Comet On The Curve


I'm walking home the other evening. To the west is a crescent moon. Above it is another object, most likely Venus. Or is it?

The bright spot above the moon is elongated. A comet?

Not really. I stop and stare at the puzzling light, moving my head up and down. I've worn eyeglasses since I was a pre-teen (I'm nearsighted) and over the years my lenses have grown thicker to keep pace with my deteriorating vision. As I lower and raise my glass Coke-bottle-bottoms, I noticed that the trail changes into a point when the light is centered in my lenses.

Obviously the elongation was distortion caused by the curvature of my glasses. One would think I would have noticed this sooner but apparently conditions weren't right until recently.

Now I see why when a field investigator makes an UFO report he notes whether or not the observer wears corrective lenses.