NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Telescope danger to sight. Was: Venus transit ...
From: Ken Gebhart
Date: 2004 May 12, 17:48 -0500
From: Ken Gebhart
Date: 2004 May 12, 17:48 -0500
To all, Let me ask another question. Are there any anecdotal cases of eye damage from sextants that anyone on the list can personally attest to? I am not talking about what someone thinks might or should happen, but something that DID happen. I personally know of none, and a physician once told me that it is not dangerous to look at the sun as long as you look away as soon as you realize what is happening. That is, don?t stare at the sun. Notwithstanding this, I remember as a young boy engaging in macho activities such a jumping off high ladders or roofs, holding breath for long periods, and yes, staring at the sun. I think we could only do it for a second or two before turning away from the pain. Yet later as I progressed into the military and became a naval aviator, I was subjected to the most demanding regimen of eye tests conceivable without the least bit of trouble. To this day, I have still had no eye problems. My reason for bringing this up is that from time to time people will ask about such things as UV certification of the sun shades, or other technical questions about opacity which as far as I know no sextant manufacturer has ever addressed, or published data concerning. My answer to these people has always been that sextants are not dangerous, and if you make a mistake simply look away, and no harm will be done. I would certainly welcome other comments on this. Ken Gebhart