Celestron StarSense AutoAlign V2 — image 1
Celestron

Celestron StarSense AutoAlign V2

For Celestron computerized mounts · CEL-94034

A plate-solving camera and hand control that aligns a Celestron GoTo mount in about three minutes, without you centering a single named star.

82/ 100
Polaris Score
The easiest way to align a Celestron GoTo mount
From$479
Where to buy
Affiliate link — we earn a commission, you pay the same. We rank on fit, not payout.
What problem does this solve?

Star alignment, without the stars

A Celestron GoTo mount only points accurately after you manually center two or three named stars, which means knowing the sky, having a clear view of the right stars, and redoing it every session.

StarSense AutoAlign replaces that ritual: its camera photographs several patches of sky, plate-solves where the mount is actually pointing, and builds the alignment model on its own in a couple of minutes.

You go from powering on to slewing to real targets faster than you could find Vega by eye.

You need one if
You own a Celestron computerized mount and want to skip manual star alignment every night.
You can skip it if
You have a manual Dob or a non-Celestron mount, or you already align quickly by hand and do not mind it.
How it actually works

What the setup looks like.

A one-time hardware setup, then automatic every night.

A one-time hardware setup, then automatic every night.

1
Mount the camera
The StarSense camera attaches to your telescope tube with the included bracket and plugs into the mount’s AUX port.
2
Swap the hand control
The StarSense hand control replaces your standard NexStar+ controller and runs the plate-solving alignment.
3
Press align
The camera images several regions of sky, solves each against its built-in star database, and constructs the pointing model automatically.
4
Observe
In about two to three minutes it is aligned and ready to slew accurately to any object, with no stars centered by hand.

After the first setup, alignment is fully automatic every session, even from a suburban yard where you cannot pick out the classic alignment stars.

01Will it fit my setup

Compatibility.

What this accessory works with — check the fit before you check the price.

What this accessory works with — check the fit before you check the price.

Most Celestron computerized mounts: NexStar SE, SLT, Evolution, Advanced VX, CGEM II, CGX, and CGX-LAny of those fitted with a standard AUX portShips with the StarSense hand control, which replaces the NexStar+ controller
Note✕Not compatible with manual mounts or Dobsonians without GoTo✕Not for non-Celestron mounts such as Sky-Watcher or iOptron (Celestron sells a separate Sky-Watcher version)✕A different product from StarSense Explorer, which is a smartphone dock for manual scopes✕Does not add tracking or guiding; it aligns the mount you already have
02The numbers

What These Numbers Mean

4 numbers in plain English · full specifications

4 numbers in plain English · full specifications

What it doesSetup
Automatic mount alignment
A camera photographs the sky, identifies the star field and builds the mount's pointing model without you centring a single star. The step that most often goes wrong on a GoTo mount stops being a step you perform.
Time to alignHands-off
A few minutes, unattended
You start it and walk away, which matters at a public event or when the target is already setting. Manual two or three star alignment takes longer and depends on picking stars you can identify.
Pointing accuracyCumulative
Improves with added samples
It samples several patches of sky and builds a model, so accuracy across the whole sky is typically better than a hurried manual alignment. You can add more calibration points later in the night to tighten it further.
CompatibilityCheck first
Celestron GoTo mounts
It replaces the hand controller on supported Celestron mounts and does nothing for a Sky-Watcher or iOptron. Confirm your specific mount and firmware are on the supported list before buying.
In the box
StarSense cameraPlate-solving imager with lens
StarSense hand controlReplaces the NexStar+ controller
Mounting bracketAttaches the camera to the tube
CablesAUX and camera
Requirements
MountCelestron computerized GoTo
PortAUX
Alignment time~2–3 minutes
ModelCEL-94034 (V2)
03Before you buy

Good to know.

The honest caveats — the things that save you a return, a bad first night, or a second purchase you didn't need.

The honest caveats — the things that save you a return, a bad first night, or a second purchase you didn't need.

It replaces your hand control
The StarSense controller takes the place of your NexStar+ and becomes your main controller from then on.
Works under light pollution
Because it plate-solves faint star fields, it aligns fine from suburban skies where the named alignment stars are washed out.
One camera, many tubes
The bracket lets you move the camera between compatible Celestron tubes; you re-run a quick calibration each time.
V2 is the current revision
Version 2 is the updated camera and firmware, with the same fully automatic workflow as the original StarSense AutoAlign.
Editor’s Take

The first time you power on, press align, and watch the mount find Saturn two minutes later without touching a single star, the price stops feeling like a luxury. StarSense AutoAlign turns a Celestron GoTo from fiddly-on-a-good-night into point-it-at-anything, every night.

— The Skynocular verdict
82/ 100
Celestron StarSense AutoAlign V2
For Celestron computerized mounts · CEL-94034 · $479

A plate-solving camera and hand control that aligns a Celestron GoTo mount in about three minutes, without you centering a single named star.