Be A Tiger After Dark: Night Vision for Enthusiasts
A few simple steps will maximise your enjoyment by giving you the best night-vision of all members in your club:
- Wear welder’s goggles 24 hours a day for a week prior to your observing session.
- Use radio only for news or entertainment.
- Eat 2 raw carrots twice a day.
- Give up Smoking, Tea, Coffee, Alcohol and Chocolate.
- After dark, do not observe objects brighter than 3rd magnitude, or use instruments bigger than 8" unless you clean the coating off your mirror.
- Wear a broad-brimmed hat so you don’t accidentally look up and see Jupiter, Venus, Sirius, the Galactic Centre, or the Magellanic Clouds.
- Place a cloth over your head when at the eyepiece.
- Observe for no more than 15 minutes per night to avoid photon fatigue of the eyes.
- If your red torch is bright enough to read charts by, it is too bright. Order a re-issue of the Skalnate-Pleso Atlas, which comes in colour-coded braille, for dedicated observers.
- Take the batteries out of your Telrad.
Follow these simple guidelines, and you will be the talk of your club!
