With StarSense Explorer, Celestron has reimagined the Dobsonian telescope as the first Dobsonian that utilises your smartphone to examine the night sky and determine its position in real-time. Thanks to the app's user-friendly interface and tutorials, this large-aperture Celestron StarSense Explorer 8 " is perfect for serious beginners.
It's similar to having your own stargazing tour guide. As you continue your astronomical explorations, the big aperture will ensure that you won't outgrow the telescope.
Dock, Launch, Explore
Leave behind computerised mounts, complex star charts, and inaccurate planetarium software.
It has never been simpler, faster, or more precise to locate objects than with StarSense Explorer.
You'll be confidently observing the sky in a matter of minutes after putting up the telescope.
Put your phone on the special StarSense dock, then open the StarSense Explorer app.
StarSense Explorer creates a list of celestial objects that are now visible after you quickly and easily align your phone with the telescope's optics.
Then, as you move the telescope, arrows will emerge on the screen to direct you.
The bullseye changes to green when the object is ready for viewing through the eyepiece.
View detailed information on thousands of things in the app's extensive database while you observe and also listen to hundreds of audio descriptions .
Excellent Altazimuth Base
StarSense Explorer is supported by an extremely stable Dobsonian base.
For added stability, it has braces on the side panels, Teflon azimuth bearings, and large diameter altitude bearings with variable tensioning (unlike most 8 inch Dobsonian bases).
The integrated altitude "brake" mechanism lets you change the tension along the altitude axis for the smoothest travel even with tiny imbalances, while the altitude bearings give a smooth up-and-down action.
The ergonomic panning knob on the telescope tube allows you to accurately orient the telescope without heating up the optical system with your hands.
You can easily follow celestial objects with little modifications to the position of the telescope as they appear to wander across the night sky.
High-quality optics and stunning views
This telescope is extremely portable and contains a huge 8 inch Newtonian reflector optical tube with ample light-gathering capability to reveal stunning clarity in celestial objects.
Expect to see the four Galilean moons of Jupiter, its bands of clouds, the Great Red Spot, Saturn's rings, the gaseous glow of the Orion Nebula, the dust lanes in the Lagoon Nebula, and our sister galaxy, Andromeda.
The 8 inch Dobsonian offers a light-gathering surface area that is 240+ percent greater than that of the StarSense Explorer DX 130 AZ, enabling clearer views of dim objects.
To noticeably boost contrast and light throughput for brighter vistas, all mirror surfaces are coated with our XLT optical coatings.
When observing the Moon, planets, weak galaxies, and nebulae with XLT, you'll be able to make out minute details.
The use of low-expansion optical glass in the mirrors helps to ensure the best images despite varying environmental conditions.
A top-notch 2 inch Crayford focuser is also included with this telescope.
The Crayford design enables smooth, precise motions without eye movement.
To utilise your StarSense Explorer Dobsonian telescope with practically any 1.25- or 2-inch telescope eyepiece, it also comes with a 2 inch to 1.25 inch adapter and a 2 inch extension tube.
Additionally, the focuser has a thumbscrew, so you can secure the sharpest focus.
Excellent for Urban or Dark Sky Locations
The Celestron StarSense Explorer 8" Dobsonian is sophisticated enough to enable you to distinguish Jupiter, Saturn, open star clusters like the Pleiades, double stars like Alberio, the Orion Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, and many others of the best and brightest celestial objects, even if you live in a light-polluted city location.
However, if you can move the telescope to a spot that is even a little bit darker, additional objects will become visible. With an 8-inch Dobsonian and somewhat dark skies, you can easily see hundreds of fascinating objects.
Because of the ergonomic carry handles placed at the balancing point of the tube and base, moving your StarSense Explorer Dobsonian is simple. Additionally, dust coverings for the focuser and the front of the tube are included.
Smartphone Compatibility
The majority of smartphones running Android 7.1.2 or later that were created after 2016 and the iPhone 6 and higher are compatible with Celestron StarSense Explorer. Click here for a list of all compatible devices. https://starsenseexplorer.simcur.com/
Technology for Patented StarSense Sky Recognition
To pinpoint precisely where the telescope is directed in the night sky, StarSense Explorer employs patented technology and your smartphone. The software matches star patterns it observes overhead to its internal database using a Lost in Space Algorithm (LISA), similar to the ones satellites use in orbit to accurately orient themselves.
Even though other astronomy apps might advertise that they can assist you in finding objects, they just use the phone's gyros and accelerometers, which are less precise than LISA technology. Other apps are unable to precisely predict when your target will be visible in the eyepiece.
Features
- StarSense dock for your smartphone
- Guided tour of the night sky using your smartphone
- Patented, award-winning StarSense sky recognition technology uses your smartphone to analyze overhead star patterns and calculate the telescope’s position in real-time.
- A large 8 inch parabolic primary mirror with XLT coatings
- A sturdy, Dobsonian-style base with large diameter bearings and variable altitude tensioning
- StarSense Explorer app automatically generates a list of objects currently visible.
- Includes a 25mm Plössl eyepiece, a 2 inch Crayford focuser, the StarSense smartphone dock, a StarPointer™ red dot finderscope, an eyepiece rack, and a collimation tool.
Specifications
Optical Tube Info:
Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector
Aperture: 203mm (8")
Focal Length: 1200mm
Focal Ratio: f/5.9
Focal Length of Eyepiece 1: 25mm
Magnification of Eyepiece 1: 48x
Highest Useful Magnification: 480x
Lowest Useful Magnification: 29x
Limiting Stellar Magnitude: 14.2
Light Gathering Power: 841x as compared to the human eye
Optical Coatings: XLT reflective coatings with silicon dioxide and tantalum pentoxide protective overcoatings for primary and secondary mirrors
Mirror Material: Pyrex equivalent for primary and secondary mirrors
Primary Mirror Thickness: 25mm (approx. 1:8 thickness ratio)
Secondary Mirror Thickness: 8.5mm
Minor Axis of Secondary Mirror: 47mm
Tube Material: Steel
Focuser: 2 inch Crayford focuser, includes 2 inch extension tube and 2-to-1.25 inch adapter
Finderscope: StarPointer™ red-dot finderscope
Resolution Rayleigh: 0.68 arcseconds
Resolution Dawes: 0.57 arcseconds
Optical Tube Dimensions: 1117.6mm x 241.3mm diameter
Optical Tube Weight: 9.34 kg
Mount Info:
Mount Type: Altazimuth Dobsonian base
Base Material: Particle board with melamine surfaces and edge trim, CARB compliant
Base Dimensions: 685.8mm x 482.6mm x 482.6mm
Base Weight: 10.3 kg
Slew Speeds: Manual
Software: Celestron Starry Night Basic Edition Software and StarSense Explorer App
Total Telescope Kit Weight: 19.68 kg
Included Items: Optical tube
Dobsonian Base
25mm eyepiece
2inch Crayford focuser
StarPointer™ red-dot finderscope
StarSense Explorer dock
StarSense Explorer unlock code
Eyepiece rack
Collimation cap
Celestron Starry Night Basic Edition Software
Note: Smartphone shown in images is not included.
Solar Warning
-Never look directly at the Sun with the naked eye or with an optic (unless you have the proper solar filter). Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result.
- Never use your optic to project an image of the Sun onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the optic and any accessories attached to it.
- Never leave your optic unsupervised. Make sure an adult who is familiar with the correct operating procedures is with your optic at all times, especially when children are present.
