eyepatches arrghh!

stevoggo (Stephen) · #1 20-01-2009, 08:24 PM

hi All,

Newbie here, don't shoot me down this post is meant to be fairly light hearted...

I watched mythbusters the other day, they tested a theory that pirates wore an eyepatch, to ensure that one eye always remained in night vision. They could switch it over at dusk and have good nightvision, therefore helping preventing suprise raids and mutinees.
They concluded that it seemed to work, by keeping one eye in darkness via the eyepatch, when they went into the darkened room and removed it they were able to see quite well immediately.

I was wondering as i have some light pollution in my garden (though not heaps)...........

If i wore an eyepatch and only lifted it to look in the lense, would I have amazing nightvision.

Does anyone know? has anyone tried this? Are there any pirate astronomers?

If it hasn't been tried, in the name of science I will give it a go...of course i'm going to need to borrow a parrot.........?

Cheers all
Steve

PS i couldn't find a pirate smilie

erick (Eric) · #2 20-01-2009, 08:38 PM

I have read that there are those really serious folks who do wear an eyepatch on their observing eye throughout the previous daylight hours!

I found:-

"This is a very short chapter on dealing with local lights (ie street lights). They have a really neat idea in here that I have tried, and it actually works. They recommend wearing a pirates eye patch over your observing eye. This keeps that eye dark adapted. When observing through the scope put a towel over your head, remove the patch. After observing put the patch back on and remove the towel. And yes they do concede that you will look like an idiot. After reading this I decided to take it a step further. I wear the patch over the one eye while inside about an hour before I go out so that the one eye will be adapted before I even step outside (and yes my wife does make fun of me)."

acropolite (Phil) · #3 20-01-2009, 09:22 PM

aargh, I use one to keep out the stray light from the city several kilometres away. I find that any stray light in my non observing eye is annoying and seems to confuse the signal coming from my observing eye.

Mine is made of plastic, not the most comfortable but it works.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has sourced something a little more comfortable than the black plastic item I have.

leon · #4 20-01-2009, 09:31 PM

It would work, and I heard, or read some time ago, that a famous Astronomer of the 16-17 Century actually sat in a darkened room for many hours prior to his observing session, so I imagine a patch would do the same thing.

Leon

PeterM · #5 20-01-2009, 10:13 PM

I saw a well known amateur many years ago at Astrofest wearing dark sunnies and a beanie he would pull over his head when venturing outside during the day, a friend assisted him to get around. He is one of the finest visual observers in Australia and from what he said it definitely gave him the edge while looking for very faint objects. I think - from an amateur astronomers needs,the eyepatch is less about preserving night vision and more about comfort at the eyepiece as many strain to keep one eye closed while viewing through the scope with the other as we are so used to having both eyes to view - it comes naturally with practice. As far as keeping stray light out of your other eye perhaps, but practice soon makes the patch redundant. There are very deep red goggles available from Orion delaers that help if you want to go into the kitchen at night to get a cuppa. They may even help you during the day to maintain that little extra dark adaption at night - they are about $40. I have often wondered if these goggles took off in a big way what visitiors might think of a field full of red bug eyed people wandering around the observing field - a weird mob perhaps. The cheapest and generally most effective way has always been a sheet of dark cloth/material over your head.
PeterM

Dog Star (Phil) · #6 20-01-2009, 10:23 PM

Purely in the interests of science, I'm gonna give this a go.
I actually had a similar thought some months ago, but my idea was to wear one over my non viewing eye when observing.
My face muscles get a bit fatigued from squinting for long periods and I've also noticed that if I keep both eyes open when viewing (given my dark surrounds) I "feel" like I'm seeing through my observing eye better.

Ric · #7 20-01-2009, 10:38 PM

Definitely sounds intriguing, I'll have to try a patch myself.

Cheers

erick (Eric) · #8 20-01-2009, 11:22 PM

I'm a well known eyepatch wearer when I'm observing, but solely to cover my non-observing eye so I can keep it open and not squint. I find that, regardless of how dark it is, I can always see plenty of my focusser and OTA with my left (non-observing) eye. And if there is any stray light around, it is a terrible distraction. Maybe one day I can learn to have my brain completely ignore what my left eye sees, but I haven't achieved that yet.

