Review of the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ Refractor Telescope

This was my first time I have bought a telescope and PicStop made the whole process as easy as possible. Firstly, the website has such a large range of telescopes for all levels of expertise. I was struggling a little to pick one, and I called PicStop. The customer service given was excellent and by the end of the conversation, I had made a decision and placed my order straight away. Once my order was placed it was dispatched very quickly and arrived a few days later. The package arrived in one large box with 3 separate boxes inside -- the tripod, the telescope, and accessories. 

I picked the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ Refractor Telescope as it fitted best with what I wanted to achieve and do with this telescope. My main goal was to explore the moon and generally learn more about the night sky locally. 

The telescope was really easy to set up and within about 30 mins I was ready to go. The tripod has adjustable legs and the whole structure was really solid and sturdy. The information pack also included codes to access the Celestron StarSense app and software access.

The mount (what the telescope sits on) was easy to fix on to the tripod. There was a hidden key in the mount to fix the slow-motion controls. In addition, there was also the StarPointer red dot finder scope and the StarSense dock for the smartphone which was also easy to set up.

After downloading the StarSense app, I followed the app instructions to set up the alignment - it did take some time to set this up but once aligned, it was easy to use. The app gives you an option of what is around your area and can then guide the user to move the telescope in the right direction. I would say that the alignment was fairly accurate. 

I also received two lenses - 10 mm and 25 mm plus 90-degree erect image diagonal - it allowed me to comfortably view the night sky through the telescope without having to bend or sit down. After focusing (using the two dials near the lens), the images were very clear. Unfortunately, I struggled to use a separate phone mount (not included with the telescope) to take pictures through the lens but managed to take some photos using the phone directly instead. To safely see the moon, I had also bought the moon filter and able to attach this to the lens easily - were able to see the moon structure very clearly without too much glare.

This is a great beginner's telescope for those wanting to learn more about the night sky, take some amateur photography and all-round just have some fun with it. The views through the lens were fantastic and very clear. On a clear night, you can see the craters of the moon. One thing to note, I didn't realise how big the telescope was!

Review by Jasmine S