UNDERSTAND YOUR EYES

11 Perhaps the most important technique for effective observing is averted vision. It’s based on the fact that the human eye’s peripheral vision is the most sensitive to brightness, whereas its centre is more sensitive to colour. If you’re observing star clusters, galaxies and nebulae – objects with incredible collective brightness – with the naked eye or through binoculars, look slightly to the left or right of the object. That way your eyes will better detect its brightness. This works well for objects like the Pleiades star cluster, the Orion Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy. The same technique works in a slightly different way if you’re using a telescope: if your left eye is to the eyepiece, look slightly to the left of the object, and vice versa. You can also look slightly above and below.