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Celestron STARSENSE EXPLORER 10" SMARTPHONE APP-ENABLED DOBSONIAN TELESCOPE

Regular Price: $1,099.95

Special Price $999.00

Availability: More on the way

Celestron has reinvented the Dobsonian telescope with StarSense Explorer—the first Dobsonian that uses your smartphone to analyze the night sky and calculate its position in real-time. This large-aperture Celestron StarSense Explorer is ideal for serious beginners, thanks to the app's user-friendly interface and detailed tutorials. It's like having your own personal tour guide of the night sky. The large aperture will ensure that you won’t outgrow the telescope as you continue on in your astronomical adventures.
Our Product #: 22471
Celestron Product #: 22471
 

Product Description

Dock, Launch, Explore

Leave complicated star charts, imprecise planetarium apps, and computerized mounts behind. With StarSense Explorer, locating objects has never been easier, faster, or more accurate. Within minutes of setting up the telescope, you'll be navigating the sky with confidence. Simply place your phone in the unique StarSense dock and launch the StarSense Explorer app.

After aligning your phone to the telescope's optics (a quick and easy procedure), StarSense Explorer generates a list of celestial objects currently visible. Make your selection and arrows appear on-screen, guiding you as you move the telescope. When the object is ready to view in the eyepiece, the bullseye turns green. As you observe, listen to hundreds of audio descriptions and view detailed information about thousands of objects within the app’s robust database.

High-Quality Altazimuth Base

An ultra-stable Dobsonian base provides a sturdy foundation for StarSense Explorer. It features large diameter altitude bearings with variable tensioning, Teflon azimuth bearings, and braces on the side panels for extra stability (unlike most 10” Dobsonian bases). The altitude bearings provide a smooth up-and-down motion while the integrated altitude "brake" system allows you to adjust the tension along the altitude axis for smoothest motion even with slight imbalances. The panning knob on the telescope tube provides an ergonomic grip so you can precisely point the telescope without introducing heat from your hands into the optical system. As celestial objects appear to drift across the night sky, you'll be able to easily follow them with minor adjustments to the telescope’s position.

Dazzling Views with High-Quality Optics

With a large 10" Newtonian reflector optical tube, this telescope has enough light-gathering ability to bring out impressive detail in celestial objects while remaining remarkably portable. You can expect sharp, bright views of Jupiter's four Galilean moons, its cloud bands and Great Red Spot, the rings of Saturn, the gaseous glow of the Orion Nebula, dust lanes in the Lagoon Nebula, and our neighbor galaxy, Andromeda. Compared to the StarSense Explorer DX 130 AZ, the 10" Dobsonian has 380+% more light gathering area, providing better views of faint objects.

All mirror surfaces are coated with our XLT optical coatings to visibly increase contrast and light throughput for brighter views. With XLT, you'll be able to discern subtle details while viewing the Moon and planets, as well as faint galaxies and nebulae. The mirrors are made of low-expansion optical glass, which helps ensure the best images under changing environmental conditions.

This telescope also comes with a high-quality 2” Crayford focuser. The Crayford design provides precise and smooth movements without focus shifting. It also includes a 2” to 1.25” adapter and a 2” extension tube, so you can use virtually any 1.25” or 2” telescope eyepiece with your StarSense Explorer Dobsonian. The focuser also features a thumbscrew so you can lock in the sharpest focus.

Perfect for the City or Dark Sky Sites

Even if you live in a light-polluted city location, the Celestron StarSense Explorer 10” Dobsonian is advanced enough to easily pick out Jupiter, Saturn, open star clusters like the Pleiades, double stars like Alberio, the Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, and more of the best and brightest celestial objects.

But if you can take the telescope to an even slightly darker location, more objects will become visible. With this 10" Dobsonian and relatively dark skies, hundreds of fascinating objects are well within your reach.

Transporting your StarSense Explorer Dobsonian is easy thanks to the ergonomic carry handles located at the balance point of the tube and base. Dust covers are also included for the front of the tube and the focuser.

Smartphone Compatibility                  

Celestron StarSense Explorer works with most modern smartphones, including iPhone 6 and up, and most devices running Android 7.1.2 or later manufactured since 2016. For a complete compatibility list, click here.

Patented StarSense Sky Recognition Technology

StarSense Explorer uses patented technology and your smartphone to determine exactly where the telescope is pointed in the night sky. A Lost in Space Algorithm (LISA), like the ones satellites use in orbit to correctly orient themselves, helps the app match star patterns it detects overhead to its internal database.

While other astronomy apps may claim that they can help you find objects, they rely exclusively on the phone's gyros and accelerometers, which aren't as accurate as LISA technology. No other app can accurately tell you when your target is visible in the eyepiece.

Tech Details

Aperture 10" (254mm)
Focal Length 1200mm
Focal Ratio f/4.7
Heaviest Single Component 29.2 pounds
Weight 55
Optical Coatings XLT
Supplied Eyepiece 25mm 1.25"
Telescope Type Reflector
View Finder StarPointer™ red-dot finderscope
Visual Limiting Magnitude 14.7
Warranty 2 years

Reviews

Review by:
I would give it 4.5 stars just because it's a little expensive and not everyone will think it's a great value. For me, it made it much easier to find objects that require a lot of starhopping in my suburban skies. I've been in the hobby for a while, and I know how to find a lot of objects by sight if they are close to other stars: like M13, Ring Nebula, Orion Nebula, etc. It was getting difficult to find objects that were in dimmer areas of the sky, and this is where the StarSense tech works so great. For example, Cat's Eye nebula (NGC 6543) in Draco was always hard for me to find, and once I was aligned with StarSense, it was in the center of my medium power eyepiece after it was in the bullseye on my phone. You need to wait until deep twilight to get the tech going, but once your phone camera can do the plate solving, it works extremely well. It's nice to use push-to rather than wait for the telescope to move itself into place.
For what it's worth, the tube is a few pounds lighter and couple inches shorter than other 10-inch dobs, which is helpful to me since I need to bring it up the basement stairs to observe. The handle on the tube is nice too. I wish it had a dual-speed focuser for this price, but otherwise, I am having a lot of fun with the telescope. (Posted on 6/22/2023)
Review by:
I've had any number of telescopes - simple and complex. This is the most FUN telescope I ever had. Simple to set up, very easy to use - I often turn this telescope over to some astronomy-interested kid at star parties. Their parents are amazed that with very little instruction, they are soon finding Saturn, the Ring Nebula, M-13 - easy, because the StarSense phone app generates a list of what's visible in YOUR sky right now. Click on one of the objects in the list and the app generates an arrow to tell you which way to move the 'scope - when you get the green box, your object is in the eyepiece - crazy simple!!! I got mine several months ago directly from Celestron and it has become my go-to grab and go telescope - sure, I still use the 9.25 Edge HD for lots of things, but this gives great views with very little set-up, no alignment except to align the phone with the optical tube - easy, by the way. This is a great family scope that you will be using many nights into your future. I LOVE this telescope!!! (Posted on 12/6/2022)
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