Celestron StarSense Explorer 8" Dobsonia

Celestron StarSense Explorer 8" Dobsonian

Use your smartphone to explore the night sky with this Dobsonian telescope - you don't need any experience using a telescope
Dobsonian telescopes offer a large aperture for low cost compared to other telescope designs
For the first time with swivel knob
Collimation screws with compression springs facilitate adjustment of the primary mirror
Patent-pending StarSense technology uses your smartphone to analyze star patterns in the sky. It calculates in real time where the telescope is pointing - and thus knows at all times which observation object you are currently targeting. Check your phone's compatibility here.
The StarSense Explorer app automatically generates a list of currently visible objects. View planets, brighter nebulae and galaxies, star clusters and double stars from the city, or take your telescope to a darker location to view faint deep-sky objects.
Includes 2 Crayford focusers with 1.25" adapters. Metal focus knobs have been redesigned for more finger clearance and includes 2 extension sleeves that can be removed for more focus movement.
Carrying handle on the tube allows for easy transport
Azimuthal Dobsonian mount allows you to track the telescope to the movement of the stars as easily as you can slew it to your desired target using the directional arrows in the app.
Teflon bearings in azimuth and 15cm elevation bearings with adjustable resistance provide smooth, frictionless movements of the telescope, aided by the tracking handle at the front of the tube.
Braces for the side panels provide additional stability and rigidity, a feature normally found only on larger Dobsonians.
8" Dobsonian telescope with StarBright XLT coating and enough light gathering power to spot the best celestial objects.
Includes a 25mm Plössl eyepiece, the StarSense smartphone dock, a StarPointer illuminated dot finder, a collimating mask in the dust cover, and dust covers for the tube and focuser.
 
StarSense Explorer 8" Dobsonian
Celestron has added Dobsonian telescopes to the StarSense Explorer series. They are the first large aperture Dobsonian telescopes that use your smartphone to analyze the night sky and telescope alignment in real time. The StarSense Explorer telescopes are ideal for beginners thanks to the app's user-friendly interface and detailed tutorials. It's like having your own personal guide to the night sky.

Dock, launch, explore
Leave complicated star charts, imprecise planetarium programs, and computerized mounts behind. Finding objects has never been easier, faster, or more accurate than with a StarSense Explorer. Within minutes of setting up the telescope, you'll be able to navigate the sky with confidence. Simply place your phone in the unique StarSense Dock and launch the StarSense Explorer app. After pointing your smartphone camera at the telescope's optics (which is done in two minutes), the StarSense Explorer app generates a list of currently visible celestial objects. Make your selection, and directional arrows will appear on the screen to help you point the telescope. When the object is visible in the eyepiece, the crosshairs turn green. While observing, you can listen to hundreds of audio descriptions or read a thousand object descriptions in the app.

Smartphone compatibility
StarSense Explorer works with most current smartphones, including iPhone 6 and newer and most devices running Android 7.1.2 or later manufactured since 2016. For a full compatibility list, click here.


Patent-pending StarSense Sky technology.
StarSense Explorer uses patent-pending technology and your smartphone to determine exactly where the telescope is pointed in the night sky. A lost-in-space algorithm (LISA), like that used by satellites in orbit to correctly reorient themselves, helps the app match the star patterns it detects with its internal database.

Other astronomy apps that try to help you find objects rely solely on your phone's compass, gyroscopes and accelerometers, which are not as accurate as LISA technology. No other app can tell you so accurately when your target is visible in the eyepiece.

High quality azimuthal mount
The Celestron-designed Rockerbox is an ultra-stable, aesthetically pleasing mount with Teflon azimuth treads. Large 15 cm diameter altitude bearings provide smooth up and down movement. The altitude bearings have a "brake system" that allows the resistance to be adjusted to allow smooth movement even with slight imbalances. Bracing for the side panels provides additional stability and rigidity - a feature normally only found on larger Dobsonians.

The handle at the front of the tube allows you to move the telescope easily and sensitively.

High quality optics for the perfect view into space
With its large 8" primary mirror, this Dobsonian has enough light gathering power to reveal impressive details in celestial objects. Highly reflective coating on both the primary and secondary mirrors provides sharp, bright images.

The primary and secondary mirrors are coated with StarBright XLT coating to increase contrast and light transmission. StarBright XLT reveals subtle details whether you're viewing the moon and planets or faint galaxies and nebulae. For more information on the patented StarBright XLT coatings, click here.

This telescope is also equipped with a high-quality 2" Crayford focuser. The Crayford system allows for precise and smooth focusing without focus drift. Also included is a 2" to 1.25" reducer and a 2" extension tube, so you can use virtually any 1.25" or 2" eyepiece on your StarSense Explorer Dobsonian. The focuser also has a clamping screw that allows you to lock it in the sharpest position.

Ideal for any location
Even if you live in a location with slightly brighter skies with moderate light pollution, the StarSense Explorer can spot Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, the Orion Nebula, double stars and many more of the most famous celestial objects.

From a darker location, you can see these objects better, and observe many more targets. From 8" aperture on, deep sky observing is really fun, as many globular clusters can be clearly resolved into single stars, and the first galaxies show details like spiral arms. At the observation site, all you have to do is place the telescope in the mount, insert the eyepiece and smartphone, and launch the app, and you're ready to observe! The eyepiece holder ensures that you always have all eyepieces within reach when observing.

The entire telescope weighs only 19.6 kg, making it perfectly portable and easy to take along on your next camping trip or to a remote observing location.

Everything you need to start observing right away
StarSense Explorer 8" Dobsonian Delivery Includes:

8" telescope tube
StarSense Smartphone Dock
25mm Plössl eyepiece (48x magnification), 1.25"
StarPointer illuminated pointfinder, perfect for using the telescope during the day or without the StarSense Explorer App
Altazimuthal Dobsonian mount
Eyepiece holder, collimation mask

GENERAL
MANUFACTURER Celestron
PART NUMBER (#) 822120
MANUFACTURER PART NUMBER (#) 22470
EAN CODE 4047825052025
OPTICS
TELESCOPE StarSense Explorer
OPTICAL TYPE Dobsonian
OPENING (MM) 203mm (8")
Focal WIDTH 1200mm
Aperture Ratio f/5.9
FEATURING StarBright XLT
SUBSTRATE Pyrex equivalent for primary and secondary mirrors
TUBUS SIZE (MAX 44" x 9.5" (112 x 24 cm)
TUBUS (MATERIAL) Steel
TUBUS WEIGHT 9.3 kg (11.5 lbs)
MOUNTING
MOUNTING CONTROL Manual
MOUNTING Azimuthal mount
TYPE Azimuthal Dobsonian mount (69cm x 48cm x 48cm | 27" x 19" x 19")
TILTING SPEED Manual
SOFTWARE FEATURES StarSense Explorer App
ALIGNMENT METHODS StarSense Explorer App
INCLUDED ACCESSORIES
FIBRE WIDTH OKULAR 1 (MM) 25mm
EXTENSION 48x
ACCESSORY SUPPORT Yes (eyepiece rest).
SEARCHER StarPointer™ illuminated dot finder.
INCL. ACCESSORIES Tube | Mount (pre-assembled) | 25mm Plössl eyepiece | StarPointer illuminated point finder | Eyepiece rest | StarSense Explorer smartphone dock | Collimation mask, dust cover