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(meteorobs) Visual Acuity



Hello to List Members:

After viewing a PBS special I thought I might pass on some 
information that I've discovered recently.  Visual acuity is very 
definitely associated with the number of rods & cones that are in 
each eye.  A larger number of rods allows a human (or animal) to see 
very well at night (ask your cat about night vision).  The number of 
cones in each eye provide definition to what we see (and talk to 
your dog about this) - such that we all might perceive a different 
number of lines and also to define colors.  Each of us are provided 
with a set of rods & cones (in each eye) at birth:  certain genetic, 
environmental and growth factors will affect how our eyesight 
develops (or deteriorates) in our life.  Not that I'm a doctor in the 
field, but I can understand how two people can see differently in the 
same viewing location - maybe we should depend on an independent 
source of viewers (such as telescopic cameras) to determine what the 
actual LM is for a given site.  

I'm still looking at the skies with the naked eye because I LIKE it 
that way (too bad my cat can't help me).  Hope you all have clear 
skies (and eye drops), warm weather, and no buzzworms or pissed off 
sheep to bother you.

Bob Shumaker