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Automatic alignment and autoguiding for Celestron mounts, with no laptop needed
Why we like the StarSense Autoguider:
- One device instead of four: it replaces the guide scope, guide camera, guiding computer and finder alignment. It plugs into your Celestron mount's AUX port and guides on its own.
- Hands-off alignment: press Align and it photographs the sky, recognizes the star patterns and aligns the mount in about three minutes. Precise GoTo then centers targets even for small camera sensors and high-power eyepieces.
- Faster polar alignment: the hand control or CPWI walks you through it, and Celestron says a full polar alignment takes less than five minutes.
- Worth knowing: it only works with Celestron mounts on the compatibility list below (not the NexStar SLT, 4SE, 5SE, Astro Fi, LCM, SkyProdigy or CG-5 GT). Plugging it into the mount's autoguider port instead of an AUX port can damage it.
The Celestron StarSense Autoguider (item 94040) is a compact 28mm f/4.3 guide scope with a built-in monochrome camera and computer. Mounted on your telescope and connected to a compatible Celestron mount, it aligns the mount automatically, sharpens GoTo pointing, assists polar alignment, and makes the small tracking corrections that keep stars round in long exposures. This current version ships with a threaded dew shield, and it also works with the Celestron Origin. It weighs 1.2 lb (544 g).
Key specs: 28mm aperture, 120mm focal length, f/4.3 · 4-element Double-Gauss optics by Mark Ackermann · Sony IMX462 monochrome sensor, 2.9µm pixels · onboard computer · AUX and USB-C ports · threaded for 2" filters · includes dew shield · 1.2 lb (544 g)
What it does for your imaging
- Longer, sharper exposures: guided exposures on nebulae such as the Orion, Lagoon and Veil, and galaxies such as Andromeda and the Whirlpool, without trailed stars.
- Small sensors and long focal lengths: Precise GoTo puts planetary nebulae and small galaxies in the middle of the frame of an SCT or EdgeHD, even with a small camera chip.
- Comets: in CPWI you can pick a comet from the database and guide on it, so the comet stays sharp instead of the background stars.
- Dithering: CPWI can shift the mount slightly between exposures, which helps stacking software remove noise patterns.
How it works
The autoguider attaches to your telescope with its bracket and connects to one of the mount's AUX ports with the included cable. Run it from the NexStar+ hand control, from Celestron's CPWI software on a PC, or from the SkyPortal app on WiFi-equipped mounts.
- Align: press Align. The autoguider images the sky and aligns the mount in about three minutes.
- Polar align (equatorial mounts): follow the on-screen steps to adjust the altitude and azimuth knobs.
- Guide: slew to your target, start guiding from the hand control or CPWI, then start your camera's exposures.
On alt-azimuth telescopes such as the NexStar SE, Evolution and CPC, it's mainly an automatic alignment and pointing upgrade. Long guided exposures need an equatorial mount or a wedge, because alt-azimuth tracking rotates the field.
The 28mm, 120mm optics work out to about 5 arcseconds per pixel across a field roughly 3° wide on the diagonal. The front is threaded for 2" filters: an IR-pass filter lets it align in twilight, and a neutral density filter helps with daytime focusing. Firmware updates are free and add features over time.
Compatible mounts
| Works with | Does not work with |
|---|---|
| Advanced VX | NexStar SLT |
| CGEM II, CGEM and CGEM DX | NexStar 4SE and 5SE |
| CGX, CGX-L and CGE Pro | Astro Fi |
| NexStar 6SE and 8SE | SkyProdigy |
| NexStar Evolution | LCM series |
| CPC and CPC Deluxe | Advanced CG-5 GT |
| Celestron Origin |
What to add for the best results
- A compatible Celestron mount (required): the Advanced VX for portable imaging or the CGEM II for 8"–11" SCTs.
- An imaging telescope: the EdgeHD 800 or EdgeHD 925, both flat-field designs for imaging.
- An imaging camera: the ZWO ASI2600MC Pro or ASI533MC Pro for color deep-sky images.
- SkyPortal WiFi module: control the mount and autoguider from your phone on mounts without built-in WiFi.
- Celestron wedge: turns a NexStar Evolution, SE or Origin into an equatorial setup for longer guided exposures.
StarSense Autoguider vs. a separate guiding setup
| StarSense Autoguider | Guide scope + guide camera + controller | |
|---|---|---|
| Pieces to mount and cable | One, plus an AUX cable | Guide scope, camera and a laptop or ASIAIR |
| Automatic mount alignment | Yes, about 3 minutes | Through plate solving in the controller software |
| Works with non-Celestron mounts | No | Yes |
| Runs from the hand control | Yes | No |
| Best for | Celestron mount owners who want the simplest setup | Mixed-brand rigs, or imagers already using ASIAIR, NINA or PHD2 |
Building a separate setup? See the ZWO 30F5 guide scope, ASI120MM Mini guide camera and ASIAIR Plus, or browse all autoguiders.
What's in the box
Celestron's box photo shows:
- StarSense Autoguider on its mounting bracket
- Dew shield
- Cable for the mount's AUX port
- A second, ring-style bracket
- Mounting screws and hardware, and a hex key
The mount, telescope, imaging camera and filters are sold separately.
Celestron StarSense Autoguider FAQ
Is the StarSense Autoguider good for beginners?
Yes. It's the simplest way we know to start autoguiding on a Celestron mount: there's no separate guiding software to learn, and it handles alignment for you every night.
Which mounts does it work with?
Celestron's Advanced VX, CGEM, CGEM DX, CGEM II, CGX, CGX-L and CGE Pro equatorial mounts, the NexStar 6SE and 8SE, NexStar Evolution, CPC and CPC Deluxe, and the Celestron Origin. It doesn't work with the NexStar SLT, 4SE, 5SE, Astro Fi, SkyProdigy, LCM or Advanced CG-5 GT, or with other brands' mounts.
Do I need a computer?
No. It aligns, polar aligns and guides from the NexStar+ hand control. CPWI on a PC adds dithering, comet guiding and a live view from the camera, and the SkyPortal app works on WiFi mounts.
Which port does it plug into?
An AUX port on the mount. Never plug it into the autoguider port, which can damage it.
Can I use it for visual observing?
Yes. Automatic alignment and Precise GoTo are just as useful at the eyepiece: objects land in the center of the field, even at high power.
Specifications
| Optics | |
|---|---|
| Lens design | Double-Gauss, 4 elements |
| Aperture | 28mm (1.10") |
| Focal length | 120mm (4.72") |
| Focal ratio | f/4.3 |
| Coatings | Fully multi-coated |
| Sensor and computer | |
| Image sensor | Sony IMX462LLR-C, monochrome, back-illuminated |
| Sensor size | 6.46mm diagonal |
| Pixel size | 2.9 × 2.9µm |
| Effective pixels | 2.13 million |
| Onboard computer | Computer-on-module: 2× Arm Cortex-A53 up to 1.4 GHz, 1× Cortex-M7 up to 600 MHz, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB storage, GC7000UltraLite GPU |
| Connections and physical | |
| Ports | AUX (to Celestron mount); USB-C (USB 3.1, PC live view and firmware updates) |
| Housing | Aluminum with plastic covers, threaded for 2" filters |
| Dimensions | 185 × 58 × 58mm (7.3 × 2.3 × 2.3") |
| Weight | 1.2 lb (544 g) |
| Celestron item number | 94040 |