celestron starsense explorer dx 102az vs 130az

I'm interested in spending perhaps an hour or so every week or two doing astronomy. Its not a bad telescope to have. Thanks to your phones limited battery life and computing power, the StarSense Explorer technology obviously cant take a new picture of the sky every time you move the telescope. RECOMMENDED BUY FOR THE STARSENSE TECHNOLOGY. So, as you can see both telescopes have their strong and weak points. Why you can trust Space.com But they take more time to set on the mount than dx 102az usually takes. DXC Technology helps global companies run their mission-critical systems and operations while modernizing IT, optimizing data architectures, and ensuring security and scalability across public, private and hybrid clouds. Robin Scagell is a lifelong astronomer. SKU: CEL-22461. The optics are fitted into a closed tube. Normally, this is done for astrophotography to avoid performing a time-consuming GoTo alignment and is only used to find one target. Thank you for the advice Mike and Tfer. I would avoid both. The mount's not even ideal. This StarSense Explorer DX 102 review was written in January 2020, when the scope was first released for $399. So, ultraviolet rays or certain types of light wont be visible on it. We recommend High Point Scientific (#1 US retailer) for finding thecurrent retail price and purchasing/backordering. As noted above, the 102 in the name refers to the telescope's aperture of 102mm (4-inch). Nevertheless, the purpose for this software is to provide convenience for beginner level astronomers so, Ill explain how it works here. Thanks! . This is the best measurement of a telescope's capacity to provide good views. how do they compare? Four are reflector telescope types and two are refractor telescopes. The alt-azimuth mounting means that you can move the instrument around two axes up and down (altitude) and from side to side (azimuth). Boasting a whopping 10-inch aperture, the Celestron Starsense Explorer 10 Dobsonian is a beast of a telescope. Celestron dx 130az has a focal ratio of f/5. Youre at the right place. Firstly its height might be a bit of a problem and secondly, the adjustment of the mount being quite stiff will make it a bit of pain to smoothly turn the Explorer. It focuses the image on a single point. Its a good magnification for viewing the Moon, planets, smaller deep-sky objects like globular clusters, and splitting double stars. You cant also take pictures of the sky with the help of the telescope. Pentax K-70 Astrophotography: The Ultimate Camera on a Budget! Its not as good at viewing faint objects in outer space unlike a reflector or a compound device. Celestron is one of the most renowned brands making telescopes. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Therefore these models will suit those where space is at a premium at home and would prefer something smaller, easier to store, and more portable. This is much less precise than a real GoTo system with tracking but much simpler, easier, and more reliable than a motorized telescope. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ Newtonian. The length of the tube is around 63.5 cm. Youll need more expensive telescopes from Celestron to take pictures. Mainly interested in the mount and optical tube. The optical quality is good for a telescope of this type, but for planetary observing a different instrument would be preferable, such as the 130 mm reflector in the same range. This refers to the telescopes build and shape. Youll be able to see Andromeda and other galaxies. The series also includes an 80mm f/11 refractor and a 114mm f/9 reflector, both for $180 on the lighter LT mount. Due to an a enclosed tube being used, the optics wont need to be cleaned or collimated all the time. The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ makes use of slow-motion controls for fine-tuned tracking. Thats all from us about Celestron Starsense explorer dx 102az vs 130az. 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. Anthony Robinson is the owner of Skies & Scopes and has been practicing and writing obsessively about astrophotography and astronomy since 2017. Thank you in advance! Get to know more about us here. One 10mm Kellner and one 25mm Kellner eyepiece. Thankfully, even with 1.25 eyepieces, you can squeeze out a field of view of about 2.5 degrees with a 32mm Plossl or similar, so this should not be of huge concern to a beginner. Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102. A 2 diagonal and eyepieces would allow for a wider field of view, but are expensive and would make the scope unable to properly balance on its mount, as well as straining the lightweight mount and tripod. If you compare their size, 130az is quite big and heavy. 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. The Starsense app will work with most of the telescopes that have computerised mounts. They wont find things automatically for you, but they will search for what you can see and guide you to look at whatever planet or object you want to look at. But youll find the images quite sharp. After a career that included making telescopes and editing a photography magazine, he became an author of popular astronomy books including Complete Guide to Stargazing, 101 Things to Spot in the Night Sky and Night Sky Atlas. Its focal length is 660 mm. With the tripod attached the length would be 1.24 metres too. Unwary users are likely to try polishing it with glass cleaner or even abrasive solutions. The mirror can become dewed up within minutes on some nights often the clearest. 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. 