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The StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ is the cheapest way to get a telescope that tells you where to point it. I set mine up in January 2023 for the first version of this review and it is still the scope I carry out when I want to be observing in ten minutes. This update covers almost four years of use: setup, the StarSense app on a real night, what the scope shows of the Moon, planets and deep sky, what annoys me and who should buy a different StarSense instead.
Verdict
4.5 out of 5 for a first telescope
Buy the LT 80AZ if you want a first telescope that finds objects for you. The 80mm refractor gives sharp views of the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn. It shows the Orion Nebula and the brighter clusters without any fuss. The app does the star-hopping, so a new owner sees Saturn on night one instead of night twelve. Skip it if faint galaxies are your goal. An 80mm lens gathers too little light for them, and a larger StarSense Explorer will serve you better.
Still sold: yes. Amazon US lists it new, shipped and sold by Amazon (checked November 1, 2026).
Specs at a glance
| Type | Refractor (achromatic), altazimuth mount |
|---|---|
| Aperture | 80mm (about 3 inches) |
| Focal length and ratio | 900mm, f/11 |
| Eyepieces in the box | 25mm (36x) and 10mm (90x), 1.25″ barrel |
| Barlow | 2x, doubles each eyepiece (72x and 180x) |
| Maximum useful power | Celestron lists 189x; I stop near 130x on most nights |
| Finder | Red dot finder (StarPointer) |
| Diagonal | Erect-image, so the view is the right way up |
| Mount | Manual altazimuth with an altitude slow-motion rod; no azimuth slow motion |
| Tripod | Aluminum, full height, accessory tray |
| Weight | About 9.2 lb for the complete kit |
| Tube length | About 38 inches |
| Smartphone dock | Included; the StarSense Explorer app is free |
| Warranty | 2 years (US) |
Is the LT 80AZ still available?
Yes. As of November 2026 the LT 80AZ is in stock on Amazon US and sold directly by Amazon. Celestron has widened the StarSense Explorer range since 2023 with tabletop reflectors in 114mm, 130mm and 150mm sizes, but the LT 80AZ is still the entry refractor in the line and it has not been replaced. Stock moves, so use the button above to see the current status. If it shows as unavailable, the closest substitutes are the LT 114AZ and the DX 102AZ, both covered below.
Setup
Assembly took about 20 minutes the first time. The tripod opens, the tube sits in the mount saddle, the diagonal and eyepiece go into the focuser and the phone dock clips onto the tube. The tube is 38 inches long, so it rides across a back seat with the tripod legs folded. I have taken it to a campsite and to a rooftop without a case.
Two jobs before the first night. Align the red dot finder on something far away such as a streetlight or a chimney. It takes two minutes in daylight and it is your backup when the phone battery dies. Then run the one-time calibration in the app, which matches what the phone camera sees to what the eyepiece shows. I repeat it whenever I take the phone out of the dock or bump the dock.
The dock fits most phones. Very large phones and thick cases are a tight fit, so remove the case before you buy a bigger one to compensate.
The StarSense app in practice
The routine on every night is the same. Put the phone in the dock and open the app. Point the tube at a patch of sky with a few stars and hold it still while the app takes a picture and matches the star pattern against its catalog. Within about a minute it reports “Telescope position found.” After that you pick a target from the “Tonight’s Best” list or search for one, and arrows show which way to push the tube. When the bullseye turns green, the object is in the eyepiece.
In my use the target lands inside the 36x field every time. At 90x the field is under 0.6 degrees across and I sometimes nudge the scope a little to center it. That is a short walk compared with star-hopping to the Double Cluster by hand, which took me an evening when I started.
Things the app does not do. It does not track, so the Earth’s rotation carries a planet out of a 90x field in about two minutes and you push the tube again. Thin cloud slows the alignment and heavy cloud stops it. The phone drains faster in the cold with the screen at full brightness, so I keep a power bank in a pocket and use the app’s red night mode. The app works from a suburban yard with streetlights nearby, since it only needs enough stars to recognize a pattern.
What it shows
The Moon
The Moon is where the LT 80AZ is at its best. At 36x the whole disk fits in the field with room to spare. At 90x the line between light and shadow, the terminator, fills with detail: crater walls and central peaks in Clavius and Theophilus plus the long shadow of the Straight Wall. Around full Moon the glare is tiring, and a Moon filter fixes that cheaply. I do not go past 90x on the Moon because the image softens before the detail improves.
