Glossary

Night Vision Glossary

A plain-English reference for common night vision, thermal optics, and imaging terms.

Image Intensifier Tube

The core analog component that amplifies available light.

FOM

Figure of merit; a common performance metric based on resolution and signal-to-noise ratio.

SNR

Signal-to-noise ratio; higher values generally mean cleaner images in low light.

IR Illuminator

An infrared light source used to improve visibility for night vision devices.

Thermal Imaging

A technology that detects heat signatures rather than amplifying visible light.

Digital Night Vision

Sensor-based devices that display low-light images on a screen.

Monocular

A single-eye device such as a PVS-14 style setup.

Binocular / Dual Tube

A two-eye system that can improve depth perception and navigation comfort.

White Phosphor

A display color style many users prefer for perceived contrast and comfort.

Green Phosphor

The classic night vision image color associated with many analog systems.

Halo

A glow around bright points of light in the image.

Blemish

A spot or imperfection visible in an image intensifier tube.

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