We’re all stargazers at heart, staring up into inky space while unknowable stars blink back at us, and most of us would like to see more but don't feel confident using a complicated standard telescope. I’m certainly one of those people, which is why I’m so interested in the Celestron Origin, an app and phone-connected AI-enhanced telescope that the company has unveiled at CES 2024 in Las Vegas.
Blessed with a 335mm focal length (your degree of magnification is determined in part by this) and a new 6.4MP Sony IMX178 CMOS sensor, the Celestron Origin sounds capable of producing some excellent astral images. Naturally, the Celestron name adds some weight to the whole thing; the one truly excellent telescope I've owned, back in the 1980s, was made by the 64-year-old company.
