Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ 5.1-inch Newtonian reflector

A manual telescope that can be easily aligned via an adaptor and free smartphone app

- JAMIE CARTER

Sometimes, computerised Go-To telescopes aren't all they're cracked up to be. Yes, they can automatically slew to an object in the night sky that otherwise a beginner would struggle to find, but such motorised scopes still need to be aligned with bright stars. For beginners, whose only way of navigating the night sky is by using a smartphone app, that can be tricky. So why not just use that app to align the telescope? That's the thinking behind Celestron's StarSense technology, which provides a free app and a carefully designed adaptor to fuse old and new techniques and create a novel way of exploring the night sky.

The DX 130AZ is a 5.1-inch (130mm) Newtonian reflector telescope that has a focal length of 650mm, giving a focal ratio of f/5, while the tube is 630mm long. It's mounted on a manual altaz 'Push-To' black aluminium tripod that proves this telescope's weak point. It's steady enough for the job once the spreader accessory tray is in place, but only just, and we did experience some vibrations after each movement. Since there's no motorised tracking mount, astrophotography is out of the question, save for a spot of afocal photography through the eyepiece. That, of course, requires a smartphone, which isn't going to be possible if you use this telescope as the maker intended you to (unless you have a spare phone). Although it's not essential to make the telescope usable, Celestron's StarSense Explorer app is at the core of how this combination works.

Upgrades

Also included with the DX 130AZ are two 1.25-inch eyepieces, 25mm and 10mm, which give 26x and 65x power, respectively. The supplied low-power eyepieces are nothing special and could easily be upgraded (a Barlow lens being the most obvious candidate), but they'll serve beginners well. A red dot finder is also provided if you want to ignore the app and aim the DX 130AZ completely manually.