Trusted Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain design, Small and compact for the power it provides, More expensive than other models like the Dobsonians that provide a better price-to-aperture ratio, but are also significantly larger, Smaller size and greater portability for the, If you have the space and plan to mostly use at home then the, If you have the budget but value something lighter and more portable, then the, If you want the cheaper option and have the space then the, If you want the cheaper option but prefer something lighter and more portable, then the, If you have the budget and space (and dont care about portability) then the. Unwary users are likely to try polishing it with glass cleaner or even abrasive solutions. Its also portable and has a better optical design. Though you won't have the activation code, it will open and test your phone for compatibility. After much debate, we finally know everything that there is to know regarding the two telescopes. Saturns ring or Jupiters clouds can be seen clearly with more colours. In terms of magnification that's a significant step-up from the 'toy' telescopes that dominate . These are very average specs and maybe even subpar when you consider reflector telescopes tend to offer a lot more bang for the buck nevertheless, the specs should be competent for beginners. Open star clusters look great and benefit from the 102AZs wide field of view, but globular star clusters are little more than fuzzy balls. Rather, the mount uses an adapter and the computing power of your smartphone to help you find your way around the sky, which well get to after covering the basics of the telescope(s) itself. These eyepieces have a lot of plastic in their build, but use glass optics and are fairly sharp, with more eye relief than a typical Plossl ocular (particularly beneficial with the 10mm). Senior Software Developer (Former Employee) - Bangalore, Karnataka - April 23, 2023. Once set up, you need to align the red-dot finder with the main instrument by day. I've been following the StarSense Explorer main thread, which has a lot of great information and seems particularly targeted towards adapting the bracket/mirror towards other telescopes. Quantitative measurements of how the telescope performs in various performance categories: An amateur astronomer and telescope maker from Connecticut who has been featured on TIME Magazine, National Geographic, Sky & Telescope, La Vanguardia, and The Guardian. The DX 102 includes a 1.25 Amici prism star diagonal, which is mostly plastic and has some issues with glare and a diffraction spike on bright targets. Its a great budget option, but if you have the space and intend to use it mostly at home then the 114AZ will give you more power for a similar price. I realized that it was very important for me that it the telescope be kid friendly. It has an aperture of 114 mm (4.5 inches). Read why we prefer High Point Scientific to Amazon. In this article, we provide an overview of the differences between these telescopes so that you can understand the pros and cons of each. Value $12.60. Conclusion: Which Celestron StarSense Explorer is best for you? Generally, refractors are less bulky and easier to operate. Disclosure - If you buy something via our link, we may earn a commission with no additional expense to you. . Youre at the right place. The final step is to remove the cap from the mirror on the StarSense dock again, courageously pulling off with some effort and fitting your smartphone into the spring-loaded slider. Therefore this makes for a real (relative) bargain and a great option. ), Deimos vs Europa (How Are They Different? Robin Scagell is a lifelong astronomer. He has made numerous TV appearances explaining astronomy news stories, and lectures aboard cruise ships. Its focal length is about 650 mm. I understand because they have the same focal length they give the same views in any given eyepiece, but using the area of a circle (pi x radius squared) 102 = 8171, and 130 = 13273. 10.7 Arcsec-(Rayleigh)0.89 Arcsec-(Dawes), 1.37 Arcsec-(Rayleigh)1.14 Arcsec-(Dawes), Has more magnification power and forms better views, Less expensive but doesnt provide enough features considering the price. The tube itself is around 81 cm long. At its core, the StarSense Explorer actually uses a relatively old technology known as plate-solving. The StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ and 130AZ telescopes have slow motion controls for moving the telescope left and right as well as up and down. So, what is so special about the Celestron dx eyepieces? The 8-inch aperture is huge and will provide few limitations to what you can see. However, we have some reservations on telescope vendors and recommend that you go with HPS. The StarSense Explorer DX 102 includes two 1.25" eyepieces: a 25mm "Super" Konig providing 26x and a 10mm Konig providing 65x. The other advantage is that no power source is needed. Winner: Even for this round the clear winner is Celestron Starsense Explorer dx 130az.
collimating. Celestron dx 102az comes with two 1.25 eyepieces. How were you able to loosen the tightness in the altitude axis? Your email address will not be published. Would one model be a better purchase vs the other?
StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ vs 102AZ - Cloudy Nights Celestron StarSense Explorer DX100AZ vs. DX 102AZ Here lately though, it has not been able to track location. Celestrons StarSense Explorer line of telescopes are some of the newest, and arguably most innovative telescopes on the market, and the newest effort of Celestron to make using a telescope as easy as possible. Since both are beginner-level telescopes, comparison comes to mind. This is the best measurement of a telescope's capacity to provide good views. I'll be observing from my front/backyard, which is in a location with a Bortle scale of 4 (rural/suburban transition). One is achromatic and another is apochromatic. The 80mm/3-inch aperture is the smallest of the range and will limit the brightness and clarity with which you can view night sky objects. He has written for Amateur Astrophotography and Dark Sky Travels magazines and has been featured or quoted in Forbes, Yahoo!Life, Digital Camera World, Peta Pixel, and many other publications. Every slow-motion control I've ever seen attaches to the mount using visible small thumb screws. $469.95.
Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ Reviewed: Partially Recommended The amount of celestial objects StarSense Explorer picked up under these conditions was truly amazing.Image by @wellreadnaturalist pic.twitter.com/QaPUPss0qM. That being said the main difference is only that the Apochromatic is better at focusing wavelengths of light resulting in fewer visual discrepancies occurring when viewing through it. If youre interested in other refractor systems, maybe due to the slightly inferior light gathering abilities of the 102AZ, this list may be helpful. Its focal length is about 650 mm. ), Deimos vs Titania (How Are They Different? The optics are fitted into a closed tube. The StarSense Explorer utilises the oldest telescopic optics out of the 3 main categories currently around called refractor optics. The Celestron Starsense DX 6 is exactly the same as the DX5 above but has a larger 6-inch aperture instead. ), Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ Review (A Good Beginner Device!? In that regard you cant completely be reliant on the app, which may or may not be reasonably accurate considering the quality of your phones camera nevertheless, this shouldnt be a deal breaker if you were to decide on this telescope. Rating: 9/10. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This would be my first telescope and looking for Push To feature to help my 9 year old and me get into exploring the skies. It shares many of the characteristics of the other refractor in the range above in that it is smaller, lighter, and less cumbersome to operate, but it is more powerful with the larger aperture and you will be able to see more through it. Darth Vader Force FX Elite Lightsaber review, Obi-Wan Kenobi Force FX Elite Lightsaber review, Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro review: Best-in-class print quality, PlayStation VR 2 review: Stress-free virtual reality, BlissLights Sky Lite Evolve Galaxy Star Projector review, Ruko F11GIM2 review: powerful beginner drone, poor image quality, Creality Sonic Pad review: A turbo boost for your FDM printer, Rocket Lab to launch 2 missions for NASA hurricane-watching constellation, SpaceX Starship launch under FAA investigation after raining potentially hazardous debris on homes and beaches, NASA updates schedule for astronaut flights to space station through 2024, Sisko and Worf unite to stop a crazed Klingon emperor in IDW's 'Star Trek: Day of Blood' event, Your monthly guide to stargazing & space science, Subscribe for just 1 per issue with our Spring Savings, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. In order of aperture, the Celestron Starsense Explorer DX 102AZ is the second most powerful in the range. Deep-sky objects are a little less exciting.
Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ 102mm f/6.5 AZ 22460 B&H Not portable. How would you rate the StarSense DX6 version (6 inch SCT) compared to a Skymax 127 on GTi mount? The good news is you can at least upgrade your Celestron finderscope later. Celestron dx 130az has a focal ratio of f/5. Ultimately, due to the somewhat inferior nature of the phones used (at least when compared to a GoTo Computerised Mount) the field of view will only be limited to a max of 0.25 degrees (half the width of the moon). New York, Its a simple, aluminum-legged alt-azimuth mount with slow-motion controls on both axes. The clunky movement and delicate optics could limit the usefulness of the instrument for more detailed observations, but the system certainly does get you observing within just a few minutes, unlike more advanced telescopes, thus overcoming one of the greatest hurdles that beginners face. For use as a grab and go/ compliment for my 8in dob. Boasting a whopping 10-inch aperture, the Celestron Starsense Explorer 10 Dobsonian is a beast of a telescope. The software constantly checks the alignment of the instrument and complains if it cant see the sky, so snapping on the cover in between observations is not easy or ideal. The tripod allows it to extend up to 1.24 metres. In fact, they are as big as a fairly small person, so this isnt an option if you have limited space or want something portable. Now you are in business and you can choose from a list of objects observable with this instrument at the time, graded according to whether they can be seen from the city or from a dark sky. . There are six different models to suit different budgets and priorities. The Celestron NexStar telescope range are all full computerized compound / catadioptric telescopes. Unlike Celestrons other computer-assisted offerings, the StarSense Explorer telescopes have no motors. Im very new to Astromony and have a chance to get a Celestron C102-HD. SKU: CEL-22461. You can unsubscribe at any time. Any advice would help. In principle, the StarSense Explorer tech is basically a bracket to point your phone at a small mirror that has been aligned to the telescope mount, and then uses the phones onboard camera and processing power to plate-solve. You can find the Celestron dx 130az on Aliexpress for a relatively cheaper price. In terms of which one is right for you, there are two key things to look at it price and size: The fact that the price difference is fairly large actually helps narrow it down as, if you know your budget, you just need to pick what matters to you most: Please let us know if you have any questions by leaving a comment below. Get the StarSense Explorer; it has better accessories and is easier to use, Ive had my 130 for so long. Watch this video from Celestron for a quick overview of these two models and also to give you a good perspective of the size of them standing next to a grown man: Overall, this is a brilliant option if you have the space to use it. Nevertheless, the purpose for this software is to provide convenience for beginner level astronomers so, Ill explain how it works here. All these instruments are standard members of the Celestron range and are available in other mounting packages. Celestron has been attempting to use various methods of technological assistance for the past two decades first with the NexStar series of telescopes and SkyAlign (to mixed results), then with their StarSense technology (a flop), their AstroFi and NexStar Evolution telescopes, and now the StarSense Explorer. Socket wrench + normal wrench should do the trick if I recall correctly.
