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Putting aside the 200-megapixel main camera for a moment, at first glance there’s not a huge amount of camera upgrades for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. 

It sports pretty much the same rear camera setup as its predecessor, the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which held a high spot on our best camera phones list. And given that the older phone takes great smartphone photos, it’s no surprise Samsung hasn’t messed with the formula too much. 

But dig a little deeper and you’ll find that there are some solid camera upgrades, be it in hardware terms of some improvement on the software side and Samsung’s computational photography chops. So read on for 7 of the biggest Galaxy S23 Ultra camera upgrades. 

A 200MP main camera

OK, let’s start with the biggest and most obvious upgrade: the 200MP main camera. That’s a jump up from the 108MP camera on the Galaxy S22 Ultra and now means the Galaxy S23 Ultra can capture more detailed and higher-resolution photos. And that also means more scope for editing and less of a loss in clarity when you crop into an image. 

Unless you’re using a pro mode, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will deliver 50MP images by default, using a pixel binning process. But these will be higher resolution images than the 12MP shots provided as standard by the S22 Ultra. And with more details, and thus more information captured initially, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s main camera should deliver crisper and clearer shots out of the box. Of course, we’ll need to test this for ourselves. 

Improved low-light photography

Samsung has improved the low-light and night photography shooting for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Thanks to the new 200MP Adaptive Pixel sensor, the main camera can now combine 16 pixels into one larger one to improve the amount of light that the camera captures, to make for brighter and more detailed low-light photos. 

By doubling the optical image stabilization (OIS) angles in all directions, the Galaxy S23 Ultra can take better low-light videos with less noise; this boost in OIS also helps in daylight in situations where blur can be a factor, like traversing rough ground. Multi-frame processing during low-light conditions also helps remove noise from videos. 

And around the front, there’s a new night portrait mode for the selfie camera, which delivers an enhanced bokeh effect at night. 

Better Astrophotography mode 

Improvements to low-light photography also benefit the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s Astrophotography mode, which is now in the phone’s camera app by default rather than just being a feature of the ExpertRAW app. 

Thanks to the improvements in main camera resolution and OIS, as well as image processing, Samsung says you can capture shots of the Milky Way and the movements of the stars — when used in an Astro Hyperlapse mode — with no specialist equipment; we do suspect you’d need a tripod unless you have extraordinary steady hands and a lot of patience. 

ExpertRAW gets Lightroom editing powers 

With the ability to snap high-resolution photos on the 200MP camera comes the scope for more editing. And rather neatly, Samsung’s ExpertRAW app on the Galaxy S23 range now has Lightroom baked in. 

That means you’ll be able to snap 200MP RAW photos on the Galaxy S23 Ultra with all the extra controls enabled by the ExpertRAW app (which is a free download but has a lot of its features now in the Galaxy S23 camera app, like the ability to capture multiple exposures), and edit that image in Adobe’s Lightroom by default. This should make editing images into the photo you want a more seamless and powerful experience. 

New selfie camera

Around the front of the Galaxy S23 Ultra you’ll find a 12MP selfie camera. At first, this would seem like a downgrade from the S22 Ultra’s 40MP one. But the camera uses Super HDR (also available on the rear cameras), which should deliver brighter and more colorful selfie snaps, as well as video up to 4K at 60 frames per second; that’s up from 30 fps on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. 

Combined with an object-based AI that analyzes each detail in the frame, even down to minute facial features such as hair, eyes, and skin tone, Samsung says the camera should capture photos that are more “true to you.”

Boosted video 

The image stabilization upgrades and Super HDR should make the Galaxy S23 Ultra a rather good video recording device. 

But the standout feature is the ability to capture 8K video at 30 fps, the latter some consider to be the best frame rate for video. But by making use of a wider camera angle and bigger pixel size, Samsung reckons the videos the Galaxy S23 Ultra will capture will be more cinematic than before. 

It might be overkill for some, given 8K is hardly a widespread standard in TVs. But 8K at 30 fps is an added extra over the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which was limited to 8K at 24 fps and only in the 16:9 aspect ratio (not that you’d likely want very high-resolution videos at a different ratio). But 4K at 60 fps with Super HDR could be the sweet spot to deliver more colorful and dynamic videos than the Galaxy S22 Ultra. 

