Why is it easier to detect a faint star at night if you look to the side of the star?
A) You are focusing on your fovea where there are more cones.
B) You are focusing the star on your fovea where there are more rods.
C) You are not focusing the star on your fovea, so can rely on your cones and thus can see the star better.
D) You are focusing the star in the periphery of your retina where your rods predominate.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When looking to the side of the faint star, it is being focused on the periphery of the retina which contains a higher density of rods. Rods are more sensitive to low light levels, so this makes it easier to detect the faint star.

Why Is It Easier to Detect a Faint Star at Night