How it all started…

We could go WAY back…to when Ron Dyvig was a little boy in Deadwood, South Dakota, being introduced to the night sky by his Boy Scouts troop leader.

Or we could fast forward to his first observatory.. a concrete pad with a cylinder to hold his telescope in a rancher’s field…

Or we could delve into his college years where his passion for astronomy amplified… he learned and taught the art of telescope-making and became President of the Black Hills Astronomical Society. In those years, he designed and fabricated the optics for Hidden Valley Observatory in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Then there were his years as a research technician at the University of Arizona where he worked with truly great astronomical minds, observed at the advanced facilities at Kitt Peak National Observatory and helped design and test image intensifier camera systems for Steward Observatory.

All very interesting… but it really started to jell when he returned to South Dakota, and began dreaming in earnest of owning his own private Observatory with a research grade instrument.

And then what?

After retiring from his work career, Ron decided to buy the abandoned hospital facility in Quinn, South Dakota where he built a 26” f/4.8 Newtonian Reflector telescope. The Town of Quinn and West River Electric Association generously retrofitted the street lights to decrease potential light pollution.

But… was it successful!?!

First light was achieved on one of the largest fully computerized telescopes in a four-state area on May 27, 2000. Over the next ten years, the telescope was used to locate and track asteroids under the facility name Badlands Observatory, (designated with MPC site code 918), in conjunction with NASA and the Spaceguard Foundation’s international collaboration for cataloging Near Earth Objects with the potential for impacting Earth. In addition to contributing follow-up data on known asteroids, Ron was given discovery credit on 25 additional main belt asteroids. One of these is Asteroid 26715 South Dakota, named for Ron’s home state, where he received the inspiration and support to realize his dream.

Ron felt very strongly that this resource should be shared, and made it available over the internet with grant funds provided by the State of South Dakota and NASA through the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium. Data collected by students and researchers was used in three first place science fair projects, at least three master’s theses, and numerous publications by doctoral and post-doctoral researchers.

Did anyone notice?

Badlands Observatory received favorable press and attention in newspaper and magazine articles, television shows, and radio interviews.

• Rapid City Journal - “Observing a Dream” July 2000 and “Asteroid Aficionado” February, 2001

• South Dakota Public Television - “Badlands, Good Skies” January 2002

• South Dakota Magazine - “Dark Winter Nights” January, February 2002 and “Eyeing a Vast Universe November, December 2002

• American Profiles Magazine - “Hometown Hero” February 2002

• Pennington County Courant - “Badlands Observatory in Operation Despite Obstacles” March 2002

• Sioux Falls Argus Leader - “Looking for Killer Asteroids” April 2002

• South Dakota Public Radio - News feature Febuary 2003

• National Public Radio - “All Things Considered” March 2003

• Voice of America International - “Science & Technology” March 2003

• KJJQ AM Radio - “Afternoon Smorgasbord” March 2003

• Golden West Communications - Badlands Observatory Gives Real-Time Remote Access to the Heavens - June 2003

• Discover Magazine - “The Asteroid Hunters” July 2007

Grateful Acknowledgements

While it may seem that these accomplishments were made by Ron alone, nothing could be further from the truth. Badlands Observatory would not have been possible without the support of many individuals (Steve Parker, Joe Kocherhans, Pete Hendrickson, to name but a few), organizations ( Black Hills Astronomical Society, South Dakota Space Grant Consortium) businesses (Loyola Enterprises, Precision Welding & Machine, Kitterman Redi-Mix, Bieber Electric, the Town of Quinn, the State of South Dakota and many users and visitors. Their contributions are humbly and gratefully acknowledged.