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Smithsonian Telescope/ Monocular Kit

Smithsonian Telescope/ Monocular Kit - image 1 of 3
Smithsonian Telescope/ Monocular Kit - image 2 of 3
Smithsonian Telescope/ Monocular Kit - image 3 of 3
Smithsonian Telescope/ Monocular Kit - image 1 of 3
$19.99 when purchased online
Target Online store #3991

About this item

Highlights

  • Dual Function: Telescope or Monocular
  • See Things Closer Than They Are
  • Aluminum Tabletop Tripod
  • STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
  • Optical tube can be detached to hold up to your eye like an old-fashioned spy glass.

Description

Young scientists can explore the world around them with the Smithsonian Telescope/Monocular. This engaging STEM toy makes objects appear closer than the naked eye, allowing for more detailed views of everything from birds way up in the branches to the moon! Hold it in your hand or place it on the included tripod. The Telescope / Monocular is the ultimate science tool for sparking curiosity and wonder. Included STEM content teaches about the phases of the moon and more. Includes a Smithsonian Telescope/Monocular and an aluminum tabletop tripod. Ages 8+
Contains: Does Not Contain Any of the 9 Major Allergens
Suggested Age: 8 Years and Up
Educational Focus: Science
Includes: Poster, Instruction Guide
Battery: No Battery Used
TCIN: 51309043
UPC: 042409518878
Item Number (DPCI): 086-00-2242
Origin: Imported
If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.

Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 3.11 inches length x 11.8 inches width x 11.95 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1.17 pounds

Return details

This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 90 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.

Q: what are the dimensions?

submitted by jen - 1 year ago
  • A: The Smithsonian Telescope / Monocular is 15" long, when open, 12 1/8" when closed. The stand height is about 12 1/2".

    submitted byNSI Product Support Team - 1 year ago
    Brand expert

Q: What magnification does this have?

submitted by CEV - 6 months ago
  • A: The Smithsonian Telescope / Monocular lets you view things at 30 times their actual size.

    submitted byNSI Product Support Team - 6 months ago
    Brand expert

Q: Can you see Galilean satellites with this? And what about Saturn's rings?

submitted by DIYTexan - 11 months ago
  • A: You can see large celestial objects like the moon. To view things as far away as Galilean satellites and Saturn, you would need a higher-power telescope.

    submitted byNSI Product Support Team - 10 months ago
    Brand expert

Q: what mm is the objective lens. is it 80x100mm?

submitted by wildman8620 - 1 year ago
  • A: It's a 30mm objective lens.

    submitted byNSI Product Support Team - 1 year ago
    Brand expert

Q: what is the telescope made of

submitted by - 2 years ago
  • A: The telescope is made of plastic and metal components, and the tripod is aluminum.

    submitted byNSI Product Support Team - 2 years ago
    Brand expert

Q: Can you see any planet clearly with it or the ISS?

submitted by EmpressAylaOfTheMooninies - 2 years ago
  • A: You will be able to clearly see the moon and large celestial objects, as well as birds and things on earth, but to see planets and the ISS you would want a telescope with much higher magnification.

    submitted byNSI Product Support Team - 2 years ago
    Brand expert

Q: Why are review not good

submitted by Cecelia - 3 years ago
  • A: Some users may not understand how to adjust the lens to make the picture clear. Please rest assured that if you ever purchase one of our products and you aren't happy with it, we will make things right. All you have to do is reach out to our customer service team at custserv@nsi-int.com, and we will be happy to help you. Just put "Target Review Follow Up" in the subject line.

    submitted byNSI Product Support Team - 3 years ago
    Brand expert

Q: Why so many bad reviews though ? I’m about to purchase it but I’m nervous if disappoints .

submitted by Dmom - 3 years ago
  • A: If you purchase one of our products and are unhappy for any reason, you need only contact our customer service department at custserv@nsi-int.com. Put "Target Review Follow Up" in the subject line, and we will always do our best to make things right.