Planets
- Jupiter: two dark cloud belts and four moons strung out in a line. The Great Red Spot shows as a pale oval when it faces us and the air is steady.
- Saturn: the rings are obvious at 90x and Titan sits beside the planet as a point of light. I have split the gap in the rings, the Cassini Division, only on the steadiest nights near 130x.
- Venus: a clear crescent or half disk depending on the month. It is bright enough to look overexposed, and a Moon filter tames it.
- Mars: an orange dot most of the time. It shows markings only for a few weeks around opposition, which comes every two years.
The f/11 achromat has a faint violet edge on the Moon’s limb and around Jupiter at 90x. I notice it only when I look for it. A faster refractor such as the DX 102AZ shows more of it.
Deep sky
An 80mm lens is small for deep sky and I keep my expectations there. The Orion Nebula is the best target: a bright gray fan with the four stars of the Trapezium at its core. The Double Cluster in Perseus fits inside the 36x field and sparkles. The Andromeda Galaxy is a pale oval glow that brightens toward the center, with no spiral arms. The globular cluster M13 is a fuzzy ball with no separate stars. Albireo, a double star in Cygnus, splits cleanly at 90x into a gold star and a blue one. Faint galaxies and nebulae beyond that need more aperture. My aperture guide explains why.
What annoys me
- The stock eyepieces. The 25mm and 10mm Kellners work, but the 10mm has tight eye relief and a narrow field. They are the first thing I replaced. See Plössl vs Kellner eyepieces for the difference.
- No azimuth slow motion. The altitude rod is smooth. Side to side you push the tube by hand, which gets fiddly at 90x.
- Tripod vibration. A tap on the focuser sets the image shaking for about two seconds. It never ruined a view, but it is why I keep power under 130x.
- The 180x Barlow combination. The 10mm plus the 2x Barlow gives 180x, which is more than this aperture can support. The 25mm plus the Barlow at 72x is the useful pairing.
- No tracking. Fine for visual use, and the reason this is not a scope for astrophotography.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The app finds targets for you, with no subscription
- Sharp, high-contrast views of the Moon and planets
- A refractor needs no collimation and no cool-down time
- Light enough to carry with one hand and fit in a small car
- Erect-image diagonal makes it usable for daytime scenery
- 2-year US warranty
Cons
- 80mm is small for faint galaxies and nebulae
- No tracking and no azimuth slow motion
- Basic Kellner eyepieces
- Needs a phone, a battery and a clear enough sky to align
- Tripod shakes briefly after a touch
Who it is for
Buy it if you are
- A first-time buyer who does not want to learn the sky before seeing it
- A parent buying for a 10 year old or a teenager
- An experienced observer who wants a grab-and-go scope for the Moon and planets
- Someone observing from a suburban yard or balcony
Skip it if you want
- The most aperture for the money, which a Dobsonian gives
- Faint galaxies and nebulae
- Astrophotography beyond phone shots of the Moon
- A telescope that points and tracks on its own (look at a GoTo mount)
LT 80AZ compared with the alternatives
All three below use the same StarSense app and phone dock, apart from the AstroMaster, which has no app. If you are still choosing, my refractor guide and the telescope finder narrow the field.
| Telescope | Optics | Best for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| StarSense LT 80AZ | 80mm refractor, 900mm | Moon, planets, easy carry | Check on Amazon |
| StarSense LT 114AZ | 114mm reflector, 1000mm | More light for deep sky | Check on Amazon |
| StarSense DX 102AZ | 102mm refractor, 660mm | Wider field, sturdier mount | Check on Amazon |
| AstroMaster 70AZ | 70mm refractor, 900mm | Lowest cost, no app | Check on Amazon |
More aperture
Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ
The 114mm reflector collects about twice the light of the 80mm lens, which is the difference between a smudge and a recognizable shape on galaxies and the fainter nebulae. The app, the dock and the mount style are the same, so setup is identical. The trade is a reflector that can need collimation and a mirror that needs a short cool-down outside. I cover it in my LT 114AZ review.
- Optics: 114mm Newtonian reflector, 1000mm focal length
- Choose it over the LT 80AZ if: deep sky matters as much as the Moon and planets
Step-up refractor
Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ
The DX keeps the refractor format and adds a 102mm lens, a 660mm focal length and a mount with slow-motion controls on both axes. It gathers about 60 percent more light than the LT 80AZ and shows a wider field. The faster f/6.5 lens also shows more false color on bright objects. In my DX 102AZ review I explain why the LT 80AZ is still the better value for most first-time buyers and the DX is the better scope if you know you will keep observing.
