Celestron has reinvented the manual telescope with StarSense Explorer—the first telescope that uses your smartphone to analyze the night sky and calculate its position in real time. StarSense Explorer is ideal for 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.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, 2-minute procedure), StarSense Explorer generates a list of celestial objects currently visible. Make your selection and arrows appear onscreen, guiding you as you to move the telescope. When the object is ready to view, the bullseye turns green. Smartphone Compatibility, StarSense Explorer works with most modern smartphones; it is compatible with Android 12 and later, as well as iOS 18 and newer, including iPhone XR and newer models. Users with older phones can still use this app, but will not be able to reinstall the app if they uninstall it. 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. High Quality Altazimuth Mount with Slow Motion Control - An ultra-stable altazimuth mount provides a sturdy foundation for StarSense Explorer DX. Slip clutches and geared slow motion controls in both axes help you move the telescope smoothly and zero in your target. As celestial objects appear to drift across the night sky, you’ll be able to follow them with just a few turns of the knobs. It’s all anchored by an adjustable, full-height tripod. Dazzling Views with High Quality Optics. With a large 130mm (5”) objective lens, this telescope has enough light gathering ability to bring out impressive detail in celestial objects. You can expect sharp, bright views of Jupiter’s four Galilean moons, its cloud bands and Great Red Spot, the rings of Saturn, the trapezium in the Orion Nebula, and beautiful Pleiades Open Star Cluster. Highly reflective coatings on both the primary and secondary mirror enhance the views even more. Perfect for the City or Dark Sky Sites- Even if you live in a light polluted city location, StarSense Explorer is advanced enough to be able to pick out Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, the Orion Nebula, double stars, and a few more of the most famous celestial objects. But if you can take the telescope to an even slightly darker location, more objects will become visible. With this 5” Newtonian and relatively dark skies, the Andromeda Galaxy, Hercules Open Star Cluster, and so many more are easily within your reach. The entire telescope kit weighs just 18 pounds, so it’s perfectly portable and easy to bring on your next camping trip or to a remote observing site. Everything You Need to Observe Immediately. When you unbox your new StarSense Explorer DX, you’ll find: 130mm Newtonian reflector optical tube, StarSense dock for your smartphone, Low powered (25mm) and high powered (10mm) eyepiece, StarPointer red dot finderscope, perfect for using the telescope during the day or without the StarSense Explorer app, Altazimuth mount with slow motion controls, Full-height tripod with an accessory tray to keep you organized.
Q: Can you see Saturn's rings - Jupiter Bands & red spot with the 114mm?
A: Yes, you can see Saturn's rings and Jupiter's Bands. I didn't see the red spot. This is a good beginner telescope and for the price, I recommend it, but if you want more detail and can afford it, then you might want to upgrade from this one.
A: The StarSense Explorer 114mm is a Newtonian Reflector, so the images will appear upside down which is acceptable for astronomical viewing but not for terrestrial viewing. A better choice would be the StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ or StarSense DX 102AZ models which are refractor models that come with an erect image diagonal that is perfect for right side up terrestrial viewing.
A: If you wana take pictures you need a Celestron YZ axis smart phone adapter. You can take pictures with your slr camera but you need a Barlow and T adapter. The telescope has iPhone mount to guide you through the night sky using Celestron app but not for taking pictures.
A: The StarSense Explorer telescope can be used with its eyepieces it came with to observe and does not require a smartphone adapter to be operational.
Q: Is this easy to set up and use for a beginner?
A: The alignment requires some patience but is easy enough. Use is very easy especially with the app.
A: 114 vs the 130 refers to the aperture. its is how much light it can gather. ive used a 60mm vs the 114mm and i don't notice to much of a difference except the moons around Jupiter are much more visible. so i would say the 130 would brighten up the moons a bit more and help with deep sky objects such as nebulas, clusters and galaxy's.
A: No, the StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ does not have electronic night vision built in, but its primary mirror collects enough faint light to reveal countless galaxies, nebulae and star clusters from a dark sky site away from city light pollution.
Q: What Brand and Type of eye pieces are included?
A: The 10mm and 25mm eyepieces supplied with the StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope are standard Kellner eyepieces with no particular branding.

