Our choice as one of the best budget telescopes now has 17% off — this telescope deal is worth grabbing fast
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The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is one of the best telescopes for beginner-to-intermediate stargazers who want to view deep-sky objects and appreciate assistance in manually locating the targets.
Right now, the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is 17% off, down to just $414.99, its cheapest since Prime Day in June.
In our Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ review, our expert tester Damian Peach awarded it an impressive 4 out of 5-star. Damian noted that it was an exquisite telescope for the beginner and added that the StarSense Explorer telescope was fully equipped, supplied with just about everything the skywatcher needs for a successful observing session under the stars.
It only missed out on the perfect score as Damian felt it would benefit from additional high-powered eyepieces to achieve more detailed views. However, at this discounted price, it’s one of the best beginner-friendly telescopes you could ever want to own.
Paul Brett is a deals writer at Space, Live Science, and across the Sports and Knowledge titles at Future. Paul is an award-winning photographer, having won the Mountain Photographer of the Year title at Trail Magazine. A huge fan of photography and cameras, he can be found on top of Scotland’s mountains, wild camping, waiting to capture the Northern Lights or a cloud inversion.
(Image credit: Celestron)
Ideal for entry-level stargazers, the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ uses its clever StarSense smartphone app to streamline finding targets in the night sky. While it lacks the fully automated GoTo tracking found on some of the best smart telescopes, its substantial 5.1-inch aperture gathers plenty of light—delivering brighter, sharper, and more detailed views than most automated competitors.
One of its standout features is the clever mount-integrated smartphone dock, which takes the hassle out of locating faint deep-space targets. Fueled by real-time GPS tracking and your phone’s camera, the StarSense app generates a live sky map that leads you straight to any celestial object. By replacing tedious star charts with turn-by-turn guidance, it lets you spend your time actually observing the universe rather than searching for it—earning it a top spot in our best budget telescope guide for astronomers of all experience levels.
Key features: Newtonian reflector design, 5-inch (130 mm) aperture, 25-inch (650mm) focal length, f/5 focal ratio, 307x highest useful magnification, 18 lbs (8.16 kg) weight, Starsense smartphone-powered technology, two-year warranty.
Launched: January 2020
Price history: Before today’s telescope deal, the best price we’ve seen on the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope was $379 during the Prime Day sales in June. The MSRP is $499.95, which makes the current on-sale price of $414.99 a significant saving on what is a seldom-discounted model.
Price comparison: Amazon: $414.99 | Adorama: $449.99 | Walmart: $499.95
Reviews consensus: In our Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ review, we awarded this telescope four stars for its user-friendly interface and impressive views, making it an ideal choice for beginners who want a modern and simple way to explore the night sky.
Space: ★★★★½ | Digital Camera World: ★★★★½
✅ Buy it if: You want a user-friendly telescope for beginners that uses smartphone technology to help you navigate the night sky to observe planets and deep space objects
❌ Don’t buy it if: You want a fully automated smart telescope or prefer a more traditional method of navigating the night sky.
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