Friday, July 18th – Sunday, July 20th, 2025
Below is the schedule from a previous year for example.
This page will be updated when details for 2025 are released.
BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK, INTERIOR, S.D.
Badlands National Park is partnered with the NASA South Dakota Space Grant Consortium to co-sponsor the annual astronomy festival within the national park. The festival brings together space science professionals, amateur astronomers, educators, and visitors for a three-day celebration.
Novices and experts alike will enjoy daily family-friendly activities and evening presentations with special guest speakers. Past activities have included solar telescope viewings, technology demonstrations, and more. Nightly telescope viewings will be sponsored by the NPS Night Sky Program and Celestron.
This three-day celebration at Badlands National Park will support the continued protection and enjoyment of our incredible night skies as a precious natural resource. Although light pollution threatens dark skies across the globe, the Badlands are nestled in a corner of the Great Plains where light pollution is not a prevalent issue. Come celebrate the dark skies of the park with us!
Schedule of Events:
Sun Fun Solar Observing
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
3:00-5:00 pm at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center
View solar flares and sunspots through our special solar telescopes, 100% safe for eyes. Various other sun based activities will also be offered during this particular event.
Evening Programs/Public Stargazing
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
9 – 11:30 pm at the Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater
Nightly evening presentations will be provided by invited guest speakers followed by hands-on experience with multiple state-of-the-art telescopes and amateur astronomers providing constellation tours while guiding visitors around the universe. View planets, star clusters, nebulae, and double stars while going down the “scope line.”
Visit the event webpage listed below for the speaker schedule and topic for each night.
Event webpage: Badlands Astronomy Festival
Links for additional information:
Night Sky Program at Badlands National Park
South Dakota Space Grant Consortium
This free event is made possible through funding and support from the Badlands Natural History Association, NASA South Dakota Space Grant Consortium, Dark Ranger Telescope Tours, Black Hills Astronomical Society, The Journey Museum and Learning Center, International Dark Sky Association, University of Utah, Badlands National Park Conservancy, Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, and Badlands National Park.