happen to turn on the lights in the house just as you look up...

[Sirius_Starseed]

Thanks for all the advice folks. I'll give them all a shot before I resort to becoming a pirate

[MikeWilson]

I find cupping one eye with one hand and cupping the eyepiece with the other quite helpful. This way I can help to reduce stray light at the eyepiece and it gives a much better view!

Don't forget (if you have eyepieces that support it) to pull up the rubber eye relief wings around the edges of the eyepiece too. I only recently discovered those and they help cut down interfering light at the eyepiece too!

[Black Knight]

I find cupping one eye with one hand and cupping the eyepiece with the other quite helpful. This way I can help to reduce stray light at the eyepiece and it gives a much better view!

I tend to do this as well.

[glowjet]

Took the lens out of a dark pair of large sun glasses, when she was shooting and using a spotting scope, worked a treat, did try an eye patch but people kept on asking where her Parrot was.

[Beulah]

I'm going to try an eye patch, but am afraid I might deck my head on the finderscope or something, or misjudge the approach vector to the eyepiece and have to explain to everyone at work that I walked into a door again....

I have tried wearing a coat with a big hood and pulling it up over, or wearing black cloth over my head, covering the EP, like the one used with 19th Century cameras....

[Capricorn]

Damn! Was wanting to say look straight down the optical axis of the eyepiecs and len's. :evil6:

Suppose 4 options:

Learn to close one eye.

Eyepatch, (hand).

Binoviewers.

Learn to use the dominent eye and keep both open.

The last can be done, bit weird as one eye see's the image through the scope the other sees the bottom of the scope, mount and the ground. I do it when I get tired of closing an eye.

Learnt it when doing archery, just found it was a lot easier to use both eyes then. Found that I could happily switch eye dominence, and ignore the other.

[brantuk]

A hood is a great idea - or a dark piece of blanket - especially in a heavilly light polluted area - helps to adapt your eyes and more stuff pops out at you

[Skills]

I have a dark coloured t-shirt round my neck that I pull over my head when looking through the eyepiece, that way I can keep both eyes open but it's completely dark in my non observing eye. It makes for quite comfortable vision although it feels a bit clumsy. I'm going to try pirate at some stage

Adrian

[Worzsel]

I've got an eyepatch

[Astro_Baby]

Another way - and one I sometimes use is put a towel over your head and the eyepiece - like you may have seen old time pgotographers do - that way only the ey6e near the eyepiece will get any light. The other one will be staring at something black so its like an eyepiece but more comfy and you can switch eyes. It also helsp knocki out any stray light.

I find undera sky where there are stray lights around from traffic for instance its a good solution. Get yourself a nice thick, dark coured towel or blanket and your away.