RE: (SNES) Daylight Sighting of Saturn

["Pilotstar" <pilotstar@mindspring.com>]

Actually, this is the first time I've ever bagged Saturn, and not for want
of trying. The
problem with seeing planets in the daytime is not only the problem of a
bright blue sky,
but the problem of focusing on infinity. Our eyes normally focus at a
distance but not all
the way to infinity.  When they are focused in, the tiny spots of light are
smeared out
over a large area and the loss of contrast makes them invisible. Another
problem is
"saccades", a medical term meaning the minute twitching of the eye so that
the fovea covers
an area larger than the 1 degree or so where it is in focus. You aren't even
aware of
saccades most of the time, it is automatic like breathing but again like
breathing can be
controlled with practice. If your eye doesn't "catch" something to see, it
twitches to
another nearby point. So if you just miss Saturn, a few milleseconds later
you are even
farther from it. Sigh.....


Les,

I've noticed the "saccades" effect numerous times while searching for Venus
in daylight without optical aid, but never knew it had a formal name or that
it wasn't just the effect of glare on my eyes. It's amazing how far your
eyes can drift from their focus point from saccades.

Ernie
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