Maximum resolving power
The eye under some conditions may provide :
- “Vernier Acuity” of 8 seconds of arc. Eg. Offset of two lines placed end to end.
- “Detection” can go down to 1 second, maybe 0.5 second Eg. single power lines in the sky.
With more complex patterns like a matrix of pixels in a colour television display, a probable best resolving power of around 30 seconds is thought to be typical.
- Note that the eye can discriminate down to 1 % in intensity between overlapping light sources.
- The eye has a greater resolution for vertical separated lines compared to horizontal separated lines.
Hence approx. 1mm differences between “objects” maybe detectable,
at a viewing distance 6 metres from a display, by a typical eye.