DXC Technology | India I'm interested in spending perhaps an hour or so every week or two doing astronomy. Which makes it better for planetary views. Alignment procedure depends on a mirror, which collects dew, Instrument is stiff to move without slow motions. The DX 102 has a 2 rack-and-pinion focuser, but it cannot actually balance on its mount with a 2 diagonal and eyepiece, so in practice, the scope is limited to 1.25 eyepieces and accessories only. So, the technology in essence uses your phone to take occasional snapshots of the night sky to locate objects however, as phones cant really sustain battery for long periods whilst taking images, the snapshots arent taken all the time. Instead, it occasionally uses plate-solving technology when you first set up the telescope or move it across a significant portion of the sky, then tries its best to extrapolate finer movements using your phones relatively inaccurate gyroscope and accelerometer. (Image credit: Celestron) The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is a 130-mm (5.1-inch) Newtonian reflector. This is generally only used to locate a singular celestial object. The accessory tray is a nice, sturdy affair and an actual tray rather than the silly eyepiece rack supplied with many scopes. So undoubtedly, Celestron dx 130az is the winner. The initial advent of computerized star catalogs, which were loaded into telescope handsets, made it possible to align a telescope on the sky by pointing it at just three bright stars. These are still decent entry level specs and will allow beginner level astronomers to see the following celestial objects provided enough of the StarSenses power is used : The tube isnt too big coming in at around 81 cm whilst the tripod will allow the device to extend to 1.24 meters, which honestly isnt that great. Due to an a enclosed tube being used, the optics wont need to be cleaned or collimated all the time. Here we focus on becoming a knowledge hub for astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts. But youll find the images quite sharp. I'd ideally want it to not be too hard for them to reach the eyepiece. No, your phone cant take pictures while using the Starsense app. Skies & Scopes 2023. All you need to do is install the app, enter the unlock code that came with your telescope, and dock the phone to your telescope.
Celestron StarSense Explorer Guide For Beginners Once chosen, you see a set of arrows on the screen that tells you which way to move the telescope to get to that object. I guess at the end of the day, I'm curious if either the refractor or reflector is known to be a lot easier with kids; and whether the refractor tends to be a better fit for beginners. Overall, this is the most entry-level of the four telescopes in this range. Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Mars should look pretty great through the scope and fairly easy to locate. ), Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ Review (Is The StarSense Software Worth The Price? The 5 reflector seems like a solid scope. STARSENSE EXPLORER APP: The app generates a list of the best objects to view based on your exact time & location. It has all the same pros and cons as the 8-inch model above, except that they are even more extreme even higher power and viewing capacity, but also even heavier and bigger. Stargazing Help is a participant in Amazon Associates program. Uranus and Neptune might barely be viewable at the max magnification that the Infinity 102AZ can handle. It has one 25mm Kellner eyepiece with 26x magnification power. What this does is take a snapshot of the sky and from the image taken attempts to locate where you are by comparing the shot to star maps using specifically set algorithms. Interestingly, it seems the 130mm is also now out of stock.
I already have eye pieces. The length of the tube is around 63.5 cm. Then along came plate solving the software to identify a field of view of stars in a photograph and the great computing power, position sensing, and imaging capabilities of a modern smartphone. This is probably one of the main reasons why youd consider getting the StarSense Explorer especially considering there are other similarly priced systems that offer a lot more bang for the buck (Ill list a few alternatives later). For $399 you can get a much more capable telescope with a larger aperture, e.g. The clutch that holds the telescope in altitude, on the test model anyway, is fierce, so to move it you need to grasp the tripod firmly with one hand and wrench the tube up or down with the other as per the instructions. Anthony Robinson is the owner of Skies & Scopes and has been practicing and writing obsessively about astrophotography and astronomy since 2017.
Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102 AZ Review (Refractor) Finally, the Celestron Starsense Explorer DX 130AZ model is bigger in terms of both physical bulk and aperture. We previously complained about the lack of targets in the apps database, but Celestron has updated the app and drastically expanded its number of objects, greatly increasing its overall utility. I had what seemed to be a related question, which has come up somewhat in that main thread: whether to purchase the DX . Dx 102azs optical design also has chromatic aberration issues. Similar cost. Hope this post was helpful to make your choice. The main advantage of the 102mm is nothing to adjust (optically). This is much less precise than a real GoTo system with tracking but much simpler, easier, and more reliable than a motorized telescope. Im very interested in the cosmos but being a chemistry student, I dont have much time to learn the precise location of Messier objects, how to find planets, and looking at the moon over and over gets boring (when you dont know what youre doing) comparing this to a Dob 8 in my opinion is like comparing a truck to sports car. So whether you buy this model or opt for the full Go To version, or indeed the NexStar 130 mm SLT reflector, is a decision that you will have to make depending on your observing interests.