I bought my night vision tube in 2021 to use with my 16 inch Dobsonian telescope. I use it several times a month for outreach events and for stunning handheld smartphone astrophotography.
Night vision astronomy is worth the investment. Personal observers will find new objects and see old objects in a whole new way. If you share the hobby at star parties and events you will have something really unique to share, and the photos are unbelievable.
Pros of Night Vision Astronomy
Night vision astronomy is worth it for anyone who wants a new angle on astronomy, loves to share the hobby, enjoys sharing pictures on social media and can afford a good tube.
Keep Your Observing Sessions Fresh
Night Vision Astronomy is going to make you feel like you are brand new to the hobby again. You will see so many things as if for the first time, night vision astronomy is perfect for personal observing if you are starting to feel bored or stuck in a rut.
If you are starting to get bored with the hobby and you feel like you have checked off all the objects you wanted to see, adding night vision will give you new eyes.
You will see things you have never seen before and you will see things you have seen before in a completely different light!
Make Observing Accessible To the Public
I do a lot of outreach, that is one reason I knew night vision would be a good addition to my set up. (You can read the details of my telescope and Night Vision equipment in the post linked here.)
Night Vision, also called an image intensifier, allows people to see objects without straining. I always have a long line at my scope. People will tell me how different objects look from one scope to another. Sharing the variety in the hobby is the best part of the large star parties.
With Night Vision you will be able to see objects that other telescopes cannot see and images look very different.
Easy Beautiful Astrophotography (Phonetography)
Simple unedited cell phone images are beautiful with Night Vision.
My Dobsoninan has tracking and go-to and I can do up to 30 second exposures with my stock camera. It can take a few tries with this longer exposure, but I find that 15 second photos are pretty crisp without noticeable elongated stars or star trails.
The reason the images are so incredible is that the camera cleans up the noise and scintillation (the sparkly looking dots that are present in Night Vision tubes).
Some objects look better when you are looking through the device live (the Orion Nebula and Hercules M13), but some objects are crisper in a photo (The Horsehead and Eastern Veil Nebula are examples).
Even casual observers and visitors who attend star parties leave with good looking cell phone pictures that they share on social media and with their friends. It is a great introduction to the hobby for many.
Cons of Night Vision Astronomy
While I love sharing Night Vision astronomy there are a few cons to consider. Night Vision can be difficult to maintain, store and it is expensive, the devices require special eyepieces and adapters and the images have noise called scintillation.
The Device Is Fairly Fragile and Must Be Maintained
The Night Vision tube should not be exposed to any bright lights and this can be difficult at star parties and events with headlights of cars arriving and departing. This can be inconvenient and frustrating.
When your tube is exposed to bright lights it can damage the tube leaving bright spots in the field of view. You can correct this by black boxing the device, which is time consuming and battery consuming.
There are also horror stories of people dropping this expensive device and breaking it instantly. That is always in the back of my mind.
Keep in mind that some night vision devices are more hardy than others as they are often designed for military use.
Noise and Scintillation
When people look through a night vision tube they often comment on the “sparkly stuff” they see. This is called noise or scintillation. You can see an example in my YouTube video:
I think it is worse with a hydrogen alpha filter, but turning down the gain can help when looking at some objects.
It is worse when looking at a nebula with the gain cranked way up, objects like M13 seem to be less noisy.
I have heard some people say that this visual distortion is a deal breaker for them and they prefer traditional observing over the distracting sparkles.
I often tell them that it is the price you pay for the incredible views. I have learned to ignore it and look past it. It is like coma, some people are very distracted by even a little coma while some can ignore it easily.
Like many things, your preferences will impact your experience with night vision.
Cost
At time of writing it costs about $5,000 to add night vision to your existing observing set up. This includes some filters, compatible eyepieces, a hard case, batteries, and other accessories. You may not need all of these things, or you may need more.
Better specs may cost more and you can also pay for additional professional cleaning and calibration.
Buying new often comes with a warranty which can give you some peace of mind.
That price keeps many astronomers from exploring night vision, but there are a few ways you can still experience the incredible views offered with image intensifiers.
You can shop used. Buying a pre-owned night vision tube gives the benefit of cost savings and you can learn about the unit from the previous owners.
There are several articles on this site to help you navigate the used astronomy gear purchasing process. Check out:
What To Look For When Buying a Used Telescope
New Vs. Used Telescope: Which Should I Buy?
H Alpha Filters For Night Vision Astronomy: 6 Compared
Attend Star Parties where someone will be showcasing night vision.
This can give you a sense of what views you can expect if you make the investment. Keep in mind that many star parties are hosted in the darkest skies available and your skies may be brighter.
Should You Buy A Night Vision Tube for Astronomy?
Night vision has been worth it for me. It gives me easy to see incredible views and easy to capture images. I can easily share the views at star parties and I have something unique to offer at large events.
I love having night vision at my outreach events because attendees can leave with great photos on their phones and no one is squinting to see the objects.
When I am observing alone I am able to see things that I could not see without image intensification.
While the noise takes a while to get used to, it is a price I am happy to pay.