Celestron has reinvented the manual telescope with StarSense Explorer—the first telescope that uses your smartphone to analyze the night sky and calculate its position in real time. StarSense Explorer is ideal for 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.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, 2-minute procedure), StarSense Explorer generates a list of celestial objects currently visible. Make your selection and arrows appear onscreen, guiding you as you to move the telescope. When the object is ready to view, the bullseye turns green. Smartphone Compatibility, StarSense Explorer works with most modern smartphones; it is compatible with Android 12 and later, as well as iOS 18 and newer, including iPhone XR and newer models. Users with older phones can still use this app, but will not be able to reinstall the app if they uninstall it. 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. High Quality Altazimuth Mount with Slow Motion Control - An ultra-stable altazimuth mount provides a sturdy foundation for StarSense Explorer DX. Slip clutches and geared slow motion controls in both axes help you move the telescope smoothly and zero in your target. As celestial objects appear to drift across the night sky, you’ll be able to follow them with just a few turns of the knobs. It’s all anchored by an adjustable, full-height tripod. Dazzling Views with High Quality Optics. With a large 130mm (5”) objective lens, this telescope has enough light gathering ability to bring out impressive detail in celestial objects. You can expect sharp, bright views of Jupiter’s four Galilean moons, its cloud bands and Great Red Spot, the rings of Saturn, the trapezium in the Orion Nebula, and beautiful Pleiades Open Star Cluster. Highly reflective coatings on both the primary and secondary mirror enhance the views even more. Perfect for the City or Dark Sky Sites- Even if you live in a light polluted city location, StarSense Explorer is advanced enough to be able to pick out Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, the Orion Nebula, double stars, and a few more of the most famous celestial objects. But if you can take the telescope to an even slightly darker location, more objects will become visible. With this 5” Newtonian and relatively dark skies, the Andromeda Galaxy, Hercules Open Star Cluster, and so many more are easily within your reach. The entire telescope kit weighs just 18 pounds, so it’s perfectly portable and easy to bring on your next camping trip or to a remote observing site. Everything You Need to Observe Immediately. When you unbox your new StarSense Explorer DX, you’ll find: 130mm Newtonian reflector optical tube, StarSense dock for your smartphone, Low powered (25mm) and high powered (10mm) eyepiece, StarPointer red dot finderscope, perfect for using the telescope during the day or without the StarSense Explorer app, Altazimuth mount with slow motion controls, Full-height tripod with an accessory tray to keep you organized.

Celestron has reinvented the manual telescope with StarSense Explorer—the first telescope that uses your smartphone to analyze the night sky and calculate its position in real time. StarSense Explorer is ideal for 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. 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, 2-minute procedure), StarSense Explorer generates a list of celestial objects currently visible. Make your selection and arrows appear onscreen, guiding you as you to move the telescope. When the object is ready to view, the bullseye turns green. Smartphone Compatibility. StarSense Explorer works with most modern smartphones; it is compatible with Android 12 and later, as well as iOS 18 and newer, including iPhone XR and newer models. Users with older phones can still use this app, but will not be able to reinstall the app if they uninstall it. 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.High Quality Altazimuth Mount with Slow Motion Control An ultra-stable altazimuth mount provides a sturdy foundation for StarSense Explorer DX. Slip clutches and geared slow motion controls in both axes help you move the telescope smoothly and zero in your target. As celestial objects appear to drift across the night sky, you’ll be able to follow them with just a few turns of the knobs. It’s all anchored by an adjustable, full-height tripod. Dazzling Views with High Quality Optics. With a large 102mm (4”) objective lens, this telescope has enough light gathering ability to bring out impressive detail in celestial objects. You can expect sharp, bright views of Jupiter’s four Galilean moons, its cloud bands and Great Red Spot, the rings of Saturn, the trapezium in the Orion Nebula, and beautiful Pleiades Open Star Cluster. Celestron’s XLT optical coatings improve light transmission, enhancing the views even more. The telescope also includes a 90-degree erect image diagonal, so you can use it during the day to view birds, wildlife, landscapes, and more. Perfect for the City or Dark Sky Sites. Even if you live in a light polluted city location, StarSense Explorer is advanced enough to be able to pick out Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, the Orion Nebula, double stars, and a few more of the most famous celestial objects.But if you can take the telescope to an even slightly darker location, more objects will become visible. With this 4” refractor and relatively dark skies, the Andromeda Galaxy, Hercules Open Star Cluster, and so many more are easily within your reach. The entire telescope kit weighs just 14.2 pounds, so it’s perfectly portable and easy to bring on your next camping trip or to a remote observing site. Everything You Need to Observe Immediately. When you unbox your new StarSense Explorer DX, you’ll find: 102mm refractor optical tube, StarSense dock for your smartphone, Low powered (25mm) and high powered (10mm) eyepiece, 90-degree erect image diagonal, StarPointer red dot finderscope, perfect for using the telescope during the day or without the StarSense Explorer app, Altazimuth mount with slow motion controls, Full-height tripod with an accessory tray to keep you organized.

