Celestron Starsense Review

Are you bored with spending a lot of time aligning your scope to what you want to look at? Don’t you wish there was a device that could align the scope for you so you can spend a bit more time sorting your eyepieces and making the most of clear skies?

Your prayers have been answered in the Celestron Starsense! This nifty little gadget is compatible with Celestron scopes, and can offer you a really easy, hassle free way to view the night sky – and what’s more, to instantly view what you most want to see!

If you are umming and aahing about whether to invest, have a read about our experience with this clever piece of kit.

Celestron Starsense review

What are you buying?

In this kit you will receive the Starsense aligner itself, plus a mounting bracket, Celestron Starsense hand control (this replaces the SynScan hand control), a Celestron Starsense camera, a cable and an interface box.

The interface plugs into the mount’s hand control port, and the camera and hand control both plug into the interface box.

How easy is it to use?

The Starsense is ridiculously easy to use, so much so that we were genuinely surprised. So many gadgets purport to make life easier and to do exactly what they say on the tin, then fail to deliver…

This automatic aligner did exactly what it was meant to do, within minutes of being set up! All you need to do is input your coordinates to let the system know where in the world you are, then press “align” and it will do just that.

Even for those who are suspicious of new technology and struggle to understand different systems, this automatic aligner will astonish you by how easy it is to set up and use.

What accessories do you get?

The accessories included are basic but functional, and relate solely to the use of the aligner. You won’t be getting any useless freebies with this one!

Each accessory is tailored to the aligner and makes using it possible. It is possible to use the Starsense without the handset, but the handset makes the whole experience easier and more convenient.

Celestron Starsense Pros and cons!

Pros:

• Saves a lot of time – If you don’t have to spend ages aligning your scope, you can spend more time stargazing.
• Can be connected to more than one scope – If you are lucky enough to have a selection of scopes, you don’t have to buy a separate aligner for each one.
• Great for astronomy in particularly cloudy areas – If your viewing window is small, you want to get down to it quickly to maximise your stargazing.
• Very good, stable alignment – As long as you set the device up properly you should experience no problems.

Cons:

• It’s pricey – As we all know, astronomy is not a cheap hobby! Due to the cost, it is worth considering this aligner if you are on the serious side of amateur.
• Works best with Celestron kit – If you have a different type of scope you would better off looking elsewhere (or selling all your kit and switching to Celestron!)

Anything else you should know?

This device has plug and play compatibility (you will need to check the listings for what it is compatible with.)

The auto align camera is very well made and manufactured, so you should have no issues with it in a mechanical sense, and if you ever did need to return it you can be sure that this trusted manufacturer would replace it for you with no questions asked.

It is stunningly fast to set up and use; just a few minutes before you can be out there gazing at the skies, without having to wait hours for system updates or to get the device working.

To conclude…

This really is a fabulous addition to your astronomy arsenal. It makes stargazing so very simple, not having to faff about with alignments every time you get your scope out!

If you are a bit of a purist who enjoys manual alignment, or if you live in a country which is clear skied all the time, you could save your money.

For those of us who want to look at stars and planets rather than fiddle with equipment, or those who live in countries where cloud can pop up out of nowhere and ruin a viewing session before you’ve even got fully set up, this is a revolutionary piece of kit.

Where to buy?

• Amazon UK: >>Click here to check today’s price