Hi Peter,
I was quite disappointed when I looked through a telescope for the first time. Eons of evolution and only a few percent of Quantum Efficiency? That's one of the main reasons why so many of us in here utilise silicon retinas - CCD and/or CMOS, for converting light into electrical impulses and then the signal gets amplified by a computer screen so our limited rods and cones can detect it, ultimately allowing us to more fully admire the heavens