The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ has made it to the top three best beginner telescopes list, and it’s currently on a heavy discount at Amazon during Black Friday.
Save over $180 on this beginner Celestron telescope and take advantage of this Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal at Amazon. Originally discounted by $150, they’ve now reduced the price by an additional $30.
Our review of the StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ rated it 4/5 stars–making it one of the most highly recommended beginner telescopes. This telescope is perfect for new astronomers, as it pairs with the Celestron StarSense app to provide an easy guide around the night sky. As beginners learn more about the cosmos, they can scale their skills to navigate by eye with the telescope’s assistance.
It comes with a red dot finderscope for manual star-hopping, as well as 25mm and 10mm eyepieces, a StarSense smartphone dock, and a steady, full-height tripod–everything needed to get started observing under the stars. While basic astro images can be captured, serious astrophotographers may consider a motorized telescope like the Celestron NexStar 8SE, which is also on sale this Black Friday.
An Alt-azimuth mount makes the StarSense DX 130AZ setup straightforward for beginners. This telescope offers great optical quality and a lightweight system, which ensures ease of use when moving it around. However, proper alignment of the mirrors is crucial to maximize the telescope’s potential and ensure an enjoyable experience.
Key Specs: This Newtonian reflector features a 650mm focal length and an aperture of 130mm with a focal ratio of f/5. It offers a maximum useful magnification of 307x and a minimum of 19x, and weighs a total of 18 lbs (8.16 kg), making it relatively light for its capabilities.
Consensus: The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is an excellent telescope for new skywatchers, providing great value for money and user-friendliness. In fact, it’s so user-friendly that we found an eight-year-old was able to start using it!
Buy if: You’re a beginner astronomer looking for a quality instrument and guidance that can be easily accessed through a smartphone app.
Don’t buy if: You’re ready to take your skywatching to the next level and want to customize your setup with advanced features like high-quality eyepieces and more sophisticated Equatorial mounts.
Alternative models: If you’re a more advanced skywatcher, the Black Friday deal on the Celestron NexStar 8SE is suitable for your needs.
If you prefer a smart telescope, consider the Unistellar eVscope 2 smart telescope from Unistellar’s website.
Check out our Black Friday 2023 deals page for the best discounts and deals on telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, Lego and more.