360-degree audio recording in videos  

For people looking at making cinematic or more immersive videos, the Galaxy S23 Ultra can be used with the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro to capture 360-degree audio by using the earbuds’ microphones as well as those on the phone. 

As 360 Audio Recording was a feature introduced with the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, you’ll need to use these earbuds specifically. But it’s a smart example of Samsung better tying together its whole Galaxy product ecosystem. And it could result in some impressive directional audio in videos that the likes of the iPhone 14 Pro Max can’t match. 

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra camera upgrades outlook 

These camera upgrades all look good on paper, but we’d need to test them out ourselves before rendering any in-depth judgments. So be sure to check back for our full Galaxy S23 Ultra review. 

But given the Galaxy S22 Ultra put in some impressive photography and video results, we’d be quietly confident that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will build upon it, likely seeing the flagship phone enter the upper echelons of our best phones list, especially if the 200MP camera really delivers the photography goods.

You have likely heard about the “green comet” that’s all over the news. It is known as Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF, and it is currently visible in the night sky.

This particular comet only comes around approximately every 50,000 years, so I set up my camera and telescope to photograph it while it is still here. 

In this post, I will explain my approach and provide some photography tips on how you can capture this elusive green comet from the far reaches of our solar system. You can also view my experience in the video below. 

What is a Comet?

A comet is a small celestial object made up of ice, dust, and rocky particles that orbit the sun. They are believed to have formed at the birth of our solar system and are thought to contain some of the oldest and most primitive materials in the solar system.

The nucleus of a comet is often described as a “dirty snowball” due to its composition. When it approaches the Sun, the heat causes the ice to vaporize creating a bright coma around the nucleus and a visible tail.  This tail will always point away from the Sun due to the solar wind. 

Comet Tempel 1 after it obliterated Deep Impact’s impactor spacecraft. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD).

Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF

This particular comet has a massive orbit, completing its path around the sun every 50 thousand years. The last time it was visible on earth was during the stone age, when there was absolutely zero light pollution to contend with!  

At the start of 2023, this comet traveled closest to the Sun. By February 1, it will be closest to Earth meaning there is still time to view this comet. In fact, on February 5, when it’s next to the bright star Capella, or February 9-13 when it’s near Mars, could be great chances to spot the comet. 

Astrophotography offers your best chance to see the tail of comet 2022 E3 and the green nucleus that glows with a green coma.

This graphic shows the massive 50,000-year orbit of Comet ZTF around the Sun. (The Sky Live).

How to see it?

If you’re in the northern hemisphere, you will have had the chance to see this comet since January 2023. But now that it has journeyed closest to Earth this month, there are still a few weeks of viewing before those in the southern hemisphere will have their chance to see it. 

It can be found in the area of the sky that is right near the north star, Polaris. Use your favorite astronomy app on your phone, like Stellarium, to guide you in the right direction. 

You will also want to use a pair of binoculars or a telescope to view this object as it is not bright enough to see with the naked eye. Ideally, you would view it without the bright glow of the moon interfering, but that’s precisely what I’ll be doing since there have been limited clear nights for me this winter. 

The path of Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF as it travels past Polaris in the night sky. Astronomy.com

My Approach

To capture the green comet I used a refractor telescope with a focal length of 550mm. This brings the comet in nice and close, but not close to avoid missing the tail, which luckily, was still there. That’s the exciting (and difficult) part about photographing comets – they are evolving, and unpredictable. The last comet I photographed was comet Neowise in 2020.  

I used a full-frame color camera, which utilizes the native focal length of this scope, to capture a nice big chuck of the sky in a single shot. I was able to see it right away through a test exposure, and then it’s a matter of choosing the ideal exposure time to reveal it without too much motion.

The comet is moving at a different speed and angle than the motion of the stars, so my standard method of sidereal tracking wouldn’t work. I’ve seen others use autoguiding on the comet itself (as if it were a star) with positive results.