Celestron’s signature orange-tube telescope combines advanced features and excellent optics in one easy-to-use system, the NexStar 4SE. It’s the perfect choice for your first serious telescope, offering striking views at an economical price. Our Founder’s Vision, Reimagined for the 21st Century. In the 1970s, Celestron’s Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes brought the hobby of astronomy to the masses and established Celestron as the world’s premier telescope maker. Our founder, Tom Johnson, invented Celestron’s proprietary method of producing Schmidt corrector plates for superior views and maximum portability. Johnson believed in creating high-quality optical instruments at an affordable price, and inspired a generation of amateur astronomers. Four decades later, we’ve improved upon this design by adding cutting-edge features, while staying true to our founder’s intent. View the Universe’s Most Impressive Celestial Objects.The 4SE’s four-inch primary mirror packs enough light-gathering ability to observe the best that the solar system has to offer: Saturn’s rings, the cloud bands on Jupiter, and eographic features on the surface of the Moon. When it comes to deep sky objects, take your 4SE to a dark-sky site and you’ll see hundreds of pinpoint stars in the Hercules Globular Cluster, the spiral arms of the Whirlpool Galaxy, and more. Revolutionary Single Fork Arm Mount. We know the best telescope is the one you will use most often. That’s why Celestron’s engineers created NexStar SE’s unique, patented single fork arm mount. It’s perfectly portable and makes setup quick and easy. What’s more, the NexStar SE breaks down into several lightweight and compact pieces, making it easy to transport, even in small vehicles. You’ll have no problem getting the NexStar SE to your favorite observing site, or setting it up quickly in your backyard.Of course, it’s what’s inside the mount that really counts. Sturdy construction from high-quality components give NexStar SE the pointing and tracking accuracy needed to observe and follow your favorite targets with push-button ease. Use the included NexStar+ hand control to locate over 40,000 celestial objects, or take a Sky Tour and let your telescope show you the best objects currently visible.Aligning your telescope is simple and painless, too, thanks to SkyAlign. This process makes alignment as easy as 1-2-3: just center three bright objects in your eyepiece and press ALIGN. For even easier alignment, attach our StarSense AutoAlign and your NexStar SE aligns itself! Advanced Features Let the NexStar SE Grow with You. The NexStar SE is compatible with all the high-tech accessories advanced users love. Provide GPS coordinates to your telescope with SkySync, or add automatic alignment functionality with StarSense AutoAlign. Its built-in wedge allows you to track long exposures. if you’re interested in imaging the Moon and planets, pair your NexStar 4SE with one of our NexImage cameras. From your first observing session and for years to come, the NexStar SE is your trusted companion.

Celestron’s signature orange-tube telescope combines advanced features and excellent optics in one easy-to-use system, the NexStar 8SE. It’s the perfect choice for your first serious telescope, offering impressive views at an economical price. Our Founder’s Vision, Reimagined for the 21st Century. In the 1970s, the classic Celestron 8 brought the hobby of astronomy to the masses and established Celestron as the world’s premier telescope maker. Our founder, Tom Johnson, invented Celestron’s proprietary method of producing Schmidt corrector plates for superior views and maximum portability. Johnson believed in creating high-quality optical instruments at an affordable price, and inspired a generation of amateur astronomers. Four decades later, we’ve improved upon this design by adding cutting-edge features, while staying true to our founder’s intent. Big Mirror, Small Price . With a full 8 inches of aperture, the 8SE reveals details in even the faintest celestial objects. With this much light-gathering ability, you’ll clearly observe Cassini’s Division in Saturn’s rings, the cloud bands on Jupiter, and the Great Red Spot. Beyond the solar system, your 8SE will show you hundreds of pinpoint stars in the Hercules Globular Cluster, the spiral arms of the Whirlpool Galaxy, and more. And don’t forget the Moon—you’ll see craters and geographic features like never before. Revolutionary Single Fork Arm Mount. We know the best telescope is the one you will use most often. That’s why Celestron’s engineers created NexStar SE’s unique, patented single fork arm mount. It’s perfectly portable and makes setup quick and easy. What’s more, the NexStar SE breaks down into several lightweight and compact pieces, making it easy to transport, even in small vehicles. You’ll have no problem getting the NexStar SE to your favorite observing site, or setting it up quickly in your backyard. Of course, it’s what’s inside the mount that really counts. Sturdy construction from high-quality components give NexStar SE the pointing and tracking accuracy needed to observe and follow your favorite targets with pushbutton ease. Use the included NexStar+ hand control to locate over 40,000 celestial objects, or take a Sky Tour and let your telescope show you the best objects currently visible. Aligning your telescope is simple and painless, too, thanks to SkyAlign. This process makes alignment as easy as 1-2-3: just center three bright objects in your eyepiece and press ALIGN. For even easier alignment, attach our StarSense AutoAlign and your NexStar SE aligns itself! Advanced Features Let the NexStar SE Grow with You. The NexStar SE is compatible with all the high-tech accessories advanced users love. Control your telescope using your iPhone or iPad with our SkyQ Link, or add GPS functionality with SkySync. If you’re interested in astroimaging, the NexStar SE is Fastar-compatible for ultra-fast, wide field imaging. For planetary imaging, there’s no better choice than a NexStar 8SE paired with one of our NexImage cameras. From your first observing session and for years to come, the NexStar SE is your trusted companion.
