I just saw alcor separate from mizar with my new glasses!

[realflow100]

And its hazy and cloudy outside too! its not even going to be perfectly clear for a couple days most likely. it had poured rain earlier in the day today as well.

I SAW A MAGNITUDE 4 STAR for the first time. With direct vision. Alcor is visible as a tiny faint speck! its about the same with averted vision though. cant really get much dark adaptation where I live due to the insane light pollution and streetlights in all directions.. Have to hold both my arms and hands up to block streetlights in at least 2 directions. otherwise the streetlights would just be glaring in the corner of my eyes. Theres no where safe to go at all away from the streetlights.
mizar is pretty easy to spot. I could see the whole big dipper lit up and easily visible.

I dont see much difference with averted vision or direct vision. The star looks incredibly tiny and very faint. Also I can't see it at all without my glasses. the big dipper itself is fuzzy and kind of hard to see even.
like if I had to describe it would be like only a single retinal receptor cell in size?

I'm also in like bortle 9 light pollution conditions as well. which doesnt help things.

I'm so glad im able to focus on infinity with my glasses! I can see WAAAAY clearer in low light. Trees buildings or powerlines all just POP with clarity

Some things even seem significantly brighter than naked eye as well like small highlights on surfaces or distance porchlights. since the light is tighter and more accurately falling onto my retinas

looking at grass in the daytime looks CRAZY Every single individual blade of grass POPS with sharpness and fine details. like every blade of grass just stands out to me and looks extra 3D almost!

I think almost for sure (about 75% sure) that I saw 24 canum 4.72 magnitude star as well. I FOR SURE saw at least 1 or 2 faint averted vision stars near the end of the "handle" of the big dipper!

[notFritzArgelander]

I remember when I got my first pair of glasses. I was about 4. Folks would try to point out things like rainbows and I just didn't see them. When I got the glasses the world changed completely. Thanks for sharing your experience. I know how that is!

[realflow100]

I cant wait for a perfectly clear night with no hazyness or clouds!

[MistrBadgr]

Congratulations on the success of your new glasses! Keep us posted on how things go for you. Sounds like you have a whole new world to explore.

[realflow100]

How easy/difficult should stars be to see to give a bortle level to my skies where im at?
Faintest averted vision star? Or faintest star visible period whether its direct vision or averted vision?
For me averted vision doesnt really seem to make a difference. I have almost the same acuity of stars with direct vision or averted vision when using my glasses. even for the faintest ones i can see.

faintest star I can confirm seeing is magnitude 4.72 with direct vision (or averted vision. it doesnt seem to matter really for stars this faint.. its already barely popping in and out of existence periodically. but its in the same spot in the sky right where it should be when i check stellarium. so im counting it.)
Extremely difficult. cant see anything fainter.

[turboscrew]

First, congrats! The new glasses seem to be your best "astro gear" (and very nice otherwise, too).
Maybe this helps you figure out what you can expect from your skies.
https://explainingscience.org/2020/03/1 ... pollution/

[Butterfly Maiden]

That is wonderful to read realflow100.

Our eyesight is so precious, and for your glasses to greatly improve not only your astronomy hobby, but seeing the rest of the world in general so much clearer too, is brilliant.

[DeanD]

Great to see that the glasses are working for you!

[bobharmony]

Very cool! It is a wonder to have some vision restored. I recall going out the night of my cataract surgery and doing the same thing - splitting Mizar and Alcor for the first time in 30 years. What a great feeling!

Direct vision is usually best for seeing fine detail like the small gap between two stars, you will have to experiment to see what works best for you for different targets.

Bob

[Ylem]

Congratulations on your new glasses

[realflow100]

my glasses work ok and sharpen my vision but I still see a slight amount of ghosting underneath text or contrasty edges. its barely noticable but I can notice it.
Theres a slight amount of chromatic aberration also. (but doesnt seem to affect the sharpness of my vision)

I see like a strange ghostly tail down and a bit to the right on bright lights or small contrasty objects on a darker background. like far away porch lights or streetlights. strange

are my glasses slightly off in some way? or just not fully strength or something?
Is it possible I could get glasses from a different place than walmart vision center and get better made ones that dont have as many artifacts?

everything SEEMS to be in focus equally whether its a horizontal line or vertical line. and even a bit sharper too.
Out of focus "bokeh" when im focusing close and theres a light far away seems mostly circular in my right eye. slightly distorted in my left eye but not nearly as bad as without glasses.

