Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ Telescope
Celestron has reinvented the manual telescope with StarSense Explorer-the first telescope that uses your smartphone to analyze the night sky and calculate its position in real time. StarSense Explorer is ideal for beginners thanks to the app's user-friendly interface and detailed tutorials. It's like having your own personal tour guide of the night sky. Dock, Launch, Explore Leave complicated star charts, imprecise planetarium apps and computerized mounts behind. With StarSense Explorer, locating objects has never been easier, faster or more accurate. Within minutes of setting up the telescope, you'll be navigating the sky with confidence. Simply place your phone in the unique StarSense dock and launch the StarSense Explorer app. After aligning your phone to the telescope's optics (a quick, 2-minute procedure), StarSense Explorer generates a list of celestial objects currently visible. Make your selection and arrows appear onscreen, guiding you as you to move the telescope. When the object is ready to view, the bullseye turns green. StarSense Explorer works with most modern smartphones; it is compatible with Android 12 and later, as well as iOS 18 and newer, including iPhone XR and newer models. Users with older phones can still use this app, but will not be able to reinstall the app if they uninstall it.
Celestron has reinvented the manual telescope with StarSense Explorer-the first telescope that uses your smartphone to analyze the night sky and calculate its position in real time. StarSense Explorer is ideal for beginners thanks to the app's user-friendly interface and detailed tutorials. It's like having your own personal tour guide of the night sky. Dock, Launch, Explore Leave complicated star charts, imprecise planetarium apps and computerized mounts behind. With StarSense Explorer, locating objects has never been easier, faster or more accurate. Within minutes of setting up the telescope, you'll be navigating the sky with confidence. Simply place your phone in the unique StarSense dock and launch the StarSense Explorer app. After aligning your phone to the telescope's optics (a quick, 2-minute procedure), StarSense Explorer generates a list of celestial objects currently visible. Make your selection and arrows appear onscreen, guiding you as you to move the telescope. When the object is ready to view, the bullseye turns green. StarSense Explorer works with most modern smartphones; it is compatible with Android 12 and later, as well as iOS 18 and newer, including iPhone XR and newer models. Users with older phones can still use this app, but will not be able to reinstall the app if they uninstall it.
Celestron has reinvented the manual telescope with StarSense Explorer-the first telescope that uses your smartphone to analyze the night sky and calculate its position in real time. StarSense Explorer is ideal for beginners thanks to the app's user-friendly interface and detailed tutorials. It's like having your own personal tour guide of the night sky. Dock, Launch, Explore Leave complicated star charts, imprecise planetarium apps and computerized mounts behind. With StarSense Explorer, locating objects has never been easier, faster or more accurate. Within minutes of setting up the telescope, you'll be navigating the sky with confidence. Simply place your phone in the unique StarSense dock and launch the StarSense Explorer app. After aligning your phone to the telescope's optics (a quick, 2-minute procedure), StarSense Explorer generates a list of celestial objects currently visible. Make your selection and arrows appear onscreen, guiding you as you to move the telescope. When the object is ready to view, the bullseye turns green. StarSense Explorer works with most modern smartphones; it is compatible with Android 12 and later, as well as iOS 18 and newer, including iPhone XR and newer models. Users with older phones can still use this app, but will not be able to reinstall the app if they uninstall it.
Celestron has reinvented the manual telescope with StarSense Explorer-the first telescope that uses your smartphone to analyze the night sky and calculate its position in real time. StarSense Explorer is ideal for beginners thanks to the app's user-friendly interface and detailed tutorials. It's like having your own personal tour guide of the night sky. Dock, Launch, Explore Leave complicated star charts, imprecise planetarium apps and computerized mounts behind. With StarSense Explorer, locating objects has never been easier, faster or more accurate. Within minutes of setting up the telescope, you'll be navigating the sky with confidence. Simply place your phone in the unique StarSense dock and launch the StarSense Explorer app. After aligning your phone to the telescope's optics (a quick, 2-minute procedure), StarSense Explorer generates a list of celestial objects currently visible. Make your selection and arrows appear onscreen, guiding you as you to move the telescope. When the object is ready to view, the bullseye turns green. StarSense Explorer works with most modern smartphones; it is compatible with Android 12 and later, as well as iOS 18 and newer, including iPhone XR and newer models. Users with older phones can still use this app, but will not be able to reinstall the app if they uninstall it.
in 33 offers
The lowest price for Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ Telescope right now is $263.87 at AliExpress.com - AliExpress-226247430, compared across 27 retailers.
