LARGEST DOBSONIAN TELESCOPE MANUAL
The latter is easily possible on the Celestron StarSense Explorer 8-inch Dobsonian telescope, though you can also attach a manual DSLR or mirrorless camera to the focuser using a T-adaptor.įor all their simplicity and supreme light-gathering powers, there's something about Dobsonians - and all Newtonian reflectors - that aren't very beginner-friendly. The third issue is that by leaving a smartphone in the cradle you haven't then got access to your usual smartphone app for stargazing or your smartphone's camera for some quick afocal lunar astrophotography.
LARGEST DOBSONIAN TELESCOPE SOFTWARE
Since the software regularly plate-solves the stars it sees in the smartphone mirror just before issuing the final close-in bullseye, it requires a clear sky, so stargazing through gaps might cause it to lose itself. It's not difficult but it will trip up some absolute beginners. It's therefore necessary to have a deep twilight and a bright star (we used Vega). The first problem is the initial alignment, which requires the user to point this telescope at a bright star and corroborate it with the mirror image shown on the StarSense app. No, not light pollution - the StarSense method appears to be able to cope with that. However, there are three small issues with using a smartphone app to align a telescope. The carry handles on both the tube and the base proved really useful. It's also worth remembering that the mount is such that when looking at things close to the horizon the optics are fairly close to the ground - so an open observing location is recommended. It's rigid enough, though it does require a little tweaking if you're spending the evening inspecting targets at the zenith. We found it simple enough to maneuver the tube while the base has smooth movements and high-quality bearings. Its metal focus knobs work smoothly and precisely as does the panning knob. However, even without that flashy app, this is a telescope that has a decent enough build quality to work without much fuss. It's partly thanks to the StarSense app, of course, which makes aligning it incredibly easy. The Celestron StarSense Explorer 8-inch Dobsonian telescope is easy to use. The alt-azimuth base includes a carry handle and an eyepiece rack (Image credit: Jamie Carter) Celestron StarSense Explorer 8-inch Dobsonian telescope: Functionality Optically speaking this Dobsonian is an incredibly impressive product - and excellent value for money. It's easy to make reasonably fine adjustments to the field of view by slightly moving the tube (although you do have to get used to the inverted image) while the focus wheel is perfectly calibrated and works really well. The clarity in the great globular cluster in Hercules (M13) was mesmerizing, and so was the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). Objects look sharp, detailed and contrasty. However, it's with the deep sky that this 'scope truly excels. Saturn, although close to the horizon, clearly displayed its ring pattern. Ditto the 'double double' close to Vega in Lyra. In our test, we easily split double stars, with fine views of the red and blue companions in Albireo in Cygnus. Bright stars have a slight four-pronged starburst (though Celestron's XLT reflective coatings keep these diffraction spikes to a minimum). When the bullseye turns green you're ready to observe - and the views on offer are truly excellent. The primary mirror measures 8"/203 mm and has an aperture of f/5.9 (Image credit: Jamie Carter)
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