Why do stars seem to get more dim if I look directly at them?

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Why do stars seem to get more dim if I look directly at them?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

The others have explained the main reason (rods vs cones in the centre spot), but I’ll add that ‘peripheral viewing’ is a common technique in amateur astronomy. It allows you to see faint objects better in smaller telescopes by centering it in the view, then looking off the side of it to abuse those rods.

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