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. Brand new in 2022 are the two new Dobsonians in the range this Starsense Explorer 8-inch Dobsonian, and the 10-inch version covered below. The eyepieces are supplied with tight plastic covers and how many beginners will try to twist these off, rather than prise them off? The method of alignment is to aim the telescope at a chosen object which is where the red-dot finder comes in handy and then move the red crosswires on the app to the same object shown on the phone view. So, that really shortens out your options. Galaxies, nebulaes, star clusters and large parts of the messier should be viewable although there may be issues showing accurate colours with some stars. Hope this post was helpful to make your choice. He has made numerous TV appearances explaining astronomy news stories, and lectures aboard cruise ships. The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is a 5.1" diameter reflecting telescope on an alt . HIGH-QUALITY 102MM REFRACTOR: Fully coated glass optics provide bright, sharp, clear views of craters on the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and deep sky objects like the Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, and Pleiades Open Star Cluster. Zane, thanks for the great review, it helped convince me to buy a StarSense 102! Bear in mind that not all smartphones will work, so remember to check your model against a list on the Celestron website before taking the plunge. The finding system is not always spot-on, so you need to be prepared to search for objects around the edge of the field of view. NY 10036. Welcome to my Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ Review! For the 102 Ill need to likely buy a star diagonal, while for the 130 Ill need to buy a Cheshire or laser collimator so still a tie. Every slow-motion control I've ever seen attaches to the mount using visible small thumb screws. Overall, this is a great option if you prefer a smaller and less cumbersome refractor telescope, but want something more powerful than the 80mm option above. What's more, the instrument comes with everything you need for a night under the stars: two eyepieces a 25 mm and 10 mm, which offer magnifications of 26x and 66x a StarPointer red-dot finderscope, star diagonal and tripod. However, the system has a few notable limitations that could curtail observing sessions. 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. I'd ideally want it to not be too hard for them to reach the eyepiece. We make money through affiliate commissions and this means we may be compensated if you click links on this page at no extra cost to you. 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. I am trying to get my 9 Year old interested in this and the only reason why I was considering the 130 was because of the Star sense app which makes it super easy to find deep space objects and galaxies. Disclosure - If you buy something via our link, we may earn a commission with no additional expense to you. StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ Smartphone App-Enabled Refractor Telescope. Overall, this is a good option if you only have the budget for one of the cheaper telescopes and want more power. Conclusion: Which Celestron StarSense Explorer is best for you? if youre not butchering it for the StarSense hardware, thats what Id buy. Celestrons specs say 11% obstruction by area, so the 130 loses 1460 of area = 11813, still bigger than the 102. Because all these mountings use a standard Vixen-type or CG-5 dovetail attachment, you can attach any other instrument that uses the same dovetail, taking into account the load capacity of the mounting. For $399 you can get a much more capable telescope with a larger aperture, e.g. This is not to be confused with smartphone attachments that simply enable you to take photos of bright objects through the eyepiece, as found on some other beginners instruments. The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope is all about the smartphone app used to align it, though it's a more manual affair than you might expect. StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ Refractor. 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. Interestingly, it seems the 130mm is also now out of stock. For information: The StarSense technology on these telescopes enables you to use your smartphone to give you much of what youd get from a GOTO telescope. For a summary of the entire discussion take a look at this table: Between these two Newtonian and refractor telescopes Celestron dx 130az is a better option. The pricing of this instrument is not significantly less than that of the Celestron NexStar 102 SLT the same instrument on a fully motorized mount, which has the great advantage of tracking objects for you. Testing out the StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ at our HQ in a brightly lit industrial section of light-polluted Torrance, CA. They are completely manual though and do not have the StarSense technology and smartphone interactivity (although you may be able to replicate this with other adapters and apps. ), Deimos vs Uranus (How Are They Different? The Celestron Starsense DX 6 is exactly the same as the DX5 above but has a larger 6-inch aperture instead. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! This DX5 is Celestrons classic 5-inch SCT telescope tube with a hand-operable mount and the Starsense Explorer functionality that allows you to connect your smartphone and allow it to guide you, like the models above. Once set up, you need to align the red-dot finder with the main instrument by day. Though you won't have the activation code, it will open and test your phone for compatibility. At this aperture and focal ratio, there is a fair amount of chromatic aberration, but sharp views of the Moon and planets are still possible. So undoubtedly, Celestron dx 130az is the winner. 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. The Celestron dx 102 uses about 240x magnification power. This diagonal is definitely a weak link in the scope optically, and replacing it might be a good idea. Thats because of their aperture. The amount of celestial objects StarSense Explorer picked up under these conditions was truly amazing.Image by @wellreadnaturalist pic.twitter.com/QaPUPss0qM. You can find the Celestron dx 130az on Aliexpress for a relatively cheaper price. Read the full Earning Disclosure here. Patented, award-winning StarSense sky recognition technology uses your smartphone to analyze star patterns overhead and calculate the telescope's position in real-time. The StarSense app also lists 5-inch and 6-inch Schmidt-Cassegrains . 