Vanishing Act! (1 Viewer)

[Torchepot]

Happy New Year and Good Birding to one and all.

Maybe someone here can solve a mystery for me. A couple of nights ago I went out with my binoculars and tripod to see if there was any distortion noticeable when looking at a single distant star (reassuringly they appear as they should - I think).

I happened to notice the Pleiades high in the sky (without using the binoculars) but when I looked directly at it it disappeared - all I could see was a faint blur.

By looking away in any direction by about 10-20 degrees the little constellation reappeared. This was the same using either eye (or both). I was a bit worried, thinking that this might be further evidence of advancing decrepitude, but my wife experienced exactly the same thing and her eyes are much sharper and a fair bit younger than mine.

We tried it again tonight with the same result - as you can see we have a pretty wild New Year's Eve out here in rural France

Anyone have any idea what's happening?

Cheers,

Phil

 

[perterra]

I think that is normal. I always have a harder time when looking for Pleiades when looking directly at it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Averted_vision

 

[Torchepot]

Perterra - thanks for that link - exactly what I was looking for and really interesting.

All the best,

Phil

Some further information here
http://m.skyatnightmagazine.com/feature/how-guide/how-master-art-averted-vision

 

[perterra]

Perterra - thanks for that link - exactly what I was looking for and really interesting.

All the best,

Phil

Some further information here
http://m.skyatnightmagazine.com/feature/how-guide/how-master-art-averted-vision

Happy new year

 

[Binastro]

Hi Phil,
It is called averted vision that all astronomers use automatically.
You can gain about 2 magnitudes or 6 times.
There are particular areas of vision that produce the best results for limiting observations.
I regularly saw M33 with unaided eyes using it but only once with direct vision on La Palma near the professional scopes.
I have pretty good faint vision.

Just had some wonderful fireworks next door. Seems like just for me.

Happy New Year.

 

[Torchepot]

Happy New Year Binastro,

A strange phenomena that I wasn't aware of - the idea of looking away from something in order to see it! The dark adaption stuff is pretty interesting too.

No fireworks here - not even a single, solitary sparkler. Everyone was tucked up in bed with shutters drawn and lights out by 9.30!!

Cheers,

Phil