# How do nightvision goggles work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 4, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-nightvision-goggles-work/166364 "2003-04-04T02:21:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Alpha\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-nightvision-goggles-work/166364/1 "2003-04-04T02:21:52Z")
Also, when were they invented? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-nightvision-goggles-work/166364/2 "2003-04-04T02:27:27Z")
[Night vision](http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/nightvision.htm) on How Stuff Works. ---
**Author:** ![ChalkPit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@ChalkPit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChalkPit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-nightvision-goggles-work/166364/3 "2003-04-04T03:15:55Z")
Nightvision was used by the Germans in WWII, but they used an Infra Red system, using an IR searchlight (sometimes carried on a separate vehicle). This should be a pick of an IR equiped Panther tank [http://www.militarygameronline.com/Panzer/panther12.jpg](http://www.militarygameronline.com/Panzer/panther12.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![ChalkPit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@ChalkPit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChalkPit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-nightvision-goggles-work/166364/4 "2003-04-04T03:47:14Z")
More about the history of Night Vision equipment here: [http://www.combat-online.com/nightvis.htm](http://www.combat-online.com/nightvis.htm) Image intensifiers came in during the 60’s and ‘Starlight Scopes’ were used in the Vietnam War. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-nightvision-goggles-work/166364/5 "2003-04-04T06:54:25Z")
I think a vitaly more important question is ‘Why haven’t I got some Nightvision Goggles’! Don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-nightvision-goggles-work/166364/6 "2003-04-04T07:04:19Z")
Here’s a good explanation of how microchannel plate (the component that amplifies electrons) works: [http://hea-www.harvard.edu/HRC/mcp/mcp.html](http://hea-www.harvard.edu/HRC/mcp/mcp.html) It’s fascinating technology. It’s also used as UV and X-ray detectors, though CCDs are taking over in many of those applications. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-nightvision-goggles-work/166364/7 "2003-04-04T09:24:45Z")
A friend of mine has one of these. He ordered it a long time ago, and had to put part of it together. To me, it looks military surplus off of something. Apparently there’s something wrong with it, but he’s had it so long that he’s bored of it and won’t tell me exactly what. I think there’s something wrong with his, as he claims that when it worked, it arced off the eyepiece onto your glasses or whatever was handy.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-nightvision-goggles-work/166364/8 "2003-04-04T10:57:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nanoda \* > \*\*Apparently there’s something wrong with i… it arced off the eyepiece onto your glasses or whatever was handy.:eek: \*\* :eek: indeed. Don’t mess with this one. Night vision goggles contain high volages. I don’t know the voltage exactly, but astronomical microchannel plates I’ve used require 800 to 3000 volts. I’ve also heard rumors that some poor quality night vision goggles produce dangerous amounts of stray X-rays. I can’t find a cite so it may be UL or my mistake, but it’s not inconceivable - X-ray are produced whenever electrons collied with other matter with sufficient energy.