Celestron StarSense Explorer 8-inch App-Enabled Telescope – 203mm Dobsonian with Smartphone Dock & StarSense App – iPhone & Android Compatible – Easy-to-Use for Beginners

This is a FANTASTIC DOB telescope! I recommend this wholeheartedly and without reservation.This is a great DOB telescope. I would like to tell you about it here.First things first - the StarSense application is tremendously fun and educational for exploring the sky (as is SkySafari - consider this app if you have a non-StarSense scope). I bought one the smaller StarSense reflector scopes to test the app. After using it, I was sold on the platform and looked forward to getting the DOB. The StarSense app is amazing. It will not only point out MANY celestial objects, but it will provide written facts and oral descriptions on the more commonly observed objects. It is highly educational and entertaining. It also provides an interactive map of the sky as you gaze. Think of it this way - you have a mini planetarium on your scope. How great is that? It helps you aim the scope while also providing information about the object you are viewing and the surrounding objects. You can pick from a star map or enter the celestial object you want to view in a search bar. The app has an option to go red to preserve the acclimated eye. It was easy to align and work. The StarSense app is an utterly fantastic way to enhance the stargazing experience!! (Note: I had one phone work PERFECTLY with the app, and another phone did not work on the first night out. Later, I turned location services on and that fixed my problem - both phones worked well. Celestron keeps a list of StarSense confirmed compatible devices on their website if you want more info. It looks like the StarSense app is widely compatible. Frankly, I would buy a phone just to use this app).The DOB is sturdy. It is super solid and I am sure it will last for years to come. I had no problems with assembly. If you go for the 12 inch (you Viking!), be sure to wear gloves or otherwise be very carefully when installing the primary mirror (from what I have read, the 8 and 10 inch come with the primary installed). But overall, it comes together easily. And, if you do go for this - a laser collimator is super handy. And this thing was a breeze to collimate. Images were crisp and clear!The base is surprisingly smooth. I was concerned, given the weight of the 12, that it would be difficult to control and move. That was an unfounded concern. It moves smoothly, and with the nicely placed front handle, you can keep objects centered easily. Slewing is a pleasure on this DOB.The scope is well balanced. But keep in mind, as you swap eyepieces and change accessories (starfinders, lasers, et al) the balance can change and become front heavy. This is no problem. There is a very well done tensioning knob that will keep you level and still. You can also purchase dobsonian weight magnets if you prefer to manually balance the scope. I do not think that is necessary right now - the tension system gets a chef's kiss from me.Image quality is fantastic if you have the right eyepieces (or filters if you are in to that). Physics dictates this result, given the light gathering power of the primary. It is amazing to use a 12 inch aperture. To me, it is worth lugging the weight around. If you are unsure you can handle the bulk of the 12, there is nothing wrong with an 8 or 10! The app is still outstanding and there are plenty dark sky objects to see with the 8 and the 10. You cannot go wrong with any size, in my opinion. I would invite you to treat yourself to some 2 inch eyepieces. These DOBS all accommodate 2 inch eyepieces, and I would recommend the extra money for a nice set.In sum, I highly recommend this DOB if you are in the market for such a telescope. And by using the phrase "in the market", I trust you are familiar with the size and weight of these scopes. But the size and weight are worth the price of admission. And please know, once they are set up they slew with ease. I could move the scope with a pinky and the scope rests firm when left to stand. These DOBs It is by far the best telescope I have ever owned.I would recommend some accessories to enhance your stargazing. I recommend some 2 inch eyepieces (40-23mm), a DOB fan (which Celestron sells for cheap and easily inserts) which will help with great temperature differentials, a laser collimator, a mount to raise the red dot finder up off the scope for ease of use (so you do not have to crane your neck to use it), and a 90 degree starfinder (handy extra - one person can look through the DOB, and another can view the larger sky simultaneously). Just as a sprinter needs quality shoes, your DOB can use some quality accessories, but that is not to suggest this thing is incomplete or lacking in quality.This is a tremendous scope worth every penny. Happy stargazing!

The media could not be loaded. Most astronomers will recommend you start with a 6" or 8" dobsonian. I've had refractors before, but this is my first reflector. I cannot stress enough how enjoyable this scope is to use and view the heavens with. It comes with a decent Omni Plossl in 25mm focal length. I recommend purchasing two additional eyepieces, an 8-12mm, and a 36-40mm. I have a 12mm, a 40mm, and 2x barlow in Omni Plossl fashion to match the 25mm. There are a wide variety of magnifications with these 3 eyepieces and the barlow, for not a lot of money. From 30x, to 200x, I can view a wide range of objects including planets, moon, sun (with a proper filter) and several deep space objects with an apparent magnitude of 10 or lower, quite clearly. Objects higher than 10 will be difficult if you live with city light pollution, but that still leaves thousands of viewable objects. It's not too heavy when carried in two pieces (roughly 25lbs/11kg for the tube, and the mount, each). The starsense app works very well, and on clear dark nights, it is very accurate. With a full moon or cloudy skies, it can be a bit tricky. I highly recommend this scope to anyone that wants a well built telescope, with a helping hand finding objects. It includes a red dot finder if you want to find objects the old fashioned way as well. But for someone like me with astigmatism and poor night vision, the starsense is extremely handy and convenient. Seeing the 8" mirror in the bottom of the tube is a sight to see, I'll include pictures of the scope, as well as several photos I have taken of the moon and some planets. Yes, you can actually do minor planetary and lunar imaging with this scope, even with your phone! In fact, every photo I've included in this review was taken with my Samsung S23, the Nexyz phone mount, and the various eyepieces I mentioned earlier. Take a few videos of the object, turn the videos into an .ser file with PIPP (free software) and stack the frames in Autostakkert (also free) to reveal a stacked image ready for sharpening and color enhancement. I hope this review will help people decide if this scope was right for them, because it was certainly right for me!

This telescope is awesome! It has extremely sharp and clear images of planets and star clusters. I live in a heavily light polluted area and I can still see galaxies and nebula. The star sense app is also incredible and easy to use. It’s hard to believe how accurate it is. It does lose its location when clouds pass by and if I get close to the horizon where the glow from the streetlights is pretty bright. The eyepiece that came with it is crystal clear with minimal aberrations around the edge but because of the wide range of view it has not been a problem. Overall I’m really impressed and would suggest this scope to anyone that is interested