At night, your eyes use the “rods” more than the “cones”. There are more rods located away from the rear center of your eyeball, making your night vision more effective if you use “off center viewing” or try to see things more with your peripheral vision at night.

The most effective way to use the eyes during night flight is through off-center viewing and a systematic scanning procedure. Because the "cones" at the center of the retina (used for detail and color) do not function well in low light, the "rods" in the peripheral area must take over. Pilots are taught to look 5 to 10 degrees to one side of an object to see it more clearly at night. To avoid "visual autokinesis"—where a stationary light appears to move after being stared at for too long—pilots must avoid "fixating" and instead move their eyes in short, 1-second bursts across the visual field. Additionally, maintaining dark adaptation is critical; it takes about 30 minutes for the eyes to fully adjust to the dark, and exposure to bright white light can reset this process instantly. Using dim red or white flight deck lighting, wearing sunglasses during the day before a night flight, and utilizing supplemental oxygen above 5,000 feet are all essential human factor techniques to maximize night visual acuity.