So i have heard its automatic but i have also seen "for 60 seconds" in the description so im just confused as to what right and whats wrong

In Oblivion you could basiclly cast it as often as you wanted, for no mana cost and it lasted for a fixed duration... actually made it sort've impractical as you had to keep "re-casting" it. One of the first things I'll be doing is making a toggle mod so you use the spell to switch it on/off instead of having to keep casting it.

having it automatic'd be a nuisance if it's like Oblivion, made depth perception and stealth a bit tricky as you couldn't see colour or shadows in night eye mode

Yeah, I've heard it's 60 second ability only. Very [censored] me thinks. You don't see cats at night stopping what their doing every once in a while and going: "Crap, I have to readjust to the darkness again. Oh for mew's sake."

I'm guessing night eye will work the same as detect life. It will be on as long as you hold it down.