Over recent years, the low-light imaging capabilities of smartphones have improved greatly. It's also encouraging to see manufacturers actively promoting phones based on their performance under low-light conditions. Not all smartphones are created equal of course, and older models may still struggle to grab anything out of the darkness. This is also true of current models, not all of which put a priority on low-light capability.
For those brands which offer good night-time sensitivity, the cameras found on their phones are quite capable of imaging atmospheric phenomena such as the aurora or our 'Capture' subject for this month, noctilucent clouds (NLCs). If present, NLCs can vary in brightness from just about visible to making you wonder how anyone can ever miss them. Bright displays may register using the automatic functions in your phone's camera, while dimmer ones may need a bit of fiddling to get something recorded.
Many smartphones have advanced photographic modes, offered under a 'Pro' setting. These allow you to tweak the camera's settings, adjusting core values such as ISO, exposure time, and white balance. In addition, there are apps available which may offer a better low-light settings interface.
The technology in some phones is truly remarkable, offering processes such as dynamic image-stacking as standard. Here, you can take a multi-second exposure of a low-light scene while the camera is handheld, and the final result is free of hand-shake.
Traditional approach
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Could We Find Aliens by Looking for Their Solar Panels?- Designed to reflect ultraviolet and infrared, the panels have a unique fingerprint
Researchers searching for life beyond Earth spend a lot of time thinking about what telltale signs might be detectable astronomically. Forms of unambiguous evidence for the presence of life on another world are known as biosignatures. By extension, techno signatures are indicators of activity by intelligent, civilisation-building life.
Antimatter- In our continuing series, Govert Schilling looks at antimatter, the strange counterpart to most of the matter filling our Universe
Particles and corresponding antiparticles are very much alike, except they have opposite electrical charges. For instance, the antiparticle of the electron - known as the positron - has the same tiny mass, but while electrons carry a negative electrical charge, positrons are positively charged.
Where Have All The Milky Way's Early Stars Gone?- Our Galaxy has a curious lack of pristine stars
The Big Bang produced a Universe filled almost exclusively with hydrogen and helium; all other elements - what astronomers call metals - were produced by stars, supernovae and everything that happens later. So if you can pick out a pristine star with no metals polluting it from among the billions in the Milky Way, then you are likely to have a star dating from our Galaxy's earliest days.
Inside The Sky At Night - Two years ago, exoplanet scientist Hannah Wakeford received some of the first data from the JWST
Two years ago, exoplanet scientist Hannah Wakeford received some of the first data from the JWST. In July's Sky at Night, we discovered what she's learned since then.
How to stack DSLR data in Siril
Easily combine multiple frames to boost detailin your astro photos
Lunar occultation of Saturn
You'll need to strike a balance on 21 August to capture the Moon covering the ringed planet
How to plot a variable star light curve
A rewarding project to chart stars that change brightness
Smartphone photography with a telescope
Mary Mcintyre explains how to get impressive night-sky images using your phone
Once-a-century solar storm is overdue
If a Carrington Event struck today it would be catastrophic, says Minna Palmroth
The new era of human spaceflight
There's been a step-change in crewed space missions since the dawn of the 21st century. Ben Evans charts its course and looks ahead to future horizons
