The Purkinje Phenomenon in Hemeralopia

Abstract

Johann Purkinje established the fact 115 years ago that the color sense is weaker on the periphery of the retina and that the intensity of color perception is greatly influenced by the degree of illumination. As proof of his observations, Purkinje recommends looking at colored objects in the twilight. He says that in the twilight, only black and gray shades are initially distinguishable, red and green colors seem the darkest, yellow cannot be distinguished from crimson for a long time, and blue becomes noticeable first of all; red nuances—carmine, cinnabar, and orange, which seem the lightest in daylight, remain dark for a long time in the twilight compared to their daytime brightness.

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