1. An image enhancement system that is configured to create an enhanced image from an initial image, comprising: a computer integrated with a night vision device; said computer providing for: a contrast metric generated from an initial image taken under dark ambient lighting conditions; an enhancement heuristic; a contrast threshold; and a comparison generated by comparing said contrast metric to said contrast threshold, wherein the activation of said enhancement heuristic is influenced by said comparison; a plurality of pixel values that are influenced by said initial image taken under dark ambient lighting conditions; a valley identified within said plurality of pixel values; and a stretch metric identified using said contrast metric and said valley, wherein an enhanced image is generated using said stretch metric, such that said plurality of pixels of said initial image are stretched to enhance a contrast of said initial image taken under dark ambient lighting conditions to create said enhanced image based upon said stretch metric.