It is widely known that the 'rod' cells in the retina, which are responsible for seeing in low light levels, are more concentrated just outside the center of focus, and the 'cone' cells primarily responsible for color vision, are more concentrated in the center of the retina. Thus, one can better see faint objects at night by looking slightly off center...
-Mark -----Original Message----- From: Harry Veeder [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2011 10:57 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Vo]:Blondlot on observing N-rays with the naked eye. I've noticed that a star will appear slightly brighter when I shift my focus just to the side of the star. Harry How the Action of N Rays Should be Observed It is indispensable in these experiments to avoid all strain on the eye, all effort, whether visual or for eye accommodation, and in no way to try to fix the eye upon the luminous source, whose variations in glow one wishes to ascertain. On the contrary, one must, so to say, see the source without looking at it, and even direct ones glance vaguely in a neighboring direction. The observer must play an absolutely passive part, under penalty of seeing nothing. Silence should be observed as much as possible. Any smoke, and especially tobacco smoke, must be carefully avoided, as being liable to perturb or even entirely mask the effect of the N rays. When viewing the screen or luminous object, no attempt at eye-accommodation should be made. In fact, the observer should accustom himself to look at the screen just as a painter, and in particular an "impressionist" painter, would look at a landscape. To attain this requires some practice, and is not an easy task. Some people, in fact, never succeed. -- Blondlot
