Science at Night Activities

How to Sharpen Your Night Senses

Because human eyes are made to function differently than the super night vision of an owl or cat.  We can however, boost our human night eyes to see their best.

Night vision tip #1.  Eyes need time to adjust

It takes 45 minutes of darkness to obtain “night vision”.  This is when your eyes’ rods ( the receptor cells that work in dim lighting) completely absorb rhodopsin ( the special chemical that allows you to see movement and basic shapes in the dark)  While on a night walk, DON’T look directly at your flashlight, or your night vision will be lost and you will have to wait another 45minutes to adjust!

Try this:

Watching your Pupils:  just before you go out at night, study your eyes carefully in a well lit room with a mirror.  Notice the size of your pupils.  Now go outdoors with a handheld mirror and flashlight.  (wait in the dark for about 15 minutes)  Try looking at your eyes again in the mirror without any light.  ( they should appear much larger)  now, hold the flashlight under your chin, pointing up and turn it on while still looking at your eyes in the mirror. INSTANTLY your pupils should contract to a much smaller size.

What is Happening to An Animal’s eyes:  Many nocturnal creatures have extra-large, slit pupils that quickly open or close, like a sliding door.

Ever wonder about a snakes night vision?  click here to check out this news on a Pit Viper’s night sight

Night Vision tip #2:  Look slightly to the side of an object in the dark, not directly at it.

When we look directly we are using our eyes’ cone cells.  Why is this? The cone cells are mostly in the center of your retina.  Cones are helpful at seeing color,but they need light.  Of course you’re in the dark!  In dark lighting we need our rods.  Yep, you guessed it, the rods are on the outer edges of our eyes.

Try this:

1.  Get a partner and stay outside long enough to get your “Night Vision”.  Then stand about 10 ft apart.

2.  Stare directly at each other’s chin and count to 10.  Careful! Don’t move your eyes form the focus point, and don’t BLINK!  Hey! Where’d your partner’s head go?

When you are out at night, you have two other senses that will work just great with or without light, your hearing and your sense of smell.

Try this with your Ears:

Find a nice cozy spot outdoors and sit down, staying quiet and still.  Did you hear that?  You should start to hear sounds that are familiar, but, What was that?!  Was it squeaking or hooting?  If it seems close, try using a flashlight with red cellophane covered over it.  Did you know you can make your ears bigger?  Just cup your hands behind your ears and voila!  Can you hear more now?  Was that a giant Cricket?!   (if there is too much distracting racket, just put your finger tips over your ear canal and it should help block out city noise.)

Ever wonder about an animals sense of smell and taste? 

Click here to look up these creatures:  For taste buds: rabbits & catfish, For scent markers: bears, deer.

Touch is an important sense for nocturnal animals to have.  They use it to tell them which way the wind is blowing, or an animal moving.  The whiskers on animals are very sensitive, and are just right for detecting touch.  An earthworm has tiny hairs called setae that feel the vibrations.  This works great for them when they are trying to avoid a hungry mole.

Try this for your sense of touch:

Take a partner and a  rolled-up bandanna (blindfold) to a place with several trees of different sizes and shapes and play “That’s my Tree!”

How to play: 1.  Decide who is going first and put the blindfold on them.    2.  Lead around carefully so they blinded one doesn’t trip or run into anything.   3.  Stop at a tree, any tree will do   4.  Have the blinded one get to know that tree:  does it have bumps going up, down or across?  Is the trunk straight?  Does it have knobby roots at the bottom?  Are there any branches sticking out?  How big are those branches?  Is the ground around the tree flat?  Is the sun’s warmth on your skin?  What direction is the breeze blowing?  What does it smell like?  Do you hear anything special?    6.  When they think they have enough information lead them back to the starting point(carefully!)  7.  Take the blindfold off   8.  Now, try to find your tree!

It’s hard to get a chance to sharpen your skills for night time.  Did you know you can use the sunny side of day for practice too?  Take a 10 minute blindfolded “night hike” with one or more partners.  1st walk out your root, take notice of turns, sloping ground and bumps or rocky spots.  2nd  link up like a conga line (hands on the shoulders of the one in front),  with one leader everyone who is following should be blindfolded (Don’t have more than 4 people to a line, this means 3 blinded and one leader.) 3rd take that same trail using smell, hearing and touch. (leaders help keep everyone linked and out of danger)

We humans make a lot of noise on our two feet.  Before you go out at night, practice your stalk walk.  This usually looks like a skateboarder stance.  When you bring your foot down, instead of going on the heel or toe of your foot, try going on the side and rolling it down to flat.  You will feel a little foolish at first.  When you are able  to sneak up on a creature it will be worth it.

Not all animals have super awesome eyesight at night; however, they are all great at seeing movement.  An important key to observing animals at night is to sit still. 

Try this :

Find a comfortable spot to sit with your legs crossed under you and your hands resting in your lap.  Let your muscles go limp and relax.  Breath in and out.  Keep your mind focused on your breathing for a few minutes.  Now you are ready to watch wildlife.  If you see something, DON’T turn your head, just turn your eyes.   Practice looking with just your peripheral vision, you’ll be surprised at how much you can see with just the sides of your eyes.

E-mail me about your adventures in the night!