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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Jupiter in daylight and micrometer test
From: Peter Monta
Date: 2016 Apr 19, 20:46 -0700
From: Peter Monta
Date: 2016 Apr 19, 20:46 -0700
To see stars and planets in daylight, we are fighting against the "visual saccades" --those very rapid, small-scale movements of the eyes' point of focus that we are normally not aware of. Without some fixed point to "hold onto" visually, it is nearly impossible to see Jupiter in daylight at sea level.
Would it help to suspend a collimated source in midair near the object of interest? Could use a sheet of glass, or other beamsplitter, for a head-up display. A SkyScout might be another possibility. Do people report excellent success seeing Jupiter with a SkyScout, with the display helpfully blinking "Jupiter is here" with continuous position and focus cues, and little or no success without the aid? How about a camera viewfinder in the same role?
Cheers,
Peter
