Celestron Origin

The Celestron Origin itself is fantastic — setup, alignment, and imaging all work beautifully. The app, however, really needs a time-shift or sky-simulation feature. Right now, the Sky View only shows what’s visible at the current time, so you can’t plan your imaging schedule ahead during daylight hours. For many of us with partial sky views (trees, buildings, etc.), planning is essential — I need to know wh Great telescope — app needs time-planning feature for real-world use ich objects will rise into my visible area later tonight so I can build a schedule that actually runs without constant failures. Most astronomy apps (like SkySafari or Stellarium) allow you to fast-forward time and see what will be up later. Adding this to the Celestron Origin app would make it far easier to plan productive sessions. The orange highlighting for good targets is a great touch — please keep that, but let us preview it for any time of night, not just the current moment. Otherwise, this system has huge potential. The scope gets a 5; the app just needs a bit more planning flexibility to match.

I was one of the first to receive the Origin in July 2024 (I’ve owned it for 5 months now). I put it to the test by attending the Nebraska Star Party just 3 days after receiving it - observing all night long for 5 straight nights. It impressed me and everyone that came to see it. I volunteer at an Observatory and it’s the first telescope that is up and running and it quickly moves from object to object for guests to enjoy. I also use it several times each week from my backyard. There are a few glitches in the software that I’m optimistic will get ironed out. I’d also like to see a mosaic mode so larger objects can be viewed.

I have been using the Seestar S50 for over a year now and previously I owned a Dwarf 2 as well. The Origin is next level. A huge step up. Stunningly clear images. The scope gets a “5”. The app still needs work, same as both the Seestar and the Dwarf apps when they came out. I am looking forward to V2.0.