I was just looking at the full moon through my telescope for the first time. Now my right eye doesn't see everything as clear as my left. Is this a concern or normal? Can the brightness of the moon through a telescope injure your eyes?

Joc,

The short answer is no, looking at the full moon through a telescope won't hurt your eye, CLICK HERE, BOTTOM OF PAGE, but there could be a brief period of adjustment after, depending on how long you were at it.

MM

Thanks MM. I just had no idea it would be that bright. Kind of surprised me I guess.

For future reference joc, the best time to look at the moon in my opinion is in the first or last quarter when only a quarter of the moon is showing as the shadows are the highest and the contrast is really high along the craters. It offers wonderful 3d effects and allows you to see features you cant see on a full moon. It isn't nearly as hard on the eyes.

Full moons are a bit to bright to look through a magnified scope comfortably(as you found) and the light is just about straight onto the moon and washes out the contrast of the deep craters.

If you go to www.skyandtelescope.com you can print out some sky maps and see some other nifty sites that the sky has to offer on any given night. I might also recommend bringing a pair of binoculars to bring with you as they are the best thing to view some of the nebulae that are around this time of year. The magnification of a scope can be a bit too much and can ruin the effect of a globular cluster whereas good old binoculars do a great job...

Sky Chart


Astronomy Mag article on the moon and planets

Can the moon hurt your eyes?,


Only if it hits you in the face....................sorry I couldnr resits

I sincerely doubt that the moon can damage your eyes in any way. It's reflected light thus eliminating any harmful rays from the sun.