Tonight, from 30 to 31 AugustThere is super blue moon. Both are informal terms that are used to refer to two different phenomena. The first refers to the moment when the full moon is at its closest point to Earth, known as perigee. As a consequence, from Earth, it is perceived as larger and brighter than usual. Referring to blue Moon, this is a full moon that occurs for the second time in the same month. This is the second full moon in August, and the fact that it coincides with perigee makes it even more special. So now is the time to get out and look at the sky. To do this, you will need a dark place, as free from light pollution as possible, but there are other tricks.
And the fact is that not all the tricks lie in a good telescope or quality binoculars. They also don’t know what time to leave or where to look in the sky. Some tricks are within us: in our eyes.
Knowing how vision works can help us use it to make the best possible observation of the sky. This applies to a super blue moon, but also to any other astronomical phenomenon.
The light of your eyes
In the broadest sense, vision is a matter of light. What we see is the result of how our brain processes the light that enters our eyes and comes from the objects we look at.
This processing takes place in photoreceptors, a type of photosensitive cell found in the retina. There are two types: cones and sticks. Both convert light into electrical signals that are sent to the brain, where they are converted into images. But each type has a different location and function.
For example, cones are found mainly in retinal center, in a structure known as the macula. They are responsible for central vision And color perception.
Instead, the reeds are in outer part of the retinahence its function is peripheral vision. In addition, they are responsible for night vision, dark adaptation and motion perception.
Both contain photopigmentsresponsible for converting light into electrical signals. There are three different types of buds that, when combined with each other, produce a wide variety of colors. Instead, the sticks only have one of these pigments. And this is what we need to take into account in order to see the super blue moon.
Prepare your eyes to see the super blue moon
Do we want to see super blue moon like any other astronomical event, it is important adapt eyes to darkness. We have already seen that this is a headquarters mission.
They are actually cones. much less sensitive to lightso they only adapt when there is very high lighting. Therefore, if there is not enough light, we cannot see colors. If darkness falls, the sticks gradually begin to produce their only pigment, so that there comes a point when our vision adapts and we can distinguish shapes, but not colors. As the popular saying goes, all cats are brown.
It is often said that for this reason pirates they wore an eye patch. This ensured that the covered eye always adapted to the dark, and when they entered the hold of the ship, they did not have to wait to start pigment production. It was enough to open an eye.
The same thing happens in the case of astronomical events. We need to wait a bit for our eyes to adjust. For this reason, an unspoken trick is to wear sunglasses during the day or at least in the evening. hours before sunset. Thus, our vision will be much more adapted to the dark. Also, if we are going to be at home, we can turn off the lights or make them very dim so that the eyes spend more time adjusting.
That doesn’t mean we can’t see a super blue moon if we don’t do all of that. But these are tips that will help you succeed in observing.
use red lanterns
Until our vision adjusts, or even if it already has, we may need some light to look for something in particular. In this case, it is customary to resort to flashlights, but they can ruin everything we have done. For this reason, it is recommended to use red lights, which have the least effect on night vision.
Even if we are going to use the screens of computers or mobile devices, it is advisable to cover them with red transparent paper, which colors the light in this color.
Bonus: A trick that has nothing to do with the super blue moon.
In the sky, we can see many events besides the super blue moon. But if we are observing through a telescope, there are other details that we can take into account, arising from how our eyes interpret what they see.
For example, when we look at nebulae, which sometimes look like a blur, it is recommended to look indirectly. That is, focus on the periphery. This is because, as we have seen, the rods—the photoreceptors we need to see this dark image—are located on the periphery of the retina. If we focus our eyes on the image, we will only activate the cones, which cannot work in the dark. Therefore, for optimal vision, we must look sideways at what the telescope shows us.
In short, there are many ways to look at the sky. Knowing how our eyes work helps optimize results. But It’s not obligatory. Something as simple as looking up in good company can make a super blue moon a much more special sight than the most expensive telescope could offer us.
Source: Hiper Textual
