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several observers saw the same exact colors

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Don, all the observers have the same percetion system (same processing of data). If color percetion were related to lightness (as literautre says) they would have perceived similar colors. Theory 1 is not contraddicted by this observation.

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That is logical.
But when the colors seen match the photographic evidence?
I guess you would argue that if faint reds are seen, that would be expected at the low levels of illumination, and that this happens to be the colors present in the nebula is accidental.
Especially if lab results show color perception is impossible at that brightness level.
Then the color is illusory.
But, taking the Orion Nebula as an example:
1) How bright does the illumination have to be to damage your night vision? Certainly a level that high would be adequate to activate Mesopic vision. And I KNOW that M42 in large scopes can damage night vision.
2) The color match in the experiments that used both eyes looking at different targets (one being a CRT) is fundamentally flawed. One cannot have dark-adapted vision when staring at a CRT screen. The overall size of the light, coupled with the fact it shines directly into the eye, precludes the possibility of having dark adaptation in that eye. Other tests show that one cannot have dark-adapted vision in one eye when the other eye is compromised. Hence, this study is not done at the limits of vision. Additionally, the dominant/non-dominant eye problem would throw the entire experiment into question. Color matching, using their experimental setup, would be quite inaccurate.

So here is my conclusion:
Because colors perceived match photographs, and the image is bright enough to activate mesopic vision and damage scotopic vision, and because the experimental methodology does not match the circumstances of seeing color images in the field, therefore I suggest that, at least in the case of M42, real colors are seen and the agreement of many observers indicates all are seeing real colors.

You would be correct to point out that the results of such viewing of M42 does not necessarily prove that the experiment's results are invalid.

But I would still like to see what a field experiment's results would be like.

By the way, I have used an H-Alpha filter on M42 (using an 8" scope). It was very dark, very red, and very much smaller than seen through broad-band light. But, I could see it, and I could see some of the "arches" section (basically the brightest parts). I tried a black cloth over the head and this was what was required to see any details at all. It was not an observing situation I would often repeat. Now that I own a 12.5" (31.8cm), though, I'd like to try again. I work someplace where I can take one off the shelf. I'll try at the dark of the Moon.

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Don Pensack
12.5" Truss Dob, 5" Maksutov
Sustaining Lifetime IDA member, TeleVue junkie

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