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. Which is stark opposite to Celestron dx 130az. A tabletop telescope is the best choice at this price range. A simple slot-and-turn system would be much less aggravating for astronomers, unless you intend to use the instrument solely as a piece of furniture permanently set up in the corner of the room or do without the tray altogether. Hence Celestron dx 130 wins again this round. Overall, this is a brilliant option if you want near-perfect viewing of planets and galaxies and have the space to use it. Add to Wish List Item in Wish List . Any advice would help. Why use such a time-consuming means of attachment? Im very new to Astromony and have a chance to get a Celestron C102-HD. View planets, brighter nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters from the city PLUS fainter, deep sky objects from darker sites. Alignment procedure depends on a mirror, which collects dew, Instrument is stiff to move without slow motions. Required fields are marked *. That leaves 130az with more options for planetary views. There is a great deal on a Celestron 102 DX at Amazon for $359, only 50 dollars more than the Popular . As for what the app provides, they have database of a few hundred celestial objects so not bad for a beginner getting involved with this hobby. Looking for something portable at the moment, with plan to add a 10 dob in the future. The advantage with these models is that the Schmidt-Cassegrain design allows high aperture in a much more compact body. Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. There's also the Explorer DX 130AZ . Is LT127 a better choice? And the Celestron Starsense Explorer dx 130az has a 10mm Kellner eyepiece with 65x magnification power. 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. 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 . You can take a number of its key characteristics from its name: Not in the name, but worthy of note, is that it is a refractor telescope (as opposed to a reflector). Should you buy the Celestron StarSense DX 102AZ? There are four instruments in the Celestron StarSense Explorer range: an 80 mm refractor, a 114 mm reflector, the 102 mm refractor under test, and a 130 mm reflector. 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. Like other achromatic refractors, the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ still has some false color, which reveals itself as colored fringes around the edges of objects, particularly at high magnification, and the short tube results in inherently more false color than with a longer focal-ratio achromatic instrument. If youre interested in other refractor systems, maybe due to the slightly inferior light gathering abilities of the 102AZ, this list may be helpful. The 8-inch aperture is huge and will provide few limitations to what you can see. How were you able to loosen the tightness in the altitude axis? Get the StarSense Explorer; it has better accessories and is easier to use, Ive had my 130 for so long. Mike Swanson He began his working career with Kodak, back in the days of film, and then spent time observing from the Pic du Midi Observatory in the French Pyrenees. StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ ; Optical Design : Newtonian Reflector : Refractor : Aperture : 130mm (5.12") 102mm (4") Focal Length : 650mm (25.6") The other advantage is that no power source is needed. Telescope Aperture: 130mm (5.12") Focal Ratio: f/5. The only shortcoming I guess you could say is its average specs and its Starsense technology being somewhat hit or miss however, from the research Ive done on it, the 102AZ is a device worth checking even if its a little more expensive than an equally powerful reflector system. Celestron StarSense Explorer telescopes are manual, not computerized, but their design gives you many of the advantages of this technology. This forum and community is a wonderful resource! The Celestron Omni XLT 150 is available here but is priced way above my budget. These reasons may make it the best option for kids. It seems only Celestron telescopes are available in our country. And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. I had what seemed to be a related question, which has come up somewhat in that main thread: whether to purchase the DX . So all that is left is light gathering. For this review I tested the DX 102AZ, a 102mm f/6.5 achromatic refractor. Each is different but they all feature the StarSense Explorer technology that provides a great halfway point between computerized (GOTO) telescopes and manual ones (see FAQs below if you want more information on GOTO telescopes). After much debate, we finally know everything that there is to know regarding the two telescopes. These views will be much brighter and clearer with the larger aperture models. Any tips would be greatly appreciated, otherwise, I may have to send my scope back. All the following stages are accomplished using the StarSense app that you need to unlock using a code supplied with your instrument, which will work with up to five devices. +91-120-406-2000. ), Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ Review (Is The StarSense Software Worth The Price? Overall, this is the most entry-level of the four telescopes in this range. https://www.NexStarSite.com. So unless you can be sure it has those or the price is absurdly low, wed recommend you pass. There are eight different Celestron StarSense Explorer telescopes which we cover in more detail below. Just follow the arrows to locate stars, planets & more! The 130 mm (5-inch) aperture is fairly large and will enable great views of planets and deep-sky objects when the night sky conditions are right. a 6" or even 8" dobsonian ( Links on what to expect in different telescope aperture sizes ). The StarSense Explorer app is ridiculously easy to set up. The reflector has coatings that only reflect 90% of the light hitting them. However, it has the lowest aperture, which will limit your viewing capacity. Celestron dx 130az has a focal ratio of f/5. The instructions tell you to turn it, but this is easier said than done. The details will be a lot better than dx 102az.

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