Large 12" Optical Tube
The classic Dobsonian OTA design is a much-loved staple of the astronomy community. This 12" Newtonian OTA has enough light-gathering ability to bring out impressive detail in celestial objects. You can expect sharp, bright views of Jupiter's four Galilean moons, its cloud bands, and Great Red Spot, the rings of Saturn, the gaseous glow of the Orion Nebula, dust lanes in the Lagoon Nebula, and our neighbor galaxy, Andromeda. Compared to the other StarSense Explorer Dobsonian telescopes, the 12” Dobsonian has 2.25 more light gathering ability than the 8” and 2.25x more light gathering ability than the 10”, providing better views of faint objects. Equipped with XLT reflective coatings, there is good light throughput and the primary mirror's low-expansion material provides more optical path stability during fluctuating temperatures. The thin veins for the secondary mirror holder ensure there are minimal diffraction effects. The OTA body is silver in color, matching the other StarSense Explorer series telescopes, and on the side of the optical tube, you will find a convenient carry handle for easy transport to star parties or your favorite observation spot. Celestron has included a panning knob for an ergonomic grip when pointing the telescope, preventing the introduction of heat from your hands into the optical system.

Dock your Smartphone!
The StarSense Explorer dock is not just any old smartphone holder for your telescope! It has a specially designed integrated mirror that works in conjunction with your smartphone’s camera to gather star pattern data for the StarSense Explorer app. A built-in shade keeps stray light from reflecting off the mirror and messing with the data. X-Y adjustment knobs allow the dock to hold many different smartphone sizes and oftentimes the case can be left in place. The StarSense Explorer telescopes work with a wide range of smartphones, including the iPhone 6 or higher and Android 7.1.2 smartphones that were manufactured in 2016 onward and have a camera, gyro, and accelerometer sensor. You can find the app download in the Apple App Store or Google Play. When you launch the app for the first time you’ll follow a simple two-step process that aligns your smartphone's camera with the telescope's field of view. Once set up, the app displays a scene of the night sky and a bullseye to show you where it is currently looking. Now it is up to you to decide what you want to look at. The easiest and fastest way to do that is simply to choose from the Tonight's Best observing list, which is automatically generated to show you popular objects that are currently visible from your location. Depending on the time of year, your location, and the time of night, the list might include planets like Jupiter or Saturn, galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, and more.

Dobsonian-style Base
The alt-azimuth StarSense Explorer base includes many top-notch features that will make your viewing sessions a breeze! Both sturdy and aesthetically pleasing, the Dobsonian base is made from CARB compliant particle board with melamine surfaces and edge trim. For smooth up-and-down motion, this base has large-diameter altitude bearings. Integrated into the base is an altitude "brake" system. This system gives variable tensioning of altitude axis motion, meaning you get ultra-smooth motions, even with slight imbalances! Unique to this base are the braces for the side panels that provide extra stability and rigidity. These types of braces are usually reserved for larger Dobsonians but do great to ensure the stability of this StarSense 12" Dobsonian setup. Much like the OTA, the StarSense Explorer 12" Dobsonian base includes an easy-to-grip carry handle to make travel easier! You can also remove the eyepiece rack during times of travel and then put it back once you need a handy place to put extra eyepieces during your observation sessions.