I adjusted my exposure time to 60 seconds, to avoid too much motion in the comet in a single exposure. This resulted in a somewhat ’round” shape of the comet nucleus, with a slight amount of trailing when viewed up close. 

My Imaging Session

To run the image sequence on this comet I used a ZWO ASIAIR WiFi device to control the session. I can’t say enough about how great these little devices are.

It’s a powerful accessory capable of running a dedicated astronomy camera, guiding, and even autofocusing for those that want it all. I’ve recently switched to a bigger tablet to use the dedicated ASIAIR app, and it’s a treat seeing the huge preview images of the comet as they come through.

Although the WiFi range isn’t great, I can still control the imaging session just inside the garage to stay warm. The ASAIAR mounts directly to the finder scope bracket of my telescope and allows me to clean up all of the cables running to various devices.

I chose to use my Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 telescope as it has the perfect mid-range focal length (550mm) for an object of this size.  This model is included on my list of best astrophotography telescopes available in 2023.

In total, I captured 100 x 60-second tracked exposures centered on the comet. I utilized autoguiding for the stars to avoid star trailing and dithering between each frame (though it probably wasn’t necessary). 

I stacked the images in DeepSky Stacker using comet mode and stacked the images of the comet (not the stars) which created star trails in my final image.

My photo of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)

I also created an animation of the comet moving across the star field, using the individual 60-second frames in a sequence. To do this, I simply converted the .FIT files to .jpg, and played the image frames in sequence using Adobe Premiere.

You can watch this animation in action in my video on YouTube. 

Comet Stacking

Both DeepSkyStacker and PixInsight (my go-to image stacking tools) offer a ‘comet stacking’ mode. They allow you to select the comet within the star field and stack the images in accordance with this point. 

I have not tried the PixInsight comet stacking tool yet, but for those interested, be sure to watch this helpful tutorial video by fellow astrophotographer and friend, Bray Falls. 

The process of stacking the comet in DeepSkyStacker involves manually selecting the comet in each sub-frame (which is a little tedious), and then choosing the ‘comet stacking’ mode in the stacking parameters (see below).

Be sure to locate the ‘comet’ tab within the stacking parameters window, and select ‘comet stacking’ if you wish to create an image like mine. This simple tutorial video may help.

Using the comet stacking mode in DeepSkyStacker.

The tool includes a ‘stars + comet’ mode, but it did not work for me on this project. A potential workaround for creating an image of a stacked comet without star trailing is to remove the stars from the comet image and place a background of tracked stars behind it.

Tips for Shooting the Comet

In terms of astrophotography-specific tips, I have a few things to keep in mind.

• Decide on your composition: You can either track the comet itself with a star-trailed background or capture the motion of the stars, and the comet will be blurred. As mentioned above, unlike a typical deep-sky object, they are moving independently from one another.
• Track the comet: For the ultimate portrait of this dirty snowball, you’ll definitely want your telescope to track the COMET – this will allow you to take a clear, long-exposure shot. You may want to stick to shorter subs tracking the stars and stack the image.
• Use the correct stacking mode: The stacking process is a bit different for comets and there are actually comet-stacking modes in both DeepSkyStacker and PixInsight. Try both to see which one delivers the best result.
• Get Creative: Many people like to create an animated timelapse of the comet traveling through the stars, which is a pretty cool effect because you can see how fast it’s actually moving through space. 

The bottom line is, once you’ve found it, the way you capture it is up to you. If you’re like me, just the whole idea of the event is fun – I don’t need to take the best photo out there.

Just remember, comets can be faint and difficult to see, so be patient. It will help if you let your eyes adjust to the darkness and use a star chart to help you locate it using the surrounding stars. 

Final Thoughts

Unlike some of the celestial events that get media attention, I think comets are a pretty big deal. They’re visitors from the far reaches of our solar system and they’re only here for a short period of time.

The fact that they’re (kind of) doing their own thing makes it cool. Whether it’s every 76 years or every 50,000, when they visit, it reminds us of our comparatively short lives here on our rock and how incredible this whole experience is.

