Dark adaptor goggles
Dark adaptor goggles are used in the field of meteorology for either adapting the eyes to the dark prior to an observation at night or to aid with the identification of clouds during bright sunshine or glare from snow. The goggles are made with red-tinted plastic lenses. Although the goggles are designed to be worn indoors, some people find walking, especially up and down stairs, to be difficult.
For use at night the observer should put the goggles on about ten minutes prior to going outside. Once the observer is outside and away from major sources of light the goggles may be removed and the observer's vision should be adapted to the dark.
To help with the identification of clouds during the day the goggles should be put on just before the observer goes outside. This will ensure the eyes are not affected by the glare from the sun or snow.
At no time should the goggles be used to help assess the visibility.
Also known as red adaptation goggles they were invented by Wilhelm Trendelenburg in 1916.[1]
References
- Environment Canada - Atmospheric Environment Services, Manual of Surface Weather Observations (MANOBS), 7th Edition, January 1977.