I'm still getting used to the weird "hyper-sharp" look of some things. but I think that weirdness is starting to go away lol.

[Makuser]

Hi Realflow. I am glad that your new glasses are working well for you. Like Bob, when I got my cataract surgery a few years ago, I was amazed at how clear and sharp things were, and colors were more vibrant. I still have to wear glasses for close up reading, but fortunately I don't need them when looking through a telescope eyepiece. Congratulations on your new glasses Realflow, and keep looking up to the skies now that you can see much better.

[turboscrew]

my glasses work ok and sharpen my vision but I still see a slight amount of ghosting underneath text or contrasty edges. its barely noticable but I can notice it.
Theres a slight amount of chromatic aberration also. (but doesnt seem to affect the sharpness of my vision)

I see like a strange ghostly tail down and a bit to the right on bright lights or small contrasty objects on a darker background. like far away porch lights or streetlights. strange

are my glasses slightly off in some way? or just not fully strength or something?
Is it possible I could get glasses from a different place than walmart vision center and get better made ones that dont have as many artifacts?

everything SEEMS to be in focus equally whether its a horizontal line or vertical line. and even a bit sharper too.
Out of focus "bokeh" when im focusing close and theres a light far away seems mostly circular in my right eye. slightly distorted in my left eye but not nearly as bad as without glasses.

I'm still getting used to the weird "hyper-sharp" look of some things. but I think that weirdness is starting to go away lol.

Maybe someone, who knows what he/she is talking, could have a say here, but could that be that your brain has not yet learned not to compensate for the aberrations you don't have when using your glasses?

[notFritzArgelander]

my glasses work ok and sharpen my vision but I still see a slight amount of ghosting underneath text or contrasty edges. its barely noticable but I can notice it.
Theres a slight amount of chromatic aberration also. (but doesnt seem to affect the sharpness of my vision)

I see like a strange ghostly tail down and a bit to the right on bright lights or small contrasty objects on a darker background. like far away porch lights or streetlights. strange

are my glasses slightly off in some way? or just not fully strength or something?
Is it possible I could get glasses from a different place than walmart vision center and get better made ones that dont have as many artifacts?

everything SEEMS to be in focus equally whether its a horizontal line or vertical line. and even a bit sharper too.
Out of focus "bokeh" when im focusing close and theres a light far away seems mostly circular in my right eye. slightly distorted in my left eye but not nearly as bad as without glasses.

I'm still getting used to the weird "hyper-sharp" look of some things. but I think that weirdness is starting to go away lol.

Maybe someone, who knows what he/she is talking, could have a say here, but could that be that your brain has not yet learned not to compensate for the aberrations you don't have when using your glasses?

Is there a Dr in the house?

[turboscrew]

my glasses work ok and sharpen my vision but I still see a slight amount of ghosting underneath text or contrasty edges. its barely noticable but I can notice it.
Theres a slight amount of chromatic aberration also. (but doesnt seem to affect the sharpness of my vision)

I see like a strange ghostly tail down and a bit to the right on bright lights or small contrasty objects on a darker background. like far away porch lights or streetlights. strange

are my glasses slightly off in some way? or just not fully strength or something?
Is it possible I could get glasses from a different place than walmart vision center and get better made ones that dont have as many artifacts?

everything SEEMS to be in focus equally whether its a horizontal line or vertical line. and even a bit sharper too.
Out of focus "bokeh" when im focusing close and theres a light far away seems mostly circular in my right eye. slightly distorted in my left eye but not nearly as bad as without glasses.

I'm still getting used to the weird "hyper-sharp" look of some things. but I think that weirdness is starting to go away lol.

Maybe someone, who knows what he/she is talking, could have a say here, but could that be that your brain has not yet learned not to compensate for the aberrations you don't have when using your glasses?

Is there a Dr in the house?

Actually, I experienced that. When I got my glasses, things started to look weird. A rectangle looked like the vertical right side was longer than the left. I actually saw the other way, but my brain had learned to compensate. Now, when the image was suddenly corrected by the glasses, it took a while for my brain to learn to stop compensating, when I have my glasses on.

Hm, did a test. With glasses on, the computer screen now looks (almost) rectangular, but without glasses it doesn't.