The all-time low was $223.54 on 5 May 2026 — today's price is 18% above the lowest ever. That's a little above the best price we've seen.
Prices last updated 11 June 2026.
Last updated at 11/06/2026 15:42:46
Celestron SSE LT80AZ Astronomical Telescope 80/900 with Aluminum Tripod,StarSense Explorer
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Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ Telescope
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Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ Telescope
Celestron Starsense Explorer LT 80AZ Refractor Telescope
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Celestron Starsense Explorer LT 80AZ Refractor Telescope
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Celestron Starsense Explorer LT 80AZ Refractor Telescope
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originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
I decided to get this 80mm refractor for a moon/planetary scope for quick set up on nights when I'm not going set up my 8 inch dobsonian telescope. It's been better than expected observing wise so far. Saturn did get high enough the other night to get a good look at with it and it looked good seeing starting to see darker and lighter sections on top and bottom of Saturn. There is a little chromatic aberration that is noticeable at higher powers but not too bad at all and it was sharp on the moon the other night which was a little past half. It's done very well in Sagittarius and better than expected. The tripod and the knobs and the wat it moves are way better than my 70mm orion refractor.
originally posted on optcorp.com
So far, our experience has been one of exciting discovery. We had a learning curve with respect to getting calibrated, but the StarSense App guided us through it. We live in Central Florida, and it is currently the rainy season, so opportunities right now are limited. We started by observing the moon, which was easy and helped us with calibrating while using the app on the smartphone. We have learned the potential using the Barlow and higher powered lens included. We are looking forward to delving further as weather allows. I must say, without the app, it may have gotten quite frustrating. Good job on the app! Quality of the telescope exceeds the value. We are impressed with the workmanship. We were led to this particular model by one of the OPT technicians, and ... MoreSo far, our experience has been one of exciting discovery. We had a learning curve with respect to getting calibrated, but the StarSense App guided us through it. We live in Central Florida, and it is currently the rainy season, so opportunities right now are limited. We started by observing the moon, which was easy and helped us with calibrating while using the app on the smartphone. We have learned the potential using the Barlow and higher powered lens included. We are looking forward to delving further as weather allows. I must say, without the app, it may have gotten quite frustrating. Good job on the app! Quality of the telescope exceeds the value. We are impressed with the workmanship. We were led to this particular model by one of the OPT technicians, and they are extremely helpful and courteous.
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
Bought this telescope a few weeks ago after doing some research into what would be the best starter scope. I am brand new to astronomy and this telescope couldn't make things easier. Setup is extremely straightforward, as is utilizing the scope. The optics provide an awesome view of the moon and lunar landscapes, and also produces crisp and clear images of Jupiter and even Saturn. The included Barlow lens is not the best, but I am ok with that. The companion app is extremely helpful and informative as well for locating celestial objects and learning about astronomy. Overall I am extremely happy with my purchase and new hobby!
