

🌌 Unlock the universe with your smartphone—stargazing made smart and stunning!
The Celestron StarSense Explorer 130mm Tabletop Telescope pairs a powerful 5-inch Newtonian reflector with patented smartphone-powered StarSense technology, delivering real-time celestial navigation and curated viewing targets. Designed for beginners and enthusiasts alike, its compact Dobsonian base and intuitive app transform any night into an immersive cosmic adventure, backed by a 2-year US warranty and expert support.











| ASIN | B0CBQXHXX3 |
| Additional Features | App-Enabled, Patented StarSense Technology for Smartphone Celestial Navigation |
| Age Range Description | Adults |
| Best Sellers Rank | #43,127 in Toys & Games ( See Top 100 in Toys & Games ) #6 in Kids' Telescopes |
| Brand | Celestron |
| Built-In Media | 25mm eyepiece and 10mm eyepiece, Eyepiece rack and collimation cap, Optical tube and base, StarPointer, StarSense Explorer dock |
| Coating | Aluminum with SiO2 overcoat |
| Compatible Devices | Smartphone |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 111 Reviews |
| Dawes Limit | 0.89 arc_sec |
| EU Spare Part Availability Duration | 2 years |
| Exit Pupil Diameter | 12.5 millimeters |
| Eye Piece Lens Description | 25mm and 10mm eyepiece |
| Field Of View | 1.3 degrees |
| Finderscope | StarPointer™ red-dot finderscope |
| Focal Length Description | 650 millimeters |
| Focus Type | Manual Focus |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00050234224819 |
| Item Dimensions D x W x H | 19"D x 19"W x 28.25"H |
| Item Weight | 19.2 pounds |
| Manufacturer | Celestron |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 22481 |
| Model Name | StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ |
| Model Number | 22481 |
| Mount | Altazimuth Tabletop Dobsonian base |
| Number of Batteries | 1 Lithium Metal batteries required. (included) |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Objective Lens Diameter | 13 centimeters |
| Optical Tube Length | 61.6 centimeters |
| Optical-Tube Length | 61.6 centimeters |
| Power Source | Manual Operation Without External Power Source |
| Telescope Mount Description | Altazimuth Tabletop Dobsonian base |
| UPC | 050234224819 |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Warranty Description | Two-Year Limited Warranty |
| Zoom Ratio | 2:5 |
S**N
Expensive but excellent experience for first telescope
Pretty easy to use once you get familiar with it and the app. Pleased with viewing quality although heavily dependent on ambient conditions as with all telescopes. Might have been slightly off with the Apollo 11 landing site but somewhere in that area i think (photo). I bought some extra lens and a 2x Barlow. I really like the app; it separates "easy targets" from "challenge objects". It gives you viewing tips and tells you whether something is too difficult with ambient city lights etc. it guides you through it.
S**C
Great starter kit - view cool stuff that night!
I love this thing, it’s a perfect starter for someone who wants to get into astronomy and see some cool stuff the same night it arrives. Agree with other reviews though - the instructions are a nightmare and don’t 100% line up with the kit - but with some logic, you can make it work. BIG advice, the app you use with it has a step to align the phone camera - USE THE CAMERA IN THE TELESCOPE APP, not your normal camera mode. Otherwise it won’t work, and the instructions aren’t clear to do so
A**R
Celestron 130 mm DOB = WINNER!!
I never review, but this scope (130 mm) deserves one! Fantastic packaging, crystal clear instructions, easy assembly, very high level build quality, beautifully executed, overall. I had the DX 130AZ - FORGET IT!!! This scope, currently, is considerably cheaper and WAY better, in all key aspects. Like what? Tube connection and mount are rock solid on the 130 mm DOB. TERRIBLE, SHAKY, WOBBLY MOUNT ON THE DX! The DOB has no Bird-Jones lens (that's a good thing) AND has a parabolic primary mirror. Build quality is MUCH better on the DOB. Focuser is superior. Take the money saved on the DX and get the dedicated Celestron tripod AND invest in better optics (check out Celestron's E-lux line; get a 25 mm and a 5 mm, or go telescoping high power like the SBOVNY 6-18 mm). Overall, couldn't be happier. Optics are stunning. Highly portable. Remove tube, put in a padded zipper case, base can stow easily in car, RV, etc., grab the tripod and see the night sky like NEVER before!!
