Celestron StarSense Explorer DX102 Refractor Telescope

Celestron has reinvented the manual telescope with StarSense Explorer DX 102 —the first telescope that uses your smartphone to analyze the night sky and calculate its position in real time. StarSense Explorer DX 102 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.

• Unleash the power of your smartphone to take you on a guided tour of the night sky—no telescope experience required.
• Patent-pending StarSense sky recognition technology uses your smartphone to analyze star patterns overhead and calculate its position in real time. Check phone compatibility here.
• StarSense Explorer app automatically generates a list of objects currently visible. View planets, brighter nebulae and galaxies, star clusters, and double stars from the city. Or take your telescope to darker skies to view faint, deep sky objects.
• Manual altazimuth mount with smooth, dual-axis slow-motion controls makes it easy to follow the on-screen arrows to your desired target. When the bullseye turns green, it’s ready to view in the telescope’s eyepiece.
• 102mm (4”) refractor with high transmission XLT optical coatings and enough light gathering ability to view all the best celestial objects.
• Includes 25mm and 10mm eyepieces, StarSense smartphone dock, erect image diagonal, a red dot finderscope (in case you want to use the telescope without your phone), and a sturdy, full-height tripod.

Dock, Launch, Explore

Leave complicated star charts, imprecise planetarium apps, and computerized mounts behind. With StarSense Explorer DX 102, 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 to move the telescope. When the object is ready to view, the bullseye turns green.

Setup Video 

Smartphone Compatibility

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.

Patent-Pending StarSense Sky Recognition 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 the ones satellites use in orbit to correctly reorient 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 your target. As celestial objects appear to drift across the night sky, you’ll be able to follow them with just a turn of the knobs. It’s all anchored by an adjustable, full-height tripod.

Dazzling Views with High Quality Optics

With a large 102mm (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, its cloud bands and Great Red Spot, the rings of Saturn, the trapezium in the Orion Nebula, and beautiful Pleaides Open Star Cluster. Celestron’s XLT optical coatings improve light transmission, enhancing the views even more.

Perfect for the City or Dark Sky Sites

Even if you live in a light polluted city location, 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 so many more are easily within your reach.

The entire telescope kit weighs just 14.2 pounds, so it’s perfectly portable and easy to bring on your next camping trip or to a remote observing site.

Everything You Need to Observe Immediately

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

• 102mm 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