Celestron StarSense Explorer

• Free

Last verified 31 Jul 2026

3.3 161 ratings · App Store

1. 4/5It needs improvements for telescope alignment. when I tried looking for the moon, the map was offset

   I’ve tried to get my telescope centered using this app by aligning it to the moon’s location, and I’m being dissatisfied by the app’s performance as when I tried to aligning the telescope through the app, the lens showed a blank sky because the telescope was offset to the right of the telescope’s direction of focus. I had to literally manually align the telescope due to this. I do have a screenshot of what I am speaking of. Finding planets took me time because of a similar scenario. It would be great if the app could make improvements with aligning the iPhone so that telescope users won’t have to turn on their battery powered laser that comes with their StarSense explorer telescopes or any other telescope of this brand.

   #Mo_Ali · 31 Jul 2026

2. 2/5Really, Celestron??

   I would recommend this product with six stars if the app had half the functionality of Celestron’s SkyPortal freeware, and ten stars if it lived up to the SkySafari engine that runs them both. I manage a large lending library of telescopes for my local club, and own a dozen telescopes ranging from $250 up to $7500, but bought this one for outreach and pure curiosity to try out the mounted app-driven interface. It could be the perfect storm, and to be honest, I’m not sure why Celestron chose to 1) attach it to their lowest line of hobby-killer junk telescopes and 2) dumb down and cripple the utility of the app so as to make it only useful in the most basic and prescriptive way. I should be shocked, but guess that I’m not, since the platform represents a potential threat to their own top of the line go-to tech. As sold, its an enabling tool with *so* much potential, but in practice, the functionality of the app and cell phone mount (let’s face it, the only reason to try the thing out) is so dumbed down as to be nearly useless. Two stars because it works, but soooo disappointed. Rookie move, Celestron.

   Date seeker · 31 Jul 2026

3. 2/5Can’t find the right position

   I opened the app and it looks great. I’m ready to start with my telescope, it’s my first telescope, so I’m really excited to start working on it so then I get the app and then I try to set it up so then I go to the quick setup and I set it up and it’s already it’s aligned and then I looked at the app and then in the night sky I pointed a word. It says that it was Saturn but then when I looked through the lens, there’s nothing so then I opened this other app called Stellarium where it shows me the night sky where I can move my phone around and it shows me what’s in front of me and where things are and then it shows that Mars is in a completely different direction so then I have to rely on that which is harder to do than with the app so then I have to rely on my eyes and that app that’s hard to do so if you could please update this app and have it use the same thing that Stellarium has but just at an angle because where you put your phone it’s slanted so if you could please update it that would be nice thank you.

   Super Duper Cool Person123 · 31 Jul 2026

4. 2/5Can’t find the moon

   As a first time telescope enthusiast I was very excited about using this with my new telescope. After several attempts at trying to locate Jupiter in the sky with no luck-and dozens of realignment attempts, I initially thought it was user error however, on a clear night after realigning my phone with the telescope, I figured I would see if the app could find the moon and it didn’t! I don’t think this is a user friendly app. Hopefully I can find another app to use that can find the moon better than this one!

   LJ1011 · 31 Jul 2026

5. 5/5Works great!

   This app is necessary with the new Celestron StarSense Explorer DX telescopes and you need to have one with their special phone mounts in order to use this app to its fullest. The plate solving features work great! I really like the nightly challenge objects list. I like that it makes me semi competent at finding objects and seeing awesome things that I would have a really tough time finding otherwise. I think this app does what it aims to do really well. If only I could have more clear nights to make use of it, although this has really come in handy even in less than ideal conditions. Like all things that are new, it is not without its kinks, but nothing I can’t work around!

   mstrattao · 31 Jul 2026

Privacy

• Data Not Collected Developer declared

Accessibility

No accessibility labels collected yet.