The three-day night sky celebration at Badlands National Park will help support the continued protection and enjoyment of our incredible dark-sky as a precious natural resource through education, entertainment and the arts. We offer views of the universe through state-of-the-art telescopes and resident astronomers who explain the wonders of our night sky. The Badlands dark night sky showcases the
Milky Way, planets, galaxies, nebulae, star clusters. We are excited to announce that this year we will be hosting our first ever Astronomy Festival August 17-19 2012. The South Dakota Space Grant Consortium has partnered with Badlands National Park to also host SD Space Days 2012 during the Astronomy Festival. NASA Astronaut Story Musgrave will be our Keynote Speaker. Highlights for the three-day event include scientific talks by Mercury MESSENGER Mission Project Manager Mark Kochte, DUSEL Nuclear Physicist Dr. Peggy Norris, author and musician Dr. Fiorella Terenzi, Randy Halverson of Dakotalapse.com, "Issac Newton", SDSMT Professor Dr. Don T***s, SD Space Grant Consortium Deputy Director Tom Durkin, more! Author and conservation advocate Audrey Peterman will join us and will be doing book signings of her newest publication "Looking for True Happiness? Our National Parks Deliver!", coming out August 2012. We will also host workshops by amateur astronomers for amateur astronomers – including: Milky Way photography and Cosmic Ray Detection workshops. Participate in solar observation in addition to night-time observation. We will also have many family-friendly activities and special activities for young people including a rocket-launching workshop. Come out for the NASA exhibits and the special appearance by Isaac Newton, stay for the spectacular sunrises and sunsets and brilliant Milky Way views. The Badlands Astronomy Festival will bring together space science professionals, South Dakota residents and visitors from around the world for a “stellar experience”. Seating is limited for most programs. Arrive early and make sure to come to the Registration Desk located near the Ben Reifel Visitors Center Information Desk. We will have sign-up sheets available to sign-up for talks, workshops and planetarium programs. Official Badlands National Park Homepage: www.gov.nps/badl
Schedule:
Registration Desk Hours:
For Media, Speakers, Volunteers, Amateur Astronomers and Event Sign-Up Sheet
Located near to Ben Reifel Visitors Center Information Desk
Friday August 17th – 10:00p – 7:00p Saturday August 18th – 10:00p -7:00p Sunday August 19th – 10:00p - 4:00p
Friday August 17th Scientific Talks - Visitors Center Theater
1:00p – 1:10p Opening Remarks Eric Brunnemann, Badlands National Park Superintendent
1:10p – 1:55p Speaker Introductions
2:00p – 2:50p Dr. Peggy Norris – Deep Underground Science & Engineering Lab Lead, SD
3:15 – 4:10p Mark Kochte The New Face of Mercury: MESSENGER’s Exploration of Our Innermost Planet Pt.1
4:20p – 5:10p Kevin Poe “South Dakota Nocturnal Animals - Coyote”
5:30p – 7:00p Ian Cheney introduces THE CITY DARK - Movie screening
7:30p – 8:30p Ian Cheney Featured Speaker (Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater)
Friday August 17th Workshops – Badlands Conference Room
9:00a – 11:00a Rocket Launching Workshop – Sponsored by Interior Volunteer Fire Dept. (Interior)
11:30a – 12:30p Cosmic Ray Detection Workshop- Audience: Middle School and Up
2:00p – 3:00p Back-yard Astronomy Introduction Workshop –- Audience: 8 years and up
4:00p-4:30p Milky Way Photography Workshop Pt.1 – Classroom portion
10:00p-11:00p Milky Way Photography Workshop Pt.2 – Outside photography portion (Door and Window Trail)
Friday August 17th Day and Night Telescope Observing
2:00p – 4:00p Solar Observing – In front of Ben Reifel Visitors Center
8:30p – 11:30p Public Star Party - Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater
Friday August 17th Planetarium Shows - Interior School
10:00a – 10:45a “Your Sky Tonight” 45mins
11:00a – 11:45a “Lakota Star Knowledge” 45mins
1:00p – 1:45p “Your Sky Tonight” 45mins
2:00p – 2:45p “Lakota Star Knowledge” 45mins
3:00p – 3:45p “Your Sky Tonight” 45mins
Saturday August 18th Scientific Talks - Visitors Center Theater
10:30a – 11:20p – Mark Kochte The New Face of Mercury: MESSENGER’s Exploration of Our Innermost
Planet Pt.2
11:30a– 12:30p – Tom Durkin 20 Years of Hubble Images
1:30p – 3:00p Panel Discussion “Endangered Nightscapes: Protecting Our Dark Sky and Milky Way”
3:00p – 3:50p Randy Halverson Dakota Lapse.com Milky Way Time-lapse Videographer
7:30p – 9:00p Keynote Talk NASA Astronaut Dr. Story Musgrave (Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater)
Saturday August 18th Workshops – Badlands Conference Room
9:00a – 11:00a Rocket Launching Workshop – Sponsored by Interior Volunteer Fire Dept. (Interior)
11:30a – 12:30p Cosmic Ray Detection Workshop- Audience: Middle School and Up
2:00p – 3:00p Back-yard Astronomy Introduction Workshop –- Audience: 8 years and up
4:00p - 4:30p Milky Way Photography Workshop Pt.1 – Classroom portion
10:00p-11:00p Milky Way Photography Workshop Pt.2 – Outside photography portion (Door and Window Trail)
Saturday August 18th Day and Night Telescope Observing
2:00p – 4:00p Solar Observing – In front of Ben Reifel Visitors Center
9:00p – 11:30p Public Star Party - Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater
Saturday August 18th Planetarium Shows – Interior School
10:00a – 10:45a “Your Sky Tonight” 45mins
11:00a – 11:45a “Lakota Star Knowledge” 45mins
1:00p – 1:45p “Your Sky Tonight” 45mins
2:00p – 2:45p “Lakota Star Knowledge” 45mins
3:00p – 3:45p “Your Sky Tonight” 45mins
Sunday August 19th Scientific Talks - Visitors Center Theater
11:00a - 12:30p THE CITY DARK movie screening
1:00p – 1:55p Dr. Fiorella Terenzi Music from the Cosmos (Skype Interview)
2:00 – 2:50p Dr. Don T***s The Discovery of Neptune
3:00p – 4:30p Panel Discussion “Space Science Outreach: Connecting to Underserved Youth”
7:30p – 8:30p Derek Demeter How to Find Your Way Around the Night Sky (Cedar Pass Campground
Amphitheater)
Sunday August 19th Workshops – Badlands Conference Room
9:00a – 11:00a Rocket Launching Workshop – Sponsored by Interior Volunteer Fire Dept. (Interior)
11:30a – 12:30p Cosmic Ray Detection Workshop- Audience: Middle School and Up
2:00p – 3:00p Back-yard Astronomy Introduction Workshop –- Audience: 8 years and up
Sunday August 19th Day and Night Telescope Observing
2:00p – 4:00p Solar Observing – In front of Ben Reifel Visitors Center
8:30p – 11:30p Public Star Party - Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater
Sunday August 19th Planetarium Shows – Interior School
10:00a – 10:45a “Your Sky Tonight” 45mins
11:00a – 11:45a “Lakota Star Knowledge” 45mins
1:00p – 1:45p “Your Sky Tonight” 45mins
2:00p – 2:45p “Lakota Star Knowledge” 45mins
3:00p – 3:45p “Your Sky Tonight” 45min
