>In reality, the determining factors in seeing very
>faint stars are no more than observing care and
>experience - there are no *exceptionally-sighted*
>observers.
I agree with you on everything except the necessity of experience. Observing methodology alone seems to account for it, if my little experiments where I take non-astronomers outside at night are any indicator. These people can see just as deeply as any other astronomers who happen to be along, with little scatter; of course they have the benefit of my observing methods, which are adopted for the tests; but they do not have the benefit of experience.
This is somewhat distressing to me, as I show slides in my (lately-popular) lecture that illustrate the positive difference that some years of experience in observing can make. My tentative conclusion is that experience accrues benefits mainly to the user of optical aids or the performer of specialized observations, and not to those who simply use their naked eyes too look at stars. I'm trying to work this into the lecture, but haven't quite got it all together yet.
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