What Other Accessories Are Useful?

Abstract

If the purpose of a trip away from city lights is to find lots of deep-sky treasures and then see detail within them, your eyes must be dark-adapted and stay that way. Using a white-light flashlight will prevent that process. Make certain that you use only red light to read star charts and write notes. I have found that it is easier to read by the light of a red light-emitting diode (LED). The pure red light doesn’t seem to affect my night vision as much as a white flashlight with a red filter. Several manufacturers of astronomical equipment now have red LED flashlights available. They are somewhat expensive for what you get (an LED costs a few cents), but worth it nonetheless. (See Fig. 5.1.)