Description
Highlights:
Smartphone-powered guided stargazing with StarSense sky recognition technology that analyses star patterns and calculates telescope position in real time
StarSense Explorer app automatically generates a list of visible celestial objects and guides movement with on-screen arrows and bullseye confirmation
Patent-pending Lost in Space Algorithm (LISA) technology for accurate object identification beyond standard gyro-based astronomy apps
114mm (4.5”) Newtonian reflector with highly reflective coatings and strong light-gathering ability for detailed celestial viewing
Manual altazimuth mount with altitude slow-motion adjustment and sliding rod for smooth tracking and precise positioning
Includes 25mm and 10mm eyepieces plus 2x Barlow lens for expanded magnification options
StarSense smartphone dock and StarPointer red dot finderscope for flexible observing with or without phone use
Adjustable full-height tripod with accessory tray for stability and organisation
Compatible with most modern smartphones including iPhone 6 and newer and Android 7.1.2+ devices manufactured since 2016
Suitable for city and dark-sky observing with portability supported by a total kit weight of 10.4 lbs
Unleash the power of your smartphone and enjoy a guided tour of the night sky with no prior telescope experience required. The StarSense Explorer telescope uses award-winning, patent-pending StarSense sky recognition technology to analyse star patterns overhead and calculate its position in real time.
The StarSense Explorer app automatically generates a list of visible celestial objects, allowing you to view planets, brighter nebulae and galaxies, star clusters, and double stars from urban locations, or faint deep-sky objects from darker observing sites.
Easy Smartphone-Guided Navigation
The StarSense Explorer system simplifies locating celestial objects. Simply dock your phone, launch the StarSense Explorer app, and align it with the telescope’s optics using a quick two-minute setup. The app then displays arrows to guide telescope movement, and when the bullseye turns green, the object is ready to view in the eyepiece.
This approach removes the need for star charts, imprecise planetarium apps, or computerized mounts, delivering faster, easier, and more accurate object location.
Patent-Pending StarSense Sky Recognition Technology
StarSense Explorer determines where the telescope is pointed using patent-pending technology and a Lost in Space Algorithm (LISA), similar to those used by orbiting satellites. The app matches detected star patterns to its internal database, providing greater accuracy than apps relying solely on smartphone gyros and accelerometers and enabling precise confirmation when targets are visible in the eyepiece.
Optical Performance
The telescope features a 114mm (4.5”) Newtonian reflector with highly reflective coatings and strong light-gathering ability, delivering detailed views of key celestial objects including:
-
Jupiter’s Galilean moons, cloud bands, and Great Red Spot
-
Saturn’s rings
-
The trapezium in the Orion Nebula
-
The Pleaides Open Star Cluster
Mount & Handling
A manual altazimuth mount with altitude slow-motion adjustment and sliding rod allows smooth target tracking and precise positioning. The mount is supported by an adjustable, full-height tripod with accessory tray for organisation.
Smartphone Compatibility
StarSense Explorer supports most modern smartphones, including iPhone 6 and newer models and Android devices running version 7.1.2 or later manufactured since 2016.
City & Dark Sky Observing
Even in light-polluted environments, the telescope can identify and display Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, the Orion Nebula, double stars, and other prominent objects. In darker locations, additional targets such as the Andromeda Galaxy and Hercules Open Star Cluster become visible.
With a total kit weight of 10.4 pounds, the telescope is portable and suitable for camping trips or remote observing sites.
Included Accessories
-
114mm Newtonian reflector optical tube
-
StarSense smartphone dock
-
25mm and 10mm eyepieces
-
2x Barlow lens
-
StarPointer red dot finderscope
-
Manual altazimuth mount with slow motion control rod
-
Full-height tripod with accessory tray
Specifications:
Optical System
-
Optical design: Newtonian reflector
-
Aperture: 114mm (4.5”)
-
Focal length: 1000mm (39.3”)
-
Focal ratio: f/9
-
Eyepiece 1: 25mm – 40x magnification
-
Eyepiece 2: 10mm – 100x magnification
-
Barlow lens: 2x (1.25”)
-
Highest useful magnification: 269x
-
Lowest useful magnification: 16x
-
Limiting stellar magnitude: 12.8
-
Resolution (Rayleigh): 1.22 arc seconds
-
Resolution (Dawes): 1.02 arc seconds
-
Light gathering power: 265x compared to human eye
-
Secondary mirror obstruction: 44mm (1.73”)
-
Secondary obstruction by diameter: 38%
-
Secondary obstruction by area: 14%
-
Optical coatings: Glass mirrors with aluminium and SiO₂
-
Optical tube length: 609.6mm (24”)
-
Optical tube diameter: 147mm (5.78”)
-
Optical tube weight: 6.6 lbs (2.99 kg)
-
Optical tube material: Steel
-
Dovetail: None
Mount & Tripod
-
Mount type: Manual Alt-Azimuth
-
Height adjustment: Aluminium, 1320.8mm (52”) max height
-
Tripod leg diameter: 31.75mm (1.75”) steel
-
Accessory tray: Yes
-
Tripod weight: 3.8 lbs (1.72 kg)
-
Slew speeds: Manual
-
GPS: Uses phone’s GPS
-
Dovetail compatibility: None
-
Power requirements: None (PowerTank Glow recommended to keep phone charged while using app)
-
Alignment procedure: StarSense Explorer app
Software
-
StarSense Explorer app
-
SkyPortal app
-
Celestron Starry Night Basic Edition software
Kit Weight
-
Total kit weight: 10.4 lbs (4.71 kg)