So go outside and look for the green comet while you can, because nothing lasts forever. 

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A “hauntingly beautiful” shot of the Milky Way rising over the ruins of a Tudor mansion has won the top prize in a photography competition.

The image, taken by Richard Murray from Waterlooville, Hampshire, captures the night-time scene at Cowdray ruins in Midhurst and claimed the top prize in the South Downs National Park astrophotography competition, which attracted 60 entries.

In September 1793, while it was undergoing repairs and refurbishments for the impending marriage of the 8th Viscount Montague, a devastating fire destroyed most of the property, leaving the ruins that remain.

The competition celebrates the national park’s status as one of only 20 International Dark Sky Reserves in the world, which recognises the region as one of the best places globally to stargaze.

South Downs lead ranger Dan Oakley said of the winning image: “It’s such a well-framed image and shows what the landscape would have been like a couple of centuries ago.

“It’s a great little chocolate box photo of the South Downs.”

Mr Murray, who won a £100 prize, said: “We were blessed with crystal clear skies and I was lucky enough to be able to capture this shot of the Milky Way rising behind the Cowdray ruins.

“It demonstrates that you don’t have to travel too far from town to enjoy the spectacular dark skies the South Downs National Park has to offer.

“The national park has such a wide variety of beautiful landscapes and buildings to photograph and is truly a special part of the UK, both by day and night.”

Beachy Head moonrise by Andrew Parker (Image: Andrew Parker/ PA)

Runner-up in the main category, was a shot of the moon rising behind Beachy Head lighthouse, near Eastbourne taken by Andrew Parker, who won a £75 prize.

Mr Parker, who lives in south east London, said: “Despite travelling around the country to pursue my hobby of landscape and astrophotography I still go to the South Downs more than most other places. The skies around Birling Gap are fantastic.”

Story continues

The judges were also wowed by a photograph of a toad crossing a road near Cuckmere Haven, by Peter Brooks from Eastbourne.

The picture won the South Downs Nature at Night category and Mr Brooks received a £100 prize.

Toad In The Road by Peter Brooks (Image: Peter Brooks/ PA)

Mr Oakley said: “I like this image because it’s a bit different. It sums up the theme of ‘nature at night’ and really highlights the fragility of nature.”

Mr Brooks said: “I took this particular image to highlight the dangers toads face when migrating back to their breeding ponds.”

A crater that looks like a bear’s face has been captured on the surface of Mars by the HiRISE camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). 

For the last 16 years, the MRO has been orbiting Mars in a mission to understand the history of the red planet. Previous missions have shown that, once upon a time,  water did flow across its surface, but it’s not clear how long for or whether it was long enough to sustain life. 

• These are the best cameras for astrophotography (opens in new tab), from purpose-built astro cameras to great mirrorless and DSLR systems

While the latest image doesn’t exactly prove that life on Mars ever existed, it does show a view of the planet’s surface that hasn’t been seen before. The bear-like face is made up of a circular fracture complete with two shallow craters that resemble eyes. In the middle of the circle, a V-shaped crevice atop a lighter patch creates the outline of the bear’s nose. 

The HiRISE camera onboard the MRO can capture images that contain up to 28 gigabits of data in just 6 seconds, have a staggering swath width of 3.7 miles, and a programmable image length of up to 37 miles. The camera operates in visible wavelengths, just like the human eye, but its telescopic lens used from 186 miles away enables researchers to identify objects on the planet’s surface that are no bigger than 3 feet.

Weighing 143lbs (65kg) it’s the most expensive instrument onboard the MRO and arguably one of the most important, as it sends accurate visual representations of the surface of Mars enabling scientists to track landscapes in its landscape. 

While you won’t be able to make out the bear’s face even if you are using one of the best telescopes for astrophotography (opens in new tab), it is very common to see the red planet from Earth. However, 2023 is an ‘off’ year for one of our closest neighboring planets; from February 14 it will shine with just a third of the luster it had at the beginning of the year, so if you want to catch it shining brightly you had better do it soon!

The best lenses for astrophotography are wide angle primes or wide-angle zooms that allow you to capture the beautiful night sky