D**D
Pretty Decent Still Too Expensive
I love the app, it's very useful for a novice like myself who doesn't know the sky very well. It is more expensive than it should be as the optics and built are OK but enough to justify the price. I know I will quickly outgrow this, but it is a good beginner telescope.
M**5
Everyone needs a StarSense Explorer
Just buy it if you’re on the fence between this one and another brand. Excellent quality beginner telescope. I listened to the Celestron reviews as well as their own product videos and I’m so glad I did. I haven’t utilized the phone mount much but the app is great. Star and moon gazing helps out my mental health so much. My only gripe which isn’t even that big of a deal is the hardware was tricky - had to use a drill, just be gentle with assembly as the base material can split a bit.
A**R
Great Telescope
Great telescope for the price. I was a little worried about the app not being reliable but I followed the instructions and with a bit of patience I was able to get my phone properly aligned with the adapter so the app worked perfectly which made viewing things very easy and a lot of fun. Everything looks nice and clear while viewing and I love how easy this thing is to store since it doesn’t have to be attached to a tripod. Assembly was tedious but easy although I do recommend using a better screwdriver than the one that was provided.
A**R
High build quality as you'd expect from Celestron, Fantastic app.
This has been an absolute blast to use out on our farm. The setup is easy thanks to the clear instructions and the StarSense app is beyond impressive in terms of accuracy and usability. I appreciated the extra bag it comes with to store the eye pieces and little parts that I would absolutely lose without it. The tabletop design is also super convenient, though I might by a tripod later on for flexibility.
D**Y
Great for an adult to guide young children
The starsense addition is really a great piece of equipment and software. My children became interested in stargazing and I wanted something to help us tour the sky with. Comparatively, the whole kit is probably a fair bit higher priced than what you could get elsewhere but the guided features are a celestron exclusive so I understand the price. Everything was well made and the only parts I want to change are the eyepieces which is par for the course in this hobby anyhow. Recommended.
L**E
Great beginner scope
Great beginner scope and StarSense makes finding things a breeze , as well the red dot scope is an easy alignment to the OTA
A**S
Super!
Tolles Einsteigermodell! Ich bereue den Kauf nicht! Die StarSense Technologie macht es wirklich einfach Objekte zu finden. Selbst für Anfänger. Beim einstellen am besten erst mit dem 25mm Okular und erst danach mit dem 10mm arbeiten. Nach dem 3. Versuch konnte ich dann Jupiter und 4 seiner Monde und sogar einige Wolkenbänder sehen. Einfach fantastisch!
A**R
Excellent telescope for the price.
The 130mm optics give clear, sharp views of the Moon, planets and brighter deep-sky objects, and the StarSense app makes finding targets incredibly easy for beginners. Setup is quick and the Dobsonian mount is solid, though in hindsight I should have bought a tripod version — that one’s on me, not the scope. Overall, a brilliant bit of kit that’s fun, intuitive and very capable for casual stargazing
A**R
Great for seeing the moon
Great piece of equipment. Got it for my son who's really developed a passion for the stars and moon. We only used it to see the moon so far as we do have lots of light pollution where we live and it gets dark quite late for the kids to be up. But looking forward to the longer nights in winter. Telescope is easy to set up, and easy to maneuver. Ive not used the app much yet so can't comment on that. The moon on the other hand looks amazing. My son loves to track the apollo landings
A**R
AMAZING TELESCOPE
This telescope is the BEST I’ve had. Just for people who want to know, you see everything upside down, which is normal as the telescope uses mirrors to reflect light instead of refracting light. This product has really good magnification and I can even see Jupiter with it! Plus , this would be the BEST telescope under £300, and the eyepieces are very good quality! Definitely recommended
Trustpilot
2 days ago
2 weeks ago