why is it easier to see a star if you dont look directly at it?

Question

and its not always either. sometimes when i look at stars i can see them fine. other times i can look up and see a lot of stars but when i try to look at a specific one it disappears. if i look a little bit away from it, it will reappear. why cant i see it better by looking directly at it?

if its hard to focus on than why does ones peripheral vision pick it up better. also no more idiots answer. 3/4 of these answers are moronic.

Answer 1

This is well known to observational astronomers: averted vision. It occurs because the area of the retina most sensitive to light is slightly off centre, so by looking slightly off to one side, you put the faint object in exactly the right place. There's also a blind spot in each eye where the nerves exit which cause objects to disappear when they fall on it. Excellent question, but some idiotic answers, I agree!

Answer 2

It's called averted vision... here's a quote from the wiki link below: "Averted vision is a technique for viewing faint objects which involves not looking directly at the object, but looking a little off to the side, while continuing to concentrate on the object. This technique is very useful to astronomers, as it oftentimes allows them to see especially faint or otherwise invisible objects. By developing the technique, some observers report a gain of up to three or four magnitudes. There is some evidence that the technique has been known since ancient times, as it seems to have been reported by Aristotle while observing the star cluster now known as M41."

More info on the physiology of it at the link below....

Answer 3

It is because the way the eye is designed. There are two types of photoreceptors located within the human retina, rods and cones. Cones are active at higher light levels (photopic vision), are capable of color vision, and are responsible for high spatial acuity. The central fovea is populated exclusively by cones. While rods are responsible for vision at low light levels (scotopic vision). They do not mediate color vision, and have a low spatial acuity, and when the image is one that is of small, relatively dim dots of light (stars), rods are best used to view these images since they are more sensitive to light. The fovea, located directly in back of lens on the retina ( O degrees) is rod-free and has a very high density of cones. The density of cones falls of rapidly to a constant level at about 10-15 degrees from the fovea. At about 15-20 degrees from the fovea, the density of the rods reaches a maximum. This is why it is easier to view stars with a side glance rather than head on! Hope that helps a bit. Oh yeah, you are perfectly fine, no glasses needed as far as I can tell at least. The guy who said that should get a book about anatomy though!

Answer 4

The problem is not necessarily with your eyes. That spot on retina which gives the most sharpened image is very small. So if it is necessary a brighter image, that has to be formed outside of it, "looking a little bit away of it".

Answer 5

Basically it's harder for you to focus on something so small and far away than it is to focus on something else and see it better.

Answer 6

reflections a air plane or missile type things going across the sky which is out of the viewing sight.

Answer 7

Get glasses, you need them badly more than anything else.

Answer 8

I THINK IT MAY BE TIME TO GET YOUR EYES TESTED. GOOD LUCK.