Description
Highlights
- Enables automatic alignment of your Celestron computerized telescope. See a full list of compatible telescopes in the technology tab.
- No need to identify or locate any star in the sky-StarSense automatically aligns your telescope, so you can begin observing in minutes
- Aligns in 3 minutes or less
- Provides advanced mount modeling-align on numerous stars throughout the sky for extremely precise GoTo pointing accuracy
- StarSense hand controller included
Become an instant astronomer, even if you've never used a telescope before, with the one-of-a-kind StarSense AutoAlign. Just set up the accessory, push the Align button on the hand control, and StarSense begins capturing and comparing images of the night sky against its internal database. In about three minutes, it's gathered enough information to triangulate its position and align itself. Then, press the Sky Tour button: StarSense will automatically slew to all the best stars, planets, galaxies, and more currently visible in the night sky.
How it Works
The self-alignment technology behind our award-winning SkyProdigy series is now available for most of Celestron's current computerized telescopes and compatible with many older models as well. (See compatibility list below.)
A small digital camera takes the place of your finderscope and attaches using one of two provided mounting brackets. The included StarSense hand control, with a database of over 40,000 celestial objects, takes the place of your NexStar hand control. The camera automatically captures a series of images of the sky. StarSense identifies the stars in the images, matching them to its database. Once a positive match is confirmed, StarSense calculates the coordinates of the center of the captured image, thereby determining exactly where the telescope is pointed.
Before StarSense, using a computerized telescope required a lengthy alignment process of finding and centering at least two bright stars in the telescope's eyepiece. But StarSense automatically aligns itself with minimal user input. Just enter your time, date, and location and let StarSense do the rest!
Advanced Mount Modeling
Even the most advanced telescope users will love using StarSense AutoAlign. This affordable accessory replaces the expensive software usually used for advanced mount modeling.
With built-in mount modeling, you'll get superior pointing accuracy from horizon to horizon. When your alignment needs to be perfect, add up to 10 additional calibration stars to achieve a new level of accuracy, great for locating objects in the camera's field of view for astroimaging.
StarSense camera field of view: 6.88º x 5.16º
StarSense Compatibility List
Any mount with 5.x or greater is compatible with the software
| Compatible | |
|---|---|
| Advanced VX | CGX-L |
| Astro Fi | CPC, CPC DX |
| CG-5 (with CG-5 Aux. splitter) | NexStar Evolution |
| CGE | NexStar GT (2015 models and newer with Aux. splitter) |
| CGE Pro | NexStar SE Series |
| CGEM II | NexStar SLT |
| CGEM, CGEM DX | SkyProdigy |
| CGX | |
| Not Compatible | |
|---|---|
| NexStar i Series | NexStar GPS |
| Ultima 2000 | Early generation GoTo mounts (such as Compustar) |
| LCM series | |
| Manuals: |
|---|
| StarSense AutoAlign Manual |
| Software & Firmware: |
| Celestron Firmware Manager (CFM) Software |
| Other Product Files: |
Specifications
| Camera Information: | |
|---|---|
| Imaging Sensor | Aptina MT9M034 1 .2 Megapixel CMOS |
| Pixel Array | 1280 x 960 |
| Pixel Size | 3 .75um x 3 .75um |
| Objective Lens Diameter | 20mm (2-element) |
| Objective Lens Focal Length | 40mm |
| Objective Lens Focal Ratio/F-stop | f/2 |
| Control Board | 32-bit processor with embedded Linux Operating System |
| USB Port | USB 2 .0 |
| Auxiliary Port | Connects to Celestron telescopes |
| Hand Controller Information: | |
| Object Database | 45,178 |
| LCD | Red backlit 4 Line LCD |
| CPU | STMicro ARM 32-bit Cortex-M3 CPU |
| Software and Firmware | Fully upgradable |
| RS-232 Port | PC connectable for software/firmware upgrades |