Human eyes in the dark?

Question

I notice that when I'm trying to find something in an extremely dim place it's better that I look to nothing instead of focusing on a spot. Curious as to why that is? Like a couple nights ago I didn't have a torch and I tried squinting and just tried my hardest to focus but it was darker then not focusing.

Bet I won't get too many answers >.<

Answer 1

has to do with rods and cones in your eye and how they focus and absorb light. look it up. we don&#039;t have the best night vision but we can see some.

Answer 2

lndog said it great. I was eager to answer this but I don&#039;t think there&#039;s much else that can be said. That is exactly correct.

Answer 3

This is actually due to the distribution of rod and cone cells in the retina.  Rod cells detect lights and darks, as well as motion, and they play a role in our vision in dim light and our peripheral vision.  Cone cells detect colors, and they are responsible for our sharp vision in the light.

In the eye, cone cells are concentrated in an area known as the fovea.  Surrounding the fovea are rod cells.  When you focus on something, light is concentrated on the fovea, allowing you to see high quality color images.  Light that comes from the periphery lands on the rod cells around the fovea, which is why it isn&#039;t always easy to discern the color or details of objects in our peripheral vision.

When you focus on objects in the dark, you are focusing light on the fovea.  Since the cone cells there don&#039;t work very well in the dark, it is hard to see much of anything by looking directly at it.  By looking away from what you are trying to see, you concentrate the light on the rod cells around the fovea, which are designed to see in dim light.