Know a bright object clearly

I try to see a bright object with my eyes. It is difficult to make out the shape, contours, marks, distinctive features of it as it is BRIGHT!

I see it again, only this time, sample it continuously...term used to observe for a fraction of a second and shut down the next. After sampling, I can see all the things I wanted to know about the bright object. My first experiment was on the light bulb in my bedroom (the milky white CFL ones). Was thoughtless while sampling and even when i am not looking at it and blinking!!good return on investment was my verdict :-)


I dont recommend myself seeing the sun directly, or by sampling method mentioned above. both seem extremely dangerous, like walking barefoot on burning charcoal for more than 20 feet(they keep it 20 feet so that the person can run fast to escape literally unhurt _ is my take on it).


Back to sampling _ or rather _ trying to know a bright object clearly. Is it already applied in nature by animals?
Is an experiment done to know the Sun better by sampling? Digital cameras have super fast shutter speed, all the better for sampling. Its the brain which finally processes the sampled images to provide clarity, automatically, need more than high shutter speed camera to look at sun.

Philosophically_
some things are so bright (persons, events, feelings, , , (blanks to be filled in future ;-) ) that its too blinding to know their greatness in totality. What kind of sampling is need to observe it wholly?
should I not bother to look beyond the brightness? or should I sample to know more about it ( since its great looking bright and all, but it may be even more amazing if I can see more detail about it) even if I find out that finer details are not so great, I can always fall back on the brightness to keep it in correct perspective.