| Optical Design | Refractor |
| Aperture | 80mm |
| Focal Length | 900mm |
| Focal Ratio | 11.0 |
| Highest Magnification | 189x |
Celestron SSE LT80AZ Astronomical Telescope 80/900 with Aluminum Tripod,StarSense Explorer
Free delivery
CELESTRON STARSENSE EXPLORE LT 80AZ Telescope - Modern Telescopes Guide
Delivery $448.32
Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ Telescope
Free delivery between 16–22 June
Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80 Refractor
Delivery $66.82
Celestron Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80 Smartphone App-Enabled Refractor Telescope
I decided to get this 80mm refractor for a moon/planetary scope for quick set up on nights when I'm not going set up my 8 inch dobsonian telescope. It's been better than expected observing wise so far. Saturn did get high enough the other night to get a good look at with it and it looked good seeing starting to see darker and lighter sections on top and bottom of Saturn. There is a little chromatic aberration that is noticeable at higher powers but not too bad at all and it was sharp on the moon the other night which was a little past half. It's done very well in Sagittarius and better than expected. The tripod and the knobs and the wat it moves are way better than my 70mm orion refractor.
So far, our experience has been one of exciting discovery. We had a learning curve with respect to getting calibrated, but the StarSense App guided us through it. We live in Central Florida, and it is currently the rainy season, so opportunities right now are limited. We started by observing the moon, which was easy and helped us with calibrating while using the app on the smartphone. We have learned the potential using the Barlow and higher powered lens included. We are looking forward to delving further as weather allows. I must say, without the app, it may have gotten quite frustrating. Good job on the app! Quality of the telescope exceeds the value. We are impressed with the workmanship. We were led to this particular model by one of the OPT technicians, and ... MoreSo far, our experience has been one of exciting discovery. We had a learning curve with respect to getting calibrated, but the StarSense App guided us through it. We live in Central Florida, and it is currently the rainy season, so opportunities right now are limited. We started by observing the moon, which was easy and helped us with calibrating while using the app on the smartphone. We have learned the potential using the Barlow and higher powered lens included. We are looking forward to delving further as weather allows. I must say, without the app, it may have gotten quite frustrating. Good job on the app! Quality of the telescope exceeds the value. We are impressed with the workmanship. We were led to this particular model by one of the OPT technicians, and they are extremely helpful and courteous.
Bought this telescope a few weeks ago after doing some research into what would be the best starter scope. I am brand new to astronomy and this telescope couldn't make things easier. Setup is extremely straightforward, as is utilizing the scope. The optics provide an awesome view of the moon and lunar landscapes, and also produces crisp and clear images of Jupiter and even Saturn. The included Barlow lens is not the best, but I am ok with that. The companion app is extremely helpful and informative as well for locating celestial objects and learning about astronomy. Overall I am extremely happy with my purchase and new hobby!
I bought this telescope while waiting for my 6se to arrive as I was very eager to get into astronomy as quickly as I could. I am very happy with this scope. The Starsense app on my iPhone 11 Pro worked great with the scope. And with the right eye pieces paired with the decent focal length of the telescope I was able to see quite a bit! If you live in a city this will be a really wonderful telescope for seeing the moon and some bright star clusters. If you live out where there isn't any light pollution or if you can drive somewhere where there isn't you will be able to see just about anything. I do recommend going with a larger aperture scope if you have the money and live in the city just to make it easier to see more things. I also was able to take some very good ... MoreI bought this telescope while waiting for my 6se to arrive as I was very eager to get into astronomy as quickly as I could. I am very happy with this scope. The Starsense app on my iPhone 11 Pro worked great with the scope. And with the right eye pieces paired with the decent focal length of the telescope I was able to see quite a bit! If you live in a city this will be a really wonderful telescope for seeing the moon and some bright star clusters. If you live out where there isn't any light pollution or if you can drive somewhere where there isn't you will be able to see just about anything. I do recommend going with a larger aperture scope if you have the money and live in the city just to make it easier to see more things. I also was able to take some very good pictures of the moon with the Neximage 10. The app the scope comes with is so interactive and easy to use and it tells you what is "DARK SKY VIEWABLE" or "CITY VIEWABLE" , and that helps a ton for a beginning amateur astronomer. The star tracking it provides is dead on to where things are. For $179 there is no way you can go wrong with this telescope!
