Celestron StarSense Explorer 114mm Tabletop Dobsonian
The Most Compact, Lightweight, and Portable Tabletop StarSense Explorer: the 114 mm!
Use your smartphone to analyze the night sky and allow this tabletop Dobsonian reflector telescope to calculate its position in real-time! The tabletop Dobsonians of the popular StarSense Explorer line from Celestron are ideal for beginners, thanks to the user-friendly app and detailed tutorials. It's like having your own personal tour guide of the night sky!
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.
Guiding Assistance with Your Smartphone and App!
Able to view planetary and other objects, and with guiding assistance from your smartphone and the StarSense app, this compact Dobsonian telescope will provide hours of educational entertainment for the whole family!
After aligning your phone to the telescope's optics (a quick and easy procedure), StarSense Explorer generates a list of celestial objects currently visible. Make your selection and arrows appear on-screen, guiding you as you move the telescope. When the object is ready to view in the eyepiece, the bullseye turns green. As you observe, listen to hundreds of audio descriptions and view detailed information about thousands of objects within the app’s robust database.
The optical tube connects to the base via tube rings. It’s easy to adjust the tube’s position in the rings so the focuser is in the best viewing position. The base features an eyepiece rack to keep your extra eyepiece(s) close at hand.
Teflon bearings in the tabletop Dobsonian base provide smooth motion in both altitude and azimuth. The integrated altitude "brake" system allows you to adjust the tension along the altitude axis to ensure the smoothest motion, even with slight imbalances. The panning knob on the telescope tube provides an ergonomic grip so you can precisely point the telescope without introducing heat from your hands into the optical system. As celestial objects appear to drift across the night sky, you’ll be able to follow them easily.
Observatory Grade Software in the Palm of Your Hand!
By taking the concept of plate solving, a technique used by professional astronomers to determine their precise location when pointed at the sky, Celestron uses the camera of your smartphone to take photos of the sky and the StarSense Explorer App can accurately determine where the telescope is pointing. This unique method gives your manual telescope the capabilities of an observatory class system! Find a good selection of targets from the Tonight's Best observing list. Depending on the time of year, your location, and the time of night, the list might include planets like Jupiter or Saturn, galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, and more. Follow the arrows displayed on your phone and be impressed by the views within your eyepiece! For a complete list of StarSense Explorer compatible smartphones, take a look in the "Product Attachments" section below and download the PDF.
Dazzling Views through Excellent Optics
This compact tabletop Dobsonian has an aperture of 114 mm (4.5") and a focal length of 450 mm, for a focal ratio of f/4. This Newtonian reflector has its mirrors coated in aluminum with an SiO2 overcoat. You can expect sharp, bright views of Jupiter’s four Galilean moons, its cloud bands and Great Red Spot, and the rings of Saturn, among others!
Rugged Alt-Azimuth Dobsonian Tabletop Base
The stable Tabletop Dobsonian base provides a sturdy foundation for StarSense Explorer. The tabletop base is compact, lightweight, and easy to transport, making it perfect for travel. The base’s low-profile makes accessing the eyepiece easier for some observers (especially children). You can also place the base on a stable platform, like a table or hood of a car, to raise it to a comfortable viewing height. Consider adding the optional tripod for even more viewing options.
An Out-of-the-Box Tabletop Solution
The StarSense Explorer Tabletop Dobsonian comes with everything needed to begin observing, right out of the box! Add in your own smartphone (not included), and you'll be ready to navigate and observe the night sky. Included in the box is the 114mm optical tube, the tabletop Dobsonian base, 17 mm and 10 mm eyepieces, a StarPointer red-dot finderscope, a StarSense Explorer dock, a StarSense Explorer unlock code, an eyepiece rack (which mounts to the base), a collimation cap, and Starry Night Basic Edition software.
Recommended: Tripod for Celestron StarSense Explorer Tabletop Dobsonians
This tripod is designed specifically to be mounted to the base of a StarSense Explorer Tabletop Dobsonian telescope to provide added height and comfortable viewing away from the table. This tripod extends from 24" to a maximum of 41". It is made of aluminum, with 1.5" diameter legs and supports a payload of up to 25 pounds!