Celestron StarSense Explorer 10" Smartphone app-enabled dobsonian telescope

The Celestron StarSense Explorer 10" Dobsonian combines a large 254mm aperture with Celestron's StarSense Explorer technology, giving you impressive deep-sky viewing without making finding those objects unnecessarily difficult.

The large parabolic primary mirror collects substantially more light than smaller telescopes, bringing fainter objects within reach and revealing more stars, structure and detail in many of the objects you observe. Galaxies, nebulae and star clusters become a major part of what this telescope is capable of showing you, while the additional aperture also provides excellent views of Saturn, Jupiter and the Moon.

The 254mm mirror has around 56% more light-collecting area than an 8" mirror, giving the 10" a worthwhile advantage when viewing fainter deep-sky objects. Despite this increase in aperture, the telescope retains a 1200mm focal length and an optical tube approximately 1.12m long.

StarSense Explorer then helps you make use of that capability. Choose an object in the app and follow the on-screen arrows as you manually move the telescope towards it. Once the bullseye turns green, look through the eyepiece and enjoy the view.

The telescope sits on a stable floor-standing Dobsonian base and separates into the optical tube and base for carrying and storage.

Why Choose the 10"?

The 10" is for someone who wants to put more aperture and stronger deep-sky performance at the top of their list, while retaining the simplicity of a manual Dobsonian.

• 254mm aperture provides substantial light-gathering power for galaxies, nebulae, star clusters and other fainter objects
• Go deeper into the night sky, with more faint stars becoming visible and greater opportunity to see structure and detail in nebulae and galaxies
• Excellent planetary and lunar performance with the aperture to reveal fine detail when atmospheric conditions allow
• StarSense Explorer guidance helps you find the objects this large-aperture telescope is capable of showing you
• Simple manual Dobsonian operation with smooth up-and-down and side-to-side movement
• 2" Crayford focuser accommodates both 2" and 1.25" eyepieces
• 24.9kg complete, separating into a 13.2kg optical tube and 11.6kg base for carrying and storage

For beginners who want to start with substantial viewing power, as well as more experienced observers wanting greater reach into the deep sky, the 10" offers an impressive combination of aperture, straightforward operation and StarSense guidance.

What Can You See?

With 254mm of aperture, galaxies, nebulae and star clusters are where the 10" really starts to show what a larger telescope can do.

Bright nebulae such as Orion can reveal extensive structure, while large star clusters can resolve into impressive fields of individual stars. Brighter galaxies such as Andromeda are readily within reach, and the additional light-gathering power makes a much wider range of fainter galaxies and deep-sky objects accessible.

Under suitable observing conditions, subtle features within brighter nebulae and galaxies can become visible that are more difficult to detect through smaller apertures.

The 10" is equally impressive closer to home. Jupiter can show its main cloud bands, four bright Galilean moons and, when conditions and timing allow, features such as the Great Red Spot. Saturn's rings are clearly defined, while the Moon reveals an extraordinary amount of fine structure across craters, mountain ranges, ridges and shadows.

Exactly what you see will depend on the object and observing conditions, but the 254mm aperture gives you a substantial amount of night sky to continue exploring for years.

How StarSense Explorer Works

StarSense Explorer combines your smartphone with Celestron's dedicated StarSense dock and built-in mirror system.

Your phone sits in the StarSense dock above a specially positioned mirror. The mirror reflects the pattern of stars overhead into your phone's camera, while the StarSense Explorer app analyses those star patterns and calculates exactly where the telescope is pointing.

After the phone and telescope are aligned, the app automatically provides objects that are currently available to view. Choose what you want to explore and arrows on the screen guide you as you manually move the Dobsonian towards it. When the target is correctly positioned, the bullseye turns green and you look through the telescope's eyepiece to view it.

The app also provides information about thousands of celestial objects, together with audio descriptions for hundreds of them, helping you learn more about what you are viewing as you explore.

The phone is an important part of the system, but it isn't simply acting as a normal astronomy app using the phone's direction sensors. The StarSense dock, mirror, smartphone camera and Celestron software work together to determine where the telescope is pointing.

There are no motors moving the telescope for you — StarSense tells you where to go and you move the Dobsonian by hand.

Full-Size Dobsonian Design

The 10" is mounted on a stable floor-standing Dobsonian base, so it sits directly on the ground with no table or tripod required. The base allows smooth, straightforward up-and-down and side-to-side movement as you locate and follow objects.

Large altitude bearings and adjustable altitude tension help provide smooth, controlled movement as you locate and follow objects. Teflon azimuth bearings provide smooth side-to-side movement, while additional side-panel bracing adds stability to the base.

Despite its larger 254mm aperture, the optical tube is approximately 1.12m long. For carrying and storage, the telescope separates into two main pieces: the optical tube weighs approximately 13.2kg and the base approximately 11.6kg.

A 25mm Plössl eyepiece is supplied, providing 48x magnification. The 2" Crayford focuser also accepts 1.25" eyepieces with the supplied adapter, allowing you to add different eyepieces for a wider range of magnifications and fields of view.

Other Features

• Celestron XLT mirror coatings — applied to the primary and secondary mirrors to improve light throughput and contrast, helping produce brighter views and reveal finer detail
• Low-expansion optical glass mirrors — help maintain optical performance as temperatures change during an observing session
• Smooth, adjustable Dobsonian movement — large altitude bearings, Teflon azimuth bearings and adjustable altitude tension provide smooth movement and help compensate for slight changes in balance
• Additional base bracing — side-panel braces add stability to the Dobsonian base
• Panning handle — provides a convenient grip for accurately moving the telescope without having to hold the optical tube itself
• 2" Crayford focuser — provides smooth, precise focusing and includes a 2"-to-1.25" adapter and 2" extension tube, allowing you to use a wide range of telescope eyepieces
• Easy to separate for carrying and storage — the optical tube and base come apart, with ergonomic carrying handles provided
• Dust covers included — covers are supplied for the front of the optical tube and the focuser when the telescope is not in use

Smartphone Compatibility

StarSense Explorer works with most modern iPhone and Android smartphones. Because compatibility requirements can change as phones and operating systems are updated, we recommend checking your phone with Celestron's current StarSense Explorer compatibility checker before purchase.

Awards & Press

StarSense Explorer Dobsonian Quick Setup Guide

StarSense Explorer Dobsonian Instruction Manual

StarSense Explorer App Manual