I have looked at recommendations after recommendations for a good beginner telescope. Almost everyone recommends an 8” dobsonian. The problem I was having is I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend over $500 as a total beginner. I came across this Celestron StarSense and was intrigued by the Smart phone star locating abilities and decided to purchase it as it was on sale. I have to say, for a total beginner I think this telescope is a great choice for the reasons listed below.1) It allows you to learn the night sky using the smartphone app and helps you zero in on what you are looking for.2) Extremely user friendly. I was able to take it out of the box and immediately start looking at the sky.3) Great quality images and clear views, given you’re focus is on point.4) ... MoreI have looked at recommendations after recommendations for a good beginner telescope. Almost everyone recommends an 8” dobsonian. The problem I was having is I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend over $500 as a total beginner. I came across this Celestron StarSense and was intrigued by the Smart phone star locating abilities and decided to purchase it as it was on sale. I have to say, for a total beginner I think this telescope is a great choice for the reasons listed below.1) It allows you to learn the night sky using the smartphone app and helps you zero in on what you are looking for.2) Extremely user friendly. I was able to take it out of the box and immediately start looking at the sky.3) Great quality images and clear views, given you’re focus is on point.4) Though it’s not made for deep sky objects, you can still get a good shot of the Orion Nebula and I’ve even been able to get a good shot of Bode’s Galaxy (though it kinda looks like a blob)5) It’s super light and portable as I move it around all the time while trying to find new objects in the night sky.I feel like a beginner would be absolutely satisfied with this telescope but it does have a down side as listed below.1) This telescope has left me wanting more. More power, more clarity, more capability.2) The focus sometimes rolls out of focus so you need to constantly refocus (not sure if it’s my product defect or if that’s how it’s supposed to be).3) The alignment is sometimes slightly off (but I’m not complaining too much as it’s a smartphone app) and you may need to look around the area for the object you are searching for.4) The tray for the eyepieces screw on the support arms for the tripod so if you want to move it, you’ll have to unscrew the tray (I don’t even use the tray anymore).In conclusion, I think this is a bargain of a deal and would be a great beginner telescope. Im currently in a paradox because if I could go back and buy the 8” Dob instead, I probably would because I’m now hooked, thanks to this telescope. Make of this what you will.I hope this helps on your decision on what to get.*Disclaimer*: I haven’t been able to observe any planets because they aren’t up at night at my current location so this review is more towards stars and deep sky.
My 9-year-old son and I are enjoying using this 80mm aperture telescope. I've been pleased with what we're able to see given that we live in a light polluted area. The red dot finder scope works well, and the slow up/down control is nice.The Star Sense app is a great idea and gets you in the neighborhood of what you're looking for, but it doesn't always lock onto your target very well. It will frequently direct us to something, then it re-calibrates, tells us to move left, then we move left, and it says to move right, over and over. It could be due to our light polluted skies, though, that it doesn't have enough stars available to sense exactly where the scope is pointed.I'd still recommend this telescope, because you can use the red dot finder scope. The Star ... MoreMy 9-year-old son and I are enjoying using this 80mm aperture telescope. I've been pleased with what we're able to see given that we live in a light polluted area. The red dot finder scope works well, and the slow up/down control is nice.The Star Sense app is a great idea and gets you in the neighborhood of what you're looking for, but it doesn't always lock onto your target very well. It will frequently direct us to something, then it re-calibrates, tells us to move left, then we move left, and it says to move right, over and over. It could be due to our light polluted skies, though, that it doesn't have enough stars available to sense exactly where the scope is pointed.I'd still recommend this telescope, because you can use the red dot finder scope. The Star Sense app is also a quick way to see a list of things to view, and it tells you whether the target is city viewable or needs dark skies.
I love the telescope and the crystal clear view it gave me of stars and planets, but the phone mount is so close to the finder scope, that I can't adjust it to where I need my phone to be for alignment. Also the finder scopes position makes it hard to locate the red dot, as it is mounted slightly at an angle, so is leaning more to the left. Obviously this is so the phone mount doesn't obstruct the finder scopes view, but both just got in the way and wouldn't function properly. I just couldn't get on with it and so returned it. Would have had 5 stars....
