Celestron Starsense Explorer DX 130 Reflector

With the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ 130mm f/5 Reflector Telescope, exploring the wonders of the universe is as simple as 1-2-3: 1. Dock your smartphone 2. Launch the StarSense Explorer smartphone app 3. Observe the moon, planets, stars, and more This innovative integration of smartphone and telescope offers beginner astronomers a fast and (more importantly) easy way to discover what's up in the night sky and where to view it. Utilizing similar alignment technology that satellites use when they move out of position, the StarSense Explorer app uses your phone's camera to stream a constant series of images and compare them to an internal database to identify the starfield and determine its location. This "Lost in Space Algorithm" is more precise than typical astronomy apps and does not require a cell signal to work—so you can use it even when you're far off the grid. A holder on the mount, aligned with the telescope, ensures that where the phone is pointed is the same as where the scope is, so that when you follow the onscreen directions to find the object of interest and you look through the eyepiece, it will be there. Optically, the massive 130mm primary mirror with its highly reflective aluminum coatings gathers copious amounts of light to provide detailed views of the lunar surface and planetary features, with the ability to reach beyond our solar system and view bright deep-sky objects. Its relatively short 650mm focal length makes the optical tube easy to handle during setup and breakdown while producing a moderate magnification potential. Supporting the telescope and StarSense holder is a basic manual single-arm alt-azimuth mount outfitted with dual-axis slow-motion control cables that let you move the telescope quickly and easily according to the app's direction to find your object of interest, with the ability to precisely track the object when you want to view it for extended periods. A two-section aluminum tripod provides a wide adjustable height to accommodate a variety of viewing positions and users, while being highly portable for when you have to carry it to remote viewing locations. Designed as a complete observation rig, Celestron includes a couple of essential accessories to get you viewing right out of the box. In addition to the telescope, mount, and tripod, you also get two eyepieces that provide you with high and low magnifications, plus a simple red dot finder.