    submitted byNSI Product Support Team - 3 years ago
    Brand expert

Q: Hi I want to buy it but first I need to know how big is the tri pod that it comes with and does it adjust?

submitted by Gemz - 4 years ago
  • A: The tripod is a fixed 14 inches. It does not adjust.

    submitted byNSI Product Support Team - 4 years ago
    Brand expert

Q: There are a lot of negative reviews for this telescope. Are the complaints about blurriness from people who don’t understand the lenses need to be focused to see clearly?

submitted by LulaMom - 4 years ago
  • A: You must slowly push and pull the eyepiece to bring objects into focus.

    submitted byNSI Product Support Team - 4 years ago
    Brand expert
2.7 out of 5 stars with 157 reviews
28% would recommend
60 recommendations
quality: 2.06 out of 5
value: 2.37 out of 5
broad age appeal: 2.67 out of 5
ease of use: 2.6 out of 5
length of play: 2.21 out of 5

Not great quality

1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
TJF - 9 months ago, Verified purchaser
Cheaply made and hard to focus
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 9 months ago
We're sorry you're disappointed with your Telescope/Monocular, but we really want to make things right. If you haven't returned or exchanged it, please reach out to our customer service team at custserv@NSI-int.com, and they will be happy to troubleshoot and make things right. Please put "Target Review Follow Up" in the subject line, and let them know you published this review under TJF.
Did you find this review helpful?

Do not work

1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
Buyer - 10 months ago, Verified purchaser
This do not work at all, if we look throughthe small lense nothing is visble clearly. Its all Blurry. Not sure why Target would sell something below standards with a STEM tagged to it.
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 10 months ago
We're sorry you are having issues with your telescope / monocular, but we would really like to make things right. Please email our customer service team at custserv@nsi-int.com, and tell them exactly what is happening, so they can help you troubleshoot. If necessary, they can also make sure you get a replacement. Please put "Target Review Follow Up" in the subject line, and let them know you published this review under Buyer.
broad age appeal: 1 out of 5
ease of use: 1 out of 5
length of play: 1 out of 5
quality: 1 out of 5
value: 1 out of 5
Did you find this review helpful?

Waste

1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
Muh - 10 months ago, Verified purchaser
Doesn’t work at all. Don’t buy
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 10 months ago
We're sorry you're having issues with your Telescope / Monocular, but we really want to make things right. Please reach out to our customer service team at custserv@nsi-int.com, and they will be happy to help you. Put "Target Review Follow Up" in the subject line, and tell them exactly what is happening, so they can troubleshoot. They can make sure you get a replacement, if necessary.
value: 1 out of 5
ease of use: 1 out of 5
length of play: 1 out of 5
broad age appeal: 1 out of 5
quality: 1 out of 5
Did you find this review helpful?

TeleNOPE

1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
JF - 1 year ago
For an actual product to be sold at this value I normally would just suck it up and eat the money I spent, however, this I will definitely be returning. very underwhelming, can get a better view of the sky using my cell phone camera. Not worth the trouble!
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 1 year ago
We're sorry you were disappointed with your Telescope/Monocular, but we really want to make things right. If you haven't yet returned this item, please reach out to customer service at custserv@nsi-int.com, and they will be happy to help you. Please put "Target Review Follow Up" in the subject line, and let them know you published this review under JF.
broad age appeal: 1 out of 5
ease of use: 1 out of 5
length of play: 1 out of 5
quality: 1 out of 5
value: 1 out of 5
2 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Should have read the reviews...

