The idea of controlling a telescope with a smartphone is nothing new. With the StarSense Explorer range, Celestron brings  another option into play, which may be particularly interesting for beginners.

A special feature of the StarSense Explorer telescopes is that a WLAN connection does not need to be established between the telescope and the smartphone. The free StarSense Explorer app orients itself directly to the night sky, via the smartphone camera and a sophisticated mirror system.

Celeston StarSense Explorer DX

Here’s how it works: All you need to do is install the free StarSense Explorer app and insert your smartphone into the special cradle attached to the telescope. The app uses location data from your smartphone to determine the observing location and does not require you to separately enter the current date and time.

The StarSense Explorer app uses a special lost-in-space algorithm (LISA), which is also used for the orientation of satellites. Star patterns recorded by the smartphone camera are compared with the internal database. These calculations are combined with information from the smartphone’s gyroscope and accelerometer. All this leads to a very high degree of precision that no other planetarium app can achieve! So you can move confidently through the night, even with no prior knowledge!

Insert your smartphone, launch the app and you’re ready to start observing.

The StarSense Explorer app will suggest rewarding objects to observe that night at your location. You can also use the planetarium view to pan to interesting objects and identify them.

StarSense Explorer telescopes are supplied with an altazimuth mount so you can move the telescope simply about the altitude and azimuth axes. Two shafts with large grips allow fine adjustment and tracking. The telescopes are not equipped with a motor, but belong to the class of PushTo telescopes.

By the way, of course you can also use your StarSense Explorer telescope without a smartphone, for example, for a quick view of the Moon, which you should be able to find without an electronic helper.

The American telescope manufacturer Celestron has revised their work horse for astrophotographers. The CGEM II is very popular, and rightly so, because when it comes to load bearing capacity it has a lot of reserves as compared to the smaller Advanced VX mount; but it is cheaper than the big CGX. In the field of equatorial GoTo mounts for mobile astrophotography the CGEM II takes a middle position.

The new CGEM II not only looks very trendy, but it also features a few real innovations when compared with its predecessor.

• New powerful motor electronics with the latest firmware.
• USB 2.0 port on the hand controller. This way you can simply connect the hand controller to a PC for software updates.
• PPEC (Permanent Periodic Error Control) ensures precise tracking.
• Autoguider port. Indispensable for sophisticated astrophotography!
• Tracking beyond the meridian.
• The mounting saddle accepts prism rails acc. to Vixen and Losmandy standard. No adapter required.
• Improved tripod with height marks: This makes it even easier to place the tripod horizontally.

With this mount, the telescope, camera and guider may have a weight of up to 18 kg. This leaves a really big tolerance range.

We offer the CGEM II, but also as a set together with the Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with apertures ranging from 8 to 11 inch (~200 to 280 millimetres): CGEM-II telescopes.

Combined with the classic SC-telescopes this provides you with excellent astronomical equipment which will give you joy for the rest of your life! If you have extra spending money, you should consider the CGEM II with EdgeHD. This variant of the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope already has the correction optics for the unavoidable coma error integrated, allowing you to take sharp photos right to the edge.

Whatever you will decide, with the CGEM II you can’t go wrong!

The Celestron brand once again has set the standard for hobby astronomers: The new CGX-mount combines the current technical standard with a well thought out product design – and all for an reasonable price.

Some special features of the CGX-mount:

• Toothed belt drive and spring pressure mechanism: The belt drive minimises the gear play when changing the direction of movement (“backlash”). The spring pressure mechanism ensures uniform contact pressure between the worm gear and shaft, reducing friction and optimising the operation of the gear – also evident by the reduced noise level.
• Optical encoders register the position of the mount. The motors can then be stopped before the mechanical slew limit is reached and approach their home position. The mount is able to track objects up to 20° above the meridian.
• Internal wiring: Only the power supply cable and the cable to the hand control box are exposed. However, the sockets for these exposed cables are arranged in such a way that they do not need to move with the mount.

• Large handles: Transport handles ensure easy transport, but all clamping levers are also designed for operation with gloves.
• Compact design: The saddle plate position near the right ascension axis gives the mount very favourable oscillation characteristics. The declination motor serves as a counterweight.
• Latest variant of the Nexstar+ control with internal clock to save the last settings and USB-port for simple software update.

Further information on our CGX product page.

The CGX-mount is available on its own or as a set with the well-established Schmidt-Cassegrain optics from Celestron. You can find all variants under the link CGX-Telescopes.For ambitious astrophotographers we highly recommend the CGX 925 in its Edge HD version. The most reasonably priced and recommended combination of SC-optics and mount for beginners is the CGX 800.

However, due to the dual Vixen/Losmandy saddle plate you can easily combine almost any other optic from other manufacturers with the CGX-mount.