I bought the el-cheapo plastic patch from the Pharmacy. I did try the soft cloth version, but that is designed for an eye that is bandaged - it doesn't sit off your eyelash so is difficult to use. I did soften the edge of the plastic one by sticking on small widths of the loop part of black stick-on velcro - gentlemen, venture into the haberdashery section - lots of good stuff for astronomy there! It's comfy now and works very well. I've even mastered looking at the ArgoNavis with right eye only and even changing eyepieces. If it is dark enough, that is a job done mostly by feel anyway!

And you can keep up the tradition of astronomers looking weird and making stange sounds....... I know I'm one of the oddballs! Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgh!

gaa_ian (Ian) · #9 20-01-2009, 11:28 PM

Arrrrr ...Steve to be sure me ole astronomer sea chum !
Ye be right about this one, all me Astronomy sea dog Pirate mates use em.
We be not gettin caught by any surprise attacks from scurvy dogs in years
We be seein the star to navigate by real well too

astroron (Ron) · #10 20-01-2009, 11:33 PM

I find that a Black Cloth over the head saves wearing eye patches and squinting and can probably give an extra quarter to half of mag of seeing.

stevejack (Steve) · #11 21-01-2009, 12:34 PM

I do this actually - I use an eyepatch to cover my non-observing (left) eye and as soon as I lift my observing (right) eye from the eyepiece i switch the patch over to it so I can preserve my night vision. It works great for spotting low contrast DSOs, especially when using a laptop.

I am very right eye dominant so it makes a big difference to me; YMMV.

Clarry (Clayton) · #12 21-01-2009, 12:52 PM

Shiver me timbers, as if I don't cop enough stick about being an Astro-Nerd without wearing an eye patch all day before an observing night. My family will have me keel hauled if I did that.

Dog Star (Phil) · #13 21-01-2009, 08:05 PM

Hmmm.
It's as I've always suspected then.
Astronomers really are one-eyed.

Glenhuon (Bill) · #14 21-01-2009, 09:13 PM

Aarghh! An which one o' ye scurvey knaves cut a patch from the bible. Give me the Black Spot would ye. (Long John Silver, RL Stevenson. Treasure Island)

Bill

Screwdriverone (Chris) · #15 21-01-2009, 10:33 PM

I'm with Eric,

I bought a cheapo medical plastic one from the pharmacy, stands off the eye so you can keep both open, havent modded mine yet to make it more comfy, but have had it for 6 months, great for the backyard where noone can see you and there is lots of stray light.

I saw that Mythbusters episode and it made a lot of sense, also explained the real reason they wore eyepatches, to give them the edge when coming belowdecks during a boarding or defending their own ship.

Yeaaaaargh! shiver me timbers.......ye can count me in!

Cheers

Cap'n Jack Screwdriverone

stevoggo (Stephen) · #16 21-01-2009, 10:58 PM

Ha HA ...
Great posts everyone, thanks for the reply, there seems to be a lot of truth in it. I am not sure about wearing it all day, but maybe just a little before viewing. And switiching eyepatch when at the scope would make a lot of sense.
I am going to try it in my backyard next time i go out.
Also regarding the negative connotations to wearing an eyepatch, I believe it could be a good thing. Imagine kids joy when told, you want to start astronomy "well form a line ya lazy land lubbers and grab ye each an eyepatch, ye be astronomers now..."
I reckon it can only make astronomy cooler...
i will report back when i have tried it out, make sure you all do to.
Cheers
Steve

Starkler (Geoff) · #17 22-01-2009, 01:15 AM

On the odd occasion that i decide to do any observing from home, i'll put an eyepatch on the observing eye 15 min or so before going out, and put it on again if I need to come into the house or otherwise expose myself to light.

It saves time and it works.

JimmyH155 · #18 22-01-2009, 02:46 PM

AARRRGGHHH, Glenhoun, "Those that die will be the lucky ones!" magic stuff

Marclau (Marcel) · #19 20-06-2009, 01:40 AM

I actually wear an eyepatch on each eye when I drive.............

kinetic (Steve) · #20 20-06-2009, 03:19 AM

Well I've tried everything else there is to get my wife interested
in Astronomy.
So if wearing a heavy coat and an eyepatch, and a bit of
roleplaying does it for her, I'll let you know

I think wearing the cutlass in the dome might be a bit over
the top though.

Steve