Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80 Refractor Smartphone App-Enabled Refractor Telescope

Discover a smarter and more intuitive way to explore the night sky with the Celestron StarSense Explorer. This innovative manual telescope combines the simplicity of traditional telescope operation with advanced smartphone-assisted navigation, allowing your smartphone to analyze the night sky and calculate the telescope’s position in real time. Designed with beginners in mind, StarSense Explorer makes it easier to locate celestial objects without requiring extensive knowledge of astronomy or complicated star charts. The StarSense Explorer app provides an intuitive interface that guides you toward interesting targets, effectively turning your smartphone into a personal guide to the night sky. Detailed tutorials within the app help new observers understand how to use the telescope and navigate celestial targets with greater confidence. At the same time, the manual telescope design keeps operation straightforward, giving you direct control while the app provides helpful guidance.

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 to move the telescope. When the object is ready to view, the bullseye turns green.

Smartphone Compatibility

StarSense Explorer works with most modern smartphones; it is compatible with Android 12 and later, as well as iOS 18 and newer, including iPhone XR and newer models.  Users with older phones can still use this app, but will not be able to reinstall the app if they uninstall it.

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.

Sturdy Altazimuth Mount

StarSense Explorer LT’s simple altazimuth mount makes it easy to move the telescope to find your target. An altitude slow motion adjustment with a sliding rod helps you fine tune the telescope’s pointing position and follow targets as they appear to drift across the night sky. It’s all anchored by an adjustable, full-height tripod.

Dazzling Views with High Quality Optics

You can expect sharp, bright views through this 80mm refractor. Fully coated glass optics provide increased light transmission, enhancing details in celestial objects. 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, 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. The entire telescope kit weighs just 9.2 pounds, so it’s perfectly portable and easy to bring on your next camping trip or to a remote observing site. Whether you're taking your first steps into astronomy or simply looking for an easier way to navigate the stars, the Celestron StarSense Explorer provides an engaging combination of traditional telescope operation and modern smartphone technology.

Features

• Unleash the power of your smartphone to take you on a guided tour of the night sky—no telescope experience required.
• Award-winning and patented StarSense sky recognition technology uses your smartphone to analyze star patterns overhead and calculate its position in real time.
• StarSense Explorer Powered by SkySafari™ 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 altitude slow motion adjustment with a sliding rod 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.
• 80mm refractor with fully coated glass optics for bright, sharp views.
• Includes 25mm and 10mm eyepieces, 2x Barlow Lens, StarSense smartphone dock, erect image diagonal, a red dot finderscope (in case you want to use the telescope without your phone), and a full-height tripod.