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I read Callum Potter’s article in the August 2026 journal entitled “The North America Nebula — A visual challenge” and mused that it’s not a challenge for me at all with my 4″ Tak FC-100DC, Tele Vue 55mm Plössl and 67mm converter, a narrowband H⍺ filter, and a night vision device (NVD).
I’ve been fortunate enough to own an NVD since March this year and it’s been transformational for me under B5 (19.4 to 20.4 mag/arcsec²) skies, initially with my Tak and more recently with a C11 EdgeHD. I was wondering if anyone else in the BAA uses a night vision device (NVD) for visual observing?
I attach an image taken from that article and a friend’s afocal image taken through his NVD from the Isle of Wight under a 21.0 mag/arcsec² sky. Not bad for a 30 second phone shot with no post processing! The slightly wider-field view is better than I see from my skies, but not by that much; it’s not a question of whether or not I can see the NAN, but how much detail I can see.
One can argue the merits of whether or not it’s “real” vs. a pure glass experience — I’m told that the subject of NV has been met with hostility in the past on Stargazers Lounge — but I find that kind of discussion moot. I retain the experience of looking through a scope in real-time (vs. EAA/stacking) and I see things that I’d never see otherwise. Based on how rich the Wild Duck Cluster looks through my 4″ Tak, its notional limiting magnitude, and the B5 sky, I estimate (very roughly) that I’m probably getting an additional three magnitudes of reach with both scopes. To steal a phrase from The Martian, I regard the use of NV in astronomy as “sciencing the sxxt” out of the light pollution mess that we find ourselves in today.
See also this Tele Vue blog article by Gavin Orpin. Al Nagler was a huge proponent of NV in astronomy, something which is continued by David Nagler.
Hi Joel,
It is interesting to hear of your experience using a night vision device. It is not something I have been able to try, but it sounds fascinating. I can imagine the thrill of the details you can see at the scope. In my opinion there are lots of different ways to do astronomy, all of them valid.
Best wishes,
Andythere are lots of different ways to do astronomy
Absolutely. I’m visual only and am really liking my new C11 for traditional glass views that my 4″ Tak is just too small to deliver. Night vision is a tool in my arsenal which opens up a lot more when appropriate (which is often); I particularly love it with globs through both scopes.
Hi Joel,
that’s a really nice view of the NAN using a night vision device. Captures the stars nicely too.
Using NVDs is not contentious to me – anything that encourages or helps with observing is a good thing in my book.
It’s enjoying the observing that’s the main thing.Please do share more of your observations.
Best
CallumI would be interested to know what NV unit you are using and whether it or an equivalent unit are available in the UK? Also how do you connebt it to the scopes you are using? I have used a SmartEye for about a year and find that quite entertaining, and feel little guilt at looking at a screen as opposed to through a conventional eyepiece.
Cheers, Barry.
Hi Barry.
Gavin (mentioned above) recently acquired a new current generation Chinese NNVT tube (from Opfor in Canada) for the purposes of evaluating it vs. higher end tubes. He reported his initial findings in this Cloudy Nights thread. Whilst his impressions are positive, and the images he obtained with the entry level tube are impressive, for nebula viewing in particular, the lower gain of the NNVT (and Photonis) tubes does demand a fast setup.
For example, a lower gain tube won’t really work well with my f/7.4 Tak or (reduced) f/7 C11. You need a fast Newt or a refractor reduced with something which will allow you to still achieve focus. But these lower gain tubes should be more than capable of great views when handheld (at 1x magnification) and with non-extended objects like globs and open clusters with scopes like mine.
I managed to acquire a high quality Gen 3 (GaAs) tube secondhand from someone in the UK for a significantly higher price than the entry unit mentioned in that thread. Quite difficult to find a good one TBH.
how do you connebt it to the scopes you are using
There are two main ways of doing this:
– “Afocal” – Essentially bolting the NVD’s objective lens to a regular eyepiece in the scope. This allows one to achieve much faster effective speeds.
– “Prime” – Using the NVD without an objective lens (at the focal ratio of the native or reduced scope).Tele Vue provides an ecosystem for afocal connection to its eyepieces. Details here. There’s a lot to this; I did a lot of research before I bought mine.
All the best,
JoelThanks for the detailed reply – was not aware that this technique was piccy about what telescope was used, that is useful information. I did get to use a GenIII unit on an auroral display some time ago – quite mesmerising!
was not aware that this technique was piccy about what telescope was used
Yeah. The main reason for NV requiring a fast focal ratio for extended objects — f/15 or potentially even slower is viable with globs and open clusters — is that NV produces an image in real time. Imaging and EAA stacking don’t have this specific constraint.
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