Fancy getting your hands on a solid Celestron telescope for less?
Walmart has reduced the StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ by $40 this Black Friday, making it $199.95 instead of $239.95.
The Explorer LT 114AZ is the entry level model for Celestron's excellent StarSense range. It's not the most feature-heavy, then, but it is one of the cheapest, making it a great place for beginners wanting to get to grips with a telescope that features app navigation. And thanks to this $40 Black Friday discount, it's now even cheaper.
In our Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ review we praised how easy the telescope is to set up. It makes use of Celestron's excellent StarSense app, which we called "probably the finest solution currently available for aligning a telescope". It's a joy to use: Connect the telescope with your smartphone and the two will work together, referencing the stars and celestial bodies you see with the app's database.
While our review also noted that this telescope lacks the precision that more experienced users may want, it's a fantastic starting point for newcomers, or the budget-conscious, to begin to stargazing. And at this excellent price, it's more affordable than ever.
The Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ can also be picked up at Amazon this Black Friday for the same reduced price of $199.95.
- Read our Black Friday 2024 deals page for big discounts on space gifts
Suited for beginners, the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ is pleasantly easy to set up. Its manual altazimuth mount features a slow-motion rod which makes tracking targets in the night sky a smooth and easy process.
The telescope features a 114mm Newtonian reflector, which has a good light gathering ability - perfect for viewing craters on the planets. You'll also find two different eyepieces in the box, both of which can provide you with different levels of magnification. Using the also-included 2x Barlow lense, the StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ has an impressive maximum magnification of 200x. We wouldn't necessarily recommend using that, though: we found 100x to be the sweet spot when planet-spotting with this scope.
It's safe to say that the star feature of the Explorer LT 114AZ is its StarSense Explorer app compatibility. This app really is Celestron's secret weapon, making finding objects in the night sky not only easy but fun to do. It's useful for more experienced stargazers, too, but beginners will get the most out of it as they're guided to the most visible objects at the time of use.
Key Specs: Newtonian reflector optical design, 4.5 inches/114mm aperture size, focal length of 39.3 inches/1000mm, focal ratio of f/9, two included eyepieces with 40x and 100x magnification, manual altazimuth mount type, total kit weight of 6.6lbs/2.99kg.
Consensus: As the entry-level model in Celestron's StarSense Explorer range, you won't find the biggest and best range of features in the LT 114AZ. But this is still a solid telescope that's easy to use for beginners. And thanks to its StarSense app compatibility, it's a powerful tool for learning all about the stars.
Buy if: You're a newcomer to stargazing on a budget and want to buy an app-powered telescope that isn't going to break the bank.
Don't buy if: You're already a expert stargazer, or like to have the latest and most powerful tech.
Alternative models: A great alternative beginner telescope is the Celestron NexStar 4SE, which uses Celestron's SkyAlign technology rather than the StarSense app. If you're looking for something else that suits a small budget, the Celestron Inspire 100AZ Refractor comes highly recommended.
Check out our Black Friday 2023 deals page for a roundup of the best discounts and deals on telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, Lego and much more.
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