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. This special-edition Royal Observatory 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 move the telescope. When the object is ready to view, the bullseye turns green.

Smartphone Compatibility

The Royal Observatory 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.

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 on 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 100mm (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, cloud bands and Great Red Spot, the rings of Saturn, the trapezium in the Orion Nebula, and the beautiful Pleiades Open Star Cluster.  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, the Royal Observatory 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 many more are easily within reach.

The entire telescope kit weighs just 13.5 pounds, so it’s perfectly portable and easy to bring on your next camping trip or to a remote observing site.

About the Royal Observatory, Greenwich

The Royal Observatory, located in Greenwich Park, London, was commissioned in 1675 by King Charles II. The observatory has played a significant role in the history of astronomy and navigation. Now, the observatory enriches people’s understanding of the sea, the exploration of space, and Britain’s role in world history. For more information about the Royal Observatory, click here.

Everything You Need to Observe Immediately

When you unbox your new StarSense Explorer DX100, you’ll find:

• 100mm 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