Review of the Celestron StarSense Explorer 10" Dobsionian:
"...this is mostly about the StarSense Explorer app and the way that it will revolutionise your observing sessions. Its beautiful graphical user interface (which, incidentally, you can redden to preserve your dark adaption) invites you to explore a constellation or region of sky in greater detail, making serendipitous finds here and there. The way that it uses any compatible phone to reliably plate-solve and find objects means that you don’t need great swathes of clear sky to seek out alignment stars, as is demanded by traditional computerised GoTo mounts – indeed, it effectively renders such methods obsolete. Make no mistake, the StarSense Explorer app is a game changer that will appeal to seasoned observers and smartphone-addicted millennials alike."
Ade Ashford writing for Astronomy Now magazine
About this product
Model: cel_starsense_exp_8_dob
Part Number: 22470-CGL
The first Dobsonian that uses your smartphone to analyse the night sky and calculate its position in real-time.
Celestron has reinvented the Dobsonian telescope with StarSense Explorer—the first Dobsonian that uses your smartphone to analyse 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.
Dock, Launch, Explore
Leave complicated star charts, imprecise planetarium apps, and computerised 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 8” 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 8" 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 8" Dobsonian has 240+% 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 8” 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 8" 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.
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.
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.
Specifications
- Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector
- Aperture: 8"
- Focal Length: 1200mm
- Focal Ratio: F5.9
- 25mm FL Eyepiece Included
- Magnification with 25mm EP: 48x
- Highest Useful Magnification: 480x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 29x
- Limiting Stella Magnitude: 14.2
- Optical Coating: XLT reflective coatings with silicon dioxide and tantalum pentoxide protective overcoatings for primary and secondary mirrors
- Minor Axis of Secondary Mirror: 47mm
- Optical Tube Dimensions: 1117.6mm x 241.3mm diameter (44" x 9.5" diameter)
- Optical Tube Weight: 9.34kg
- Focuser: 2" Craford with 2" and 1.25" Adaptors
- Base Dimensions: 685.8mm x 482.6mm x 482.6mm (27" x 19" x 19")
- Base Weight: 10.3kg
- Total Telescope Kit Weight: 19.68kg
What's in the box
- Optical tube
- Dobsonian Base
- 25mm eyepiece
- 2" Crayford focuser
- StarPointer™ red-dot finderscope
- StarSense Explorer dock
- StarSense Explorer unlock code
- Eyepiece rack
- Collimation cap
- Celestron Starry Night Basic Edition Software
Customer reviews
| Average Rating (2 Reviews): | |
26 November 2023 | Phil
Bought my first telescope. Telescope fantastic, very easy to set up, starsence is brill and helping me to visually identify constellation and individual stars. Easy to buy on line and ordered other eyepieces, quick delivery, everything securely packaged. Really enjoying looking up.
CELESTRON STARSENSE EXPLORER 8INCH DOBSONIAN 01 November 2022 | Paul
Ive had this telescope since early July and it has been a real game changer for me. I've been an active visual observer for over fifty years, and lost count of the number of scopes I've owned and used. In all this time, this scope is the only one I would call a real game changer for visual observers.
There's nothing revolutionary about the telescope itself, its an excellent example of the current range of good quality 8inch Dobsonians available that are made by several manufacturers including Synta and GSO etc As such it give you great views of both deepsky, planets and Moon when the seeing is up to it.
What is revolutionary is the StarSense Explorer App which, in combination with any compatable smartphone, will guide you to push the scope quickly and accurately to tens of thousands of celestial objects. Of course there are numerous goto mounts which can find objects for you, but Starsense has some advantages which make it such a good option.
1 It only ads around £250 to the cost of any other 8 or 10 inch dob without StarSense. A good goto will cost considerably more.
2 Unlike digital setting circle options, the night sky is shown on the display of your phone (which sits in a cradle attached to the telescope) as you push it to follow a series of arrows to your target. You can stop to 'explore' any objects you are passing if you wish. For each object in the data base their are excellent descriptions and data a button press away..
3 The only power source necessary is your phones battery. I've had several hours use on cold and damp nights and still had plenty of power left.
4 There is nothing mechanical to go wrong, no wires to plug in, no computer glitches.
5 it's quicker to find things than any goto system I've ever used, and it's completely silent..
6 I've found it performs in conditions in which you'd struggle to find objects by star hopping. Also, for this reason you can use it in conditions you otherwise may not bother to go out.
7 It enables you to use the majority of your time outside observing rather than finding objects, which is hugely important if you live in the UK.
8 It doesn't use your phones data as no Internet connection is necessary once the app is downloaded.
9 Apart from aligning the phone with the sky, and the phone's view with that of the scope when you first use it, its then.quick and easy to set up.
A Set the scope up outside on the mount.
B Take the tube cap off and point the scope up at a clear patch of sky..
C Switch the phone on, it will take a few seconds to a minute to take a pic of the sky. It then indicates it has found its position and tells you that it's ready to go.
It really is that easy. Total setup time perhaps 5/10 minutes, no star alignments to do, in fact you don't need to bother putting on a finder.. This is great if, like me, you are unable to bend and twist to use a finder - I have serious hip and spine problems and it is the main reason I first considered buying the telescope.
10 It's extremely easy to use, and it's great fun. If I can use it anyone can - just ask my daughters! Any child who uses it will have no problem once they now how to use the scope itself, it's very intuitive and the app guides you at every step.
For more thorough detail I highly recommend the excellent reviews by Ade Ashford (in October's Astronomy Now) and those by Alan Dyer and Dennis di Cicco which can be found on line.
If you're a potential buyer, and don't believe it's as good as I've indicated, try and arrange a session with someone who has one - it still amazes me how well it works every time I go out! At Kelling in late September I had a few, rather sceptical, visual observers stop by to see how it worked. All were impressed, some actually said they were astonished how well it works. So am I.
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