1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
sawebsterx - 1 year ago, Verified purchaser
Waste of time and money. Does not work at all. Will not focus. Terrible.
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 1 year ago
We're sorry you're disappointed with your telescope, but we really want to make things right. Please reach out to our customer service team at custserv@NSI-int.com, and tell them what's going on. They will be able to troubleshoot and replace your toy, if necessary. Please put "Target Review Follow Up" in the subject line, and let them know you published this review under sawebsterx.
length of play: 1 out of 5
broad age appeal: 1 out of 5
quality: 1 out of 5
ease of use: 1 out of 5
value: 1 out of 5
2 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Great 1st telescope

4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Temmy - 1 year ago, Verified purchaser
The kids love it great first telescope
length of play: 5 out of 5
broad age appeal: 5 out of 5
ease of use: 5 out of 5
quality: 3 out of 5
value: 4 out of 5
2 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Don't buy

1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
Cheyenne - 2 years ago, Verified purchaser
Bought for my son's birthday he was so excited only to find out that it doesn't work at all
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 2 years ago
We're so sorry you had a disappointing experience with the Telescope / Monocular, but we really want to make things right. Please email our customer service team at custserv@nsi-int.com, and they will be happy to troubleshoot with you and make sure you get a replacement, if necessary. Please put "Target review follow up" in the subject line, and let them know exactly what is going on, and that you published this review under Cheyenne.
5 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Waste of money

1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
Matti R - 2 years ago, Verified purchaser
My kids were so excited to use it, but could not see a thing with it. the lenses do not focus its just blurry the moon looks like a speck of light.
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 2 years ago
We're so sorry you're having issues with your Telescope. Please reach out to our customer service team at custserv@nsi-int.com, and they will be happy to help you. They can troubleshoot what might be going on and make sure your unit is replaced, if necessary Please put "Target Review Follow up" in the subject line, and let them know you posted this review under Matti R.
broad age appeal: 1 out of 5
ease of use: 2 out of 5
length of play: 1 out of 5
quality: 1 out of 5
value: 1 out of 5
6 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

An easy pass

1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
BunnyMixxMeow - 2 years ago, Verified purchaser
Save your money, extremely light, & cheaply made for the price point.
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 2 years ago
We're sorry you were disappointed with your telescope, but we really want to make things right. Please reach out to our customer service team at custserv@nsi-int.com, and we will be happy to help you. Please put "Target Review Follow Up" in the subject line, and let them know you posted this review under BunnyMixxMeow.
5 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Trash

1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
Momlife - 2 years ago, Verified purchaser
You can’t see anything with this thing. Literally plastic trash. I’m returning it.
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 2 years ago
We're sorry you're having issues with your telescope, but we really want to make things right. Please reach out to our customer service team at custserv@nsi-int.com, and they'll be happy to help you. Please put "Target Review Follow Up" in the subject line, and let them know you posted this review under Momlife.
value: 1 out of 5
quality: 1 out of 5
broad age appeal: 1 out of 5
ease of use: 1 out of 5
5 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

A Good Starter Telescope

4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Mere N - 2 years ago
This is very much a telescope for a younger child who is just starting to become interested in astronomy. My ten year old could set it up easily and view the moon and visible constellations, but the magnification was simple and the telescope itself is clearly more of a toy than anything else. However, because of the size, price, and ease of use, it's also something I'm comfortable letting her keep in her room to use as she wants without fear of damage. It does the job.
broad age appeal: 4 out of 5
ease of use: 5 out of 5
length of play: 3 out of 5
quality: 4 out of 5
value: 5 out of 5
13 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Great starter telescope

4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
grams4you - 2 years ago
For a plastic toy, it works surprisingly well. You won't see very far away, but definately the moon and easy constellations. Great way to introduce a love of astronomy! Some assembly required, but a 10 year old did it!
broad age appeal: 5 out of 5
ease of use: 5 out of 5
length of play: 5 out of 5
quality: 4 out of 5
value: 4 out of 5
11 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Great Beginner Telescope

5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Week99er - 2 years ago
If you have a little one who loves staring at the stars and wants to see more this is a great starter telescope. It is under $20, so you wont be seeing all the way to Pluto with this telescope but once you learn to adjust and focus the lenses you'll be amazed at just how far you can see.
broad age appeal: 5 out of 5
quality: 5 out of 5
value: 5 out of 5
ease of use: 4 out of 5
length of play: 5 out of 5
10 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Great for Little Hands and Eyes