- Optics: 102mm achromatic refractor, 660mm focal length
- Choose it over the LT 80AZ if: you want slow motion on both axes and a larger lens
Lowest cost
Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ
The AstroMaster has no app and no dock. You find objects with the red dot finder and a sky chart. It gives the same type of views on the Moon and planets from a smaller 70mm lens, and the steel tripod is less rigid than the LT 80AZ tripod. Pick it only if the budget is firm and you are comfortable learning the sky by hand. For a child who will give up when an object does not appear, the StarSense app is worth the extra cost.
- Optics: 70mm achromatic refractor, 900mm focal length
- Choose it over the LT 80AZ if: you want to spend as little as possible and do not need the app
Tabletop Dobsonians such as the StarSense Explorer 114AZ Tabletop give more aperture for the same money but need a sturdy table. My tabletop telescope guide compares them.
What I would add
The scope is complete out of the box. These four additions are the ones I bought and kept.
First upgrade
Celestron X-Cel LX 7mm eyepiece
The 7mm gives 129x in this scope, which is the highest power it holds on a normal night. It has 16mm of eye relief, so you do not press your eye to the lens. Jupiter and Saturn look cleaner than through the 10mm Kellner. More focal lengths are in my Celestron eyepiece guide.
Wide field
Celestron Omni 32mm Plössl
The 32mm gives 28x and a wider sweep of sky than the stock 25mm. It frames the Double Cluster and large star fields comfortably, and it makes the app’s bullseye easier to hit.
For the Moon
Celestron Moon Filter
It threads into the bottom of most 1.25″ eyepieces, including the stock ones. It cuts the glare from a bright Moon so the surface detail is comfortable to look at. I use it every night the Moon is more than half lit.
Night vision
Celestron Red LED Headlamp
Red light keeps your eyes dark-adapted while you swap eyepieces and read the focuser. You also need it for the dock, which you will adjust in the dark more often than you expect.
A small power bank for the phone is the fifth item. Any one that fits in a jacket pocket will do. If you want to push power past 130x, my guide to Barlow lenses and the list of the best eyepieces for planets cover the options.
Final word
The LT 80AZ does one thing better than any other scope at its size: it gets a beginner from the box to Saturn in a single evening. The optics are sound, the weight is manageable and the app is free. Its limit is aperture. If you accept that, it is the StarSense I recommend first. If you already know you want galaxies, go to the LT 114AZ. If you want a bigger refractor, go to the DX 102AZ.
More from Little Astronomy
- Best refractor telescopes for beginners
- Pros and cons of refracting telescopes
- Best telescopes for adults
- Portable telescopes for travel
FAQ
Is the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ still available?
Yes. As of November 2026 Amazon US lists it new and sells it directly. Celestron has added tabletop models to the StarSense Explorer line, but the LT 80AZ has not been discontinued. If it is out of stock when you look, the LT 114AZ and the DX 102AZ are the closest alternatives.
Is the StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ good for beginners?
Yes. It is the telescope I recommend first to beginners. The app removes the hardest part of the hobby, which is finding objects. The refractor needs no collimation. It keeps beginners observing instead of searching.
Does the StarSense Explorer app cost anything?
No. The app is free and there is no subscription. You need your own smartphone, and the camera has to work, since the app reads star patterns through it.
What can you see with the LT 80AZ?
Lunar craters and mountains, the belts and four moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, the phases of Venus, the Orion Nebula, bright star clusters, double stars and the core of the Andromeda Galaxy. Faint galaxies and nebulae look dim in an 80mm lens.
Does the LT 80AZ track objects across the sky?
No. The mount is manual and the Earth’s rotation moves objects out of the field. The app guides you back each time. At 90x that is about every two minutes.
Does the StarSense app work in a city?
Yes, from a suburban yard or a city balcony. The app needs enough visible stars to recognize a pattern, so it struggles under heavy cloud or when a bright light shines into the dock.
LT 80AZ or LT 114AZ: which should I buy?
Buy the LT 80AZ for portability, sharp planets and a maintenance-free refractor. Buy the LT 114AZ if you want deep-sky objects, since its 114mm mirror gathers about twice the light. Both use the same app.
Can I use the LT 80AZ during the day?
Yes. The erect-image diagonal shows scenery the right way up, so it works for birds and distant landscapes. Never point any telescope at the Sun without a solar filter made for it, since the sunlight can cause permanent eye damage.
