Celestron StarSense Explorer 150mm Tabletop Dobsonian Telescope (#22482)
A smarter, easier way to explore the night sky—guided by your smartphone.
The Celestron StarSense Explorer 150mm Tabletop Dobsonian reimagines the classic Dobsonian telescope with the power of modern smartphone technology. Designed with beginners in mind, this 6" Newtonian reflector pairs Celestron’s award-winning StarSense Explorer app with a portable, tabletop Dobsonian base—offering a user-friendly, accurate, and rewarding observing experience right out of the box.
Whether you’re stargazing from your backyard or under darker skies, this compact telescope gives you big aperture performance with app-assisted guidance—no star charts, apps with shaky gyros, or steep learning curves required.
A Dobsonian That Knows the Sky
At the heart of the system is Celestron’s patented StarSense sky recognition technology, which uses your smartphone's camera and the same Lost-in-Space Algorithm (LISA) used by orbiting satellites to determine the scope’s exact position in real time. Simply dock your phone in the included StarSense bracket, align it to the telescope’s optics, and let the app guide you to your next celestial target.
No motors, no alignment stars, no fuss. Just follow the arrows on your screen—when the target is centered and the bullseye turns green, look through the eyepiece and enjoy.
150mm Parabolic Optics for Deep Sky and Planetary Views
With a 150mm (6") parabolic primary mirror and a fast f/5 focal ratio, this telescope brings in nearly 460 times more light than the unaided eye. You’ll enjoy crisp views of Saturn’s rings, Jupiter’s cloud bands, the craters of the Moon, and deep sky favorites like the Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, and Pleiades. Unlike many beginner scopes, the optics here are the real deal—no spherical mirrors or flimsy plastic parts.
Included are two Kellner eyepieces (25mm and 10mm), providing magnifications of 30x and 75x, respectively, along with a StarPointer red dot finder, a collimation cap, and a 1.25” rack-and-pinion focuser.
Portable Powerhouse: The Tabletop Base
The Dobsonian base is compact and surprisingly solid. It features Teflon bearings for smooth movement and an altitude tension brake that lets you fine-tune resistance. There’s even a panning knob built into the optical tube for precise, ergonomic aiming without touching the optical tube itself (which can cause thermal distortion).
Weighing just 25 lbs total and outfitted with convenient carry handles, this tabletop telescope is easy to pack up and take anywhere—from your backyard picnic table to a campsite or star party. For added height and comfort, the base can be placed on a crate, table, or even an optional tripod platform.
Built for Beginners, Rewarding for All
Even if you’ve never used a telescope before, the StarSense Explorer app makes learning the night sky intuitive and enjoyable. It automatically generates a curated list of objects visible from your location, then helps you navigate to each target with confidence. You'll get audio tours, detailed descriptions, and visuals to help you understand what you’re observing.
And unlike many beginner scopes that are limited to the Moon and planets, this 6" Dobsonian has enough aperture to start pulling in fainter galaxies, nebulae, and clusters—especially from darker skies.
Observing Tip:
Place the base on a heavy-duty plastic storage bin or milk crate to raise the eyepiece to a more comfortable standing height. This not only makes observing easier for adults, but also turns this compact Dobsonian into a flexible “go anywhere” platform that’s just as suitable for stargazing from a car hood at a campsite as it is for backyard exploration.
Final Thoughts
The Celestron StarSense Explorer 150mm Tabletop Dobsonian is a brilliant combination of serious optics, smartphone convenience, and Dobsonian simplicity. It’s the perfect choice for beginners who want a telescope that’s easy to use yet powerful enough to grow with them. If you’re looking for a hassle-free way to start exploring the cosmos—guided by technology but grounded in great optics—this is the telescope to beat.
Smartphone Compatibility
Celestron StarSense Explorer works with most modern smartphones, including iPhone 6 and up, and most devices running Android 7.1.2 or later manufactured since 2016.
Patented StarSense Sky Recognition Technology
StarSense Explorer uses patented technology and your smartphone to determine exactly where the telescope is pointed in the night sky. A Lost in Space Algorithm (LISA), like the ones satellites use in orbit to correctly orient themselves, helps the app match star patterns it detects overhead to its internal database.
While other astronomy apps may claim that they can help you find objects, they rely exclusively on the phone's gyros and accelerometers, which aren't as accurate as LISA technology. No other app can accurately tell you when your target is visible in the eyepiece.