| Pros for Celestron - Starsense Explorer DX 130AZ Smartphone App-Enabled Newtonian Reflector Telescope - Silver/Black | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Image Quality, Ease of use, Price, Clarity, Assembly | Ease of Use, Overall Performance | Ease of Use, Image Quality | Image Quality, Setup Ease |
| Cons for Celestron - Starsense Explorer DX 130AZ Smartphone App-Enabled Newtonian Reflector Telescope - Silver/Black | |||
| Magnification, App Functionality, Tripod Stability, Alignment, Instructions | There were no cons for this product— | There were no cons for this product— | There were no cons for this product— |
Customers highly value the Starsense Explorer LT 114AZ Telescope for its user-friendly design, with many praising its easy assembly and user-friendly interface. The smartphone app is another highlighted feature, making it easier for users to navigate and locate celestial objects. While some users mentioned basic eyepieces and occasional alignment difficulties, overall, customers appreciate its affordability, clear views, and beginner-friendly nature.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Not bad for beginners... you need to buy Barlow and better quality eyepiece ... The pics are for the blue moon Halloween night using Barlow Omni with 10 Omni and 15 mm Omni all Celestron. For the price and ease of use you cannot beat that ... for a beginner go for it without hesitation.
Posted by MoeMan
Bought this for my 15 year old son for Christmas. He absolutely loves it. Put it together himself. Calibrated it himself and has found multiple planets. Saw Jupiter and 4 of it's moons, Saturn and it's rings, Mars (red). Very impressed. It would have 5 stars except for how it connects to the stand. It doesnt have a great "dove tail" (my opinion) and is held on by a single screw. Hopefully that is sufficient enough. Also not sure how to line up the phone's camera so he can use sky finder with the telescope the way you are suppose to.
Posted by WonderfulXMASgift
I got this as an upgrade to some rock bottom (30-50$) level refractor models I have (mostly used for skyline views) to show some friends a nice look at a recent blood moon/selenelion event in my area. There are some positives, but I'm returning it without hesitation. The good. Significant upgrade in terms of lense quality/magnification. Build quality of the telescope itself is nice. It is large, but not at all heavy, and I did a 40 min hike with it no problem. Laser adjuster actually worked pretty well, I was definitely skeptical it could be adjusted to be useful. The bad. The legs. OMG the legs. Floppy stand that wibbles and wobbles. It's also non standard, so I couldn't use a nice camera tripod I got second hand. It's described as having micro adjustment but all axes have a gum like effect where even at lowest level of magnification, you have to over steer and let it settle back into desired position. Simply impossible to do for the greater level of magnification. Not even a handle to help easy rotation. Trying to lock any view in a position moves angle significantly. I was really excited about the up/down mico adjuster rod, but even that was worse than loosening everything and freehanding. The phone holder thing/app is complete junk. Any other free gyro sky exploration app works better. Did not find position in sky even once (I assure you I followed the steps). There is no phone attachment for photos, just for the guided tour (it's just a mirror). There isn't even a lense that filters down a bright moon, which is standard for literally the cheapest scopes out there. Overall. I have no complaints at all about the optics. But the stand betrays all that is good about this model. The 'patent pending' phone holder is nonsense. I chose to keep a bottom level refractor paired with a very nice tripod instead of this without consideration of price (and it's 5x more).
This review is from Celestron - Starsense Explorer LT 114AZ Telescope App-Enabled Newtonian Reflector Telescope - Silver/Black
Posted by timvg