4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Karen P - 2 years ago
We received this product in exchange for an honest review. Set up was incredibly easy, an 11 year old set it up. The children looking up towards the moon were 3-11, plus an iphone lined up to grab a cool shot of the "banana moon" as the kids called it. It is made of plastic and not heavy duty. Keeping on a flat service to hold still is a must. Great for the littles 3-5yo in my opinon, a great first telescope.
broad age appeal: 4 out of 5
ease of use: 5 out of 5
length of play: 4 out of 5
quality: 4 out of 5
value: 4 out of 5
5 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Great Intro Telescope

4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
ShannaG - 2 years ago
I was provided a complimentary telescope in exchange for my honest opinion. This is a great starter telescope for a child that is interested in looking at the sky. It was simple to put together. Comes in 2 boxes with everything you need. This is made of plastic so you do need to be gentle with the telescope, definitely not for children that rough with their toys. We did have fun using the telescope as a family to take a look at the night sky and try to pick out the constellations. Great way to foster a love of science!
broad age appeal: 5 out of 5
ease of use: 5 out of 5
length of play: 4 out of 5
quality: 4 out of 5
value: 4 out of 5
3 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Cool looking, but doesn't work

2 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
Minnesota Mom - 2 years ago
Neither of my sons could get this telescope to work. We were disappointed because we love star-gazing!
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 2 years ago
We're so sorry you had trouble with your telescope, but we really want to make things right. Please reach out to our customer service team at custserv@nsi-int.com, and they will be happy to help you. Please put "Target Review Follow Up" in the subject line, and let them know you posted this review under Minnesota Mom.
broad age appeal: 4 out of 5
ease of use: 2 out of 5
length of play: 1 out of 5
value: 1 out of 5
quality: 1 out of 5
2 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Good for little kids

4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
KellyC - 2 years ago
I recieved this product in exchange for an honest review. If you buy this for what it is, it's a great product. It's for little kids, like 3-6 years old. No older. It doesn't magnify much, but can be used as a fun toy for pretending to explore or search the skies. You'll be dissapointed if you think you can do some serious sky searching, but as a toy for little kids it's greaT!
broad age appeal: 2 out of 5
ease of use: 5 out of 5
length of play: 5 out of 5
value: 3 out of 5
quality: 4 out of 5
4 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Perfect Starter For Interested Parties

4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
MariaG - 2 years ago
It is a small telescope for children. Remove the tripod, insert the monocular onto the tripod, remove the cap and move the eye piece up or down depending on your vision. It took a second for everyone in the house who tried it. Like with any telescope it is different for everyone unless you all have 20/20 vision. We have used it to look at birds, chipmunks and the moon. While it is not NASA quality it is a great starting point for kids who have an interest.
broad age appeal: 3 out of 5
quality: 4 out of 5
ease of use: 5 out of 5
value: 4 out of 5
length of play: 4 out of 5
5 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Great Beginner Telescope

4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Niecy - 2 years ago
Our sons were so excited when they were gifted the Smithsonian 30X Telescope/Monocular. Looking outdoors with the telescope was an eye-opening experience for them as they were able to position the telescope in the tripod on the table to get a steady view. Removing the tripod allowed them to use the monocular as a spyglass to easily observe the skyscape from different viewpoints. It is a little tricky to focus at times and adult supervision is required, with a suggested recommendation of 8 years of age and above. Included are a 30X Telescope, Aluminum Tabletop Tripod, and instructional booklet with information explaining the moon, phases of the moon, and much more.
broad age appeal: 5 out of 5
ease of use: 4 out of 5
length of play: 5 out of 5
quality: 5 out of 5
value: 5 out of 5
3 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Great starter or portable option

3 out of 5 stars
jwp - 2 years ago
This is a great "starter" telescope for young kids. Or if an older kid wants a portable option to take camping, etc. It's not a serious telescope, but for the value price, one shouldn't expect it to be. The tripod it comes with is very useful, especially with younger kids. There's no assembly whatsoever required so that made this mama happy!
1 guest found this review helpful. Did you?

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