When you get this very large telescope, you really think you have a nice piece of equipment, but the clarity of the scope is more like a toy. You can see the same images with binoculars. You can also find things like bright stars and moons much quicker with binoculars. The large cell phone holder is nothing more than an app. There are many sky and stat apps that use your cell phone to help you tour the sky, I thought the cell phone mount was so I could take pics of what I saw in the scope. This is not at all how this works. The App itself never is able to see my scope, constantly says "cannot locate scope". You have to realign it over and over and when all of that is done, you get a slightly clearly ball of light for a star and a pic of the moon you can see with ... MoreWhen you get this very large telescope, you really think you have a nice piece of equipment, but the clarity of the scope is more like a toy. You can see the same images with binoculars. You can also find things like bright stars and moons much quicker with binoculars. The large cell phone holder is nothing more than an app. There are many sky and stat apps that use your cell phone to help you tour the sky, I thought the cell phone mount was so I could take pics of what I saw in the scope. This is not at all how this works. The App itself never is able to see my scope, constantly says "cannot locate scope". You have to realign it over and over and when all of that is done, you get a slightly clearly ball of light for a star and a pic of the moon you can see with Binoculars. I realize in the world of Telescopes paying almost $200 is not alot of money and I am a beginner. But $189 for a product that appeared to at least take pics with a phone is frustrating. The quality of this scope if very nice on the outside. Its size is huge, which also makes you thing you are really going to see something when you look through it. I think the description needs to be much more clear as to what you can see throught this scope, and what it actually does with a cell phone app. The current description is quite vague.
We have never owned a telescope and assumed this was a good starting point. Upon opening the box, there is some light assembly required. After calibrating the red dot finder and phone app, we are able to find what we want. The app is absolutely great! It will tell you what’s currently visible, complete with information about that object. Then, just push an icon, and it tells you where to point the telescope. It will then pause a few seconds while it recalibrates. You can then fine tune the object. Take your time, follow the steps, and it will be somewhere in your field of vision. You can then slip in different eyepieces and color filters (available from OPT) to enhance. There are so many things to see out there! This telescope makes it possible and the app makes it ... MoreWe have never owned a telescope and assumed this was a good starting point. Upon opening the box, there is some light assembly required. After calibrating the red dot finder and phone app, we are able to find what we want. The app is absolutely great! It will tell you what’s currently visible, complete with information about that object. Then, just push an icon, and it tells you where to point the telescope. It will then pause a few seconds while it recalibrates. You can then fine tune the object. Take your time, follow the steps, and it will be somewhere in your field of vision. You can then slip in different eyepieces and color filters (available from OPT) to enhance. There are so many things to see out there! This telescope makes it possible and the app makes it interesting. The only con I have is the rotating swivel on the tripod is a bit tight, even with the friction screw backed out. Perhaps it will wear in with use. I’m sure the materials could probably be improved to fix this, but at this price point, I’m fine with the minor learning curve. Great product, great price, exceptional knowledge with the on-call staff. Very much looking forward to this new learning experience! Thank you Opt and Celestron.
This is a nice looking-refractor telescope, solid but lightweight, and easy to move indoors and out. The directions were not entirely clear for the assembly and sometimes confusing as the terminology was not consistent. I haven't used the smartphone viewer as I'm having difficulty getting it to connect to the free downloaded app. I keep getting an error. But, I was able to see the conjunction of the planets on 12/21/20 and the days around that, and excellent views of the moon. I'm excited to continue using it as the night sky permits and changes and, hopefully get the iPhone app to work properly. I also received as a gift "100 Things To See In The Night Sky" which is very helpful in concert with the smartphone viewing app.
| Optical Design | Refractor |
| Aperture | 80mm |
| Focal Length | 900mm |
| Focal Ratio | 11.0 |
| Highest Magnification | 189x |
