Where is the far point of a hyperope located?

Where is the far point of a hyperope located?

• A. Optical infinity
• B. In front of the retina
• C. Behind the retina
• D. At the fovea

Answer: (C)

The far point is the location in space from which light rays can originate so that, after passing through the eye in its current focusing state, they are brought to a focus on the retina. For a hyperopic eye, the eye’s optical power is too weak for its axial length, so parallel rays from distant objects would not be brought to retina when the eye is relaxed. If you imagine tracing rays backward, there exists a point behind the eye from which rays would be focused on the retina by the eye’s optics in its un-accommodated state. That point lies behind the retina, so the far point of a hyperope is behind the retina. In contrast, a myopic eye has its far point in front of the eye, and an emmetropic eye has its far point effectively at infinity. Corrective lenses for hyperopia increase the eye’s effective power, moving the system toward allowing distant objects to be focused on the retina with minimal accommodation.

The far point is the location in space from which light rays can originate so that, after passing through the eye in its current focusing state, they are brought to a focus on the retina. For a hyperopic eye, the eye’s optical power is too weak for its axial length, so parallel rays from distant objects would not be brought to retina when the eye is relaxed. If you imagine tracing rays backward, there exists a point behind the eye from which rays would be focused on the retina by the eye’s optics in its un-accommodated state. That point lies behind the retina, so the far point of a hyperope is behind the retina.

In contrast, a myopic eye has its far point in front of the eye, and an emmetropic eye has its far point effectively at infinity. Corrective lenses for hyperopia increase the eye’s effective power, moving the system toward allowing distant objects to be focused on the retina with minimal accommodation.