Four Best Celestron Telescopes for Deep Space

Telescopes for Deep Space Objects, Beautiful Nebulae, and Galaxies.

 

For many, astrophotography is a life-changing hobby. Astrophotography is one of the most intimate ways we, as human beings, can genuinely engage with the beautiful universe in which we live. Through astrophotography, you can capture your telescopes for deep space objects, beautiful nebulae, and galaxies billions of light-years away from the Earth. 

But while some astrophotographers can use their gear to capture awe-inspiring photos, others ultimately leave the hobby due to needing to buy the right equipment for their skill set. This article will cover four of the best Celestron telescopes for deep space objects as a beginner astrophotographer.

The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX series of telescopes uses your smartphone to align with the night sky. From here, the dedicated StarSense Explorer app will look at the stars as seen through your smartphone’s camera and compare them with its database of stars. 

Then, it will look at the current time and automatically align itself with the night sky. 

 

 

Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ

 

This series’s first (and smallest) telescope is the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ. Although this telescope has 80mm of aperture, representing a 78% increase in light-gathering capability over the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 60AZ refractor, it also has an impressive focal length 900mm at f/11. 

The long focal length will significantly help to reduce color distortions found in refractors with a shorter focal length. Included is a 10mm and 25mm eyepiece. With these two eyepieces, you can magnify 90x and 36x, respectively. 

 

 

The 10mm eyepiece is great for planetary observing. You will easily be able to observe the moons of Jupiter. Polar ice caps on Mars, the rings of Saturn (as well as Saturn’s Moon, Titan). The phases of Venus, and more. 

The 25mm eyepiece is sufficient to observe the Moon and brighter deep-sky objects like the Orion Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy. Also included is a 2x Barlow, which will change the telescope’s focal length from 900mm to 1800mm and boost the magnification with the 10mm eyepiece from 90x to 180x. Improving your ability to look further into the cosmos. A 90-degree diagonal is also included.

We recommend checking out our Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ Essential Bundle for more accessories. You also receive a 1.25″ Apertura Moon Filter. It is beneficial for observing the Moon, as you’ll be able to cut down on the intense glare on the lunar surface & see more contrast in your views. 

The Essential Bundle Package includes the Apertura Cleaning Kit. To ensure that the inevitable dust and grime can be cleaned off your lens or eyepieces. Lastly, a red LED flashlight to help you find your way in the dark without ruining your night-adjusted vision.

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Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ

 

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ is the largest refractor sold in the StarSense Explorer series. This telescope represents a 65% increase in light-gathering capability over the LT 80AZ with a shorter focal length. Making it a great refractor to observe deep-sky objects. 

It features a 102mm (4″) f/6.5 achromatic lens, yielding a focal length of 663mm. With the included 25mm and 10mm eyepieces. You can magnify 26x and 66x, respectively. The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ optical tube assembly (OTA) also has a dovetail bar that can be used on other mounts.

 

With this telescope, you can easily spot various nebulae and galaxies. With the included 25mm lens, you can spot the Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, the Bode and Cigar Galaxy in Ursa Major. The Pleiades, the Lagoon Nebula, and many more bright deep sky objects with a large apparent sizes in the night sky. 

With the 10mm eyepiece, you will be able to easily see the cloud belts and moons of the planet Jupiter. Craters on the surface of the Moon in stunning detail, and the beautiful rings of Saturn. (As well as a few moons, such as Titan and Rhea). All of this while not stressing about alignment, thanks to the StarSense app’s plate-solving technology.

 

Accessories DX 102AZ

• Apertura Smartphone Adapter – If you want to take photos of the planets and lunar surface – you may attach your smartphone camera to your eyepiece with the Apertura Smartphone Adapter.
• Apertura 2X Barlow Lens – You should purchase a Barlow lens to resolve more detail on the planets. A Barlow lens increases the telescope’s focal length by 2x, 3x, et cetera. The Apertura 2x Barlow will increase the focal length from 663mm to 1326mm, which yields a much more impressive 133x magnification. However, anticipate that it might be harder to center planets with this magnification & that planets will appear dimmer as you increase magnification.

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Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ

 

The Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ is the Newtonian counterpart to the LT 80AZ. This telescope is a “Bird-Jones” reflector with a 114mm (4.5″) aperture and 1,000mm focal length. This optical design provides a longer focal length, allowing for an inherently higher magnification with the included eyepieces. 

All in a relatively short optical tube. We again recommend our Beginners Guide to Reflector Telescopes for more information on how reflector telescopes work. 

 

 

With the included 10mm and 25mm eyepieces. You can push your magnification to 100x and 40x, respectively. With the 10mm eyepiece, you’ll be easily able to observe the rings of Saturn, the moons of Jupiter, the Great Red Spot, and much more. 

With the 25mm eyepiece, you’ll ideally be able to frame up the Andromeda Galaxy and observe the Orion Nebula, Lagoon Nebula, Trifid Nebula, and more. We also recommend the StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ Essential Bundle package for more accessories.

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Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ

 

The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ. This telescope comes with a 130mm (5.1″) f/5 reflecting mirror, resulting in a nearly 28% increase in light-gathering capability over the LT114AZ. 

The telescope has a focal length of 650mm, making it a fantastic option for deep-sky observing. Also included are the same eyepieces as with the DX 102 AZ, which yield a magnification of 26x and 65x. Like the DX 102AZ, additional accessories are included in the Essential Bundle Package. The same 1.25″ moon filter, red LED, and Apertura Cleaning Kit are included.

 

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ features a slightly larger (5″ vs. 4″) primary objective. Resulting in marginally brighter views of objects in the night sky. However, you can observe similar objects with the DX 102AZ more clearly. The planets will have slightly better detail to them. You should be able to watch the two main cloud belts on Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, and much more. 

 

Accessories DX 130AZ

• Apertura Smartphone Adapter – If you want to take photos of the planets and lunar surface. You may like to attach your smartphone camera to your eyepiece with the Apertura Smartphone Adapter. 

• 2″ Eyepieces – The DX130AZ reflector focuser also comes with the ability to install a 2″ eyepiece directly into your focuser. A 2″ eyepiece will give you a wider field of view, more extensive eye relief, and experience more of the “in space” feeling a telescope can bring. These eyepieces are fantastic, high-quality eyepieces that will significantly increase both the depth and clarity of your views of nebulae and galaxies.

• Apertura 2X Barlow Lens – You should purchase a Barlow lens to resolve more detail on the planets with the included eyepieces. A Barlow lens increases the telescope’s focal length by 2x, 3x, et cetera. The Apertura 2x Barlow will increase the focal length from 650mm to 1300mm, which yields a much more impressive 130x magnification with the 10mm eyepiece. However, anticipate that it might be harder to center planets with this magnification. And that planets will appear dimmer as you increase magnification. The amount of detail you can resolve highly depends on the accuracy of your collimation with this telescope.

• Laser Collimator – For the quickest and most accurate collimation, we recommend a laser collimator to align the primary and secondary mirrors. The Apertura 1.25″ Laser Collimator and the Hotech 1.25″ SCA Dot Laser Collimator are excellent choices for this telescope.

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Steep Learning Curve in Astrophotography

If your passion is intense, it will help you go through the steep learning curve involved in astrophotography. Looking at a typical deep-sky imaging setup may make you a little overwhelmed. The good news is that you can slowly build your astrophotography kit to accomplish your goals over time. It is essential to understand that over time you can create a significant kit of gear that will give you enormous joy and satisfaction.