Night Tours

Our night programs will vary with the phase of the moon, sunset times, and sky conditions and include live-stack imaging of a deep sky object, a laser constellation tour, stargazing/moon/planet views from our Observatory Deck through our telescopes; and tours of our facility.

Our telescopes:

As an expert in optics fabrication, Ron taught telescope making for many years. Some of those instruments have been donated or are on loan to the Observatory, resulting in a mix of commercially made and “home brew” telescopes. As telescope-making is becoming a lost art, we are very pleased to have these instruments serving at our facility.  In addition to the 26” Newtonian Reflector, our current complete lineup includes four Dobsonian reflector telescopes (one 8”, two 10”, and a 16”), an 8” Celestron NexStar Schmidt-Cassegrain, an 11” Celestron CPC1100 Schmidt-Cassegrain, a 10” Orion Ritchey-Chretien Astrograph Telescope and a Vixen tripod-mounted astronomy binocular.  In 2024, we acquired a Seestar S50 robotic telescope. We primarily use this instrument to demo for our guests who are inquiring about a cost-effective grab-and-go deep sky observing instrument; and for taking photos of the Sun and Moon.

A highlight in our commercial instruments is the 16” Dobsonian reflector with Goto capability and enhanced viewing with our image intensifier.  

The 26” Newtonian reflector, the flagship of Badlands Observatory, is used primarily for scientific research and imaging and will not be available for visual observing during the Night Tours; however we will use it to live-stack a deep sky object, which is displayed on our 75” TV screen during our tours, giving guests a live view through the 26” and our astronomy camera on that night.

The Programs:

The cost for nighttime tours is $35.00 per person 10 years and older including state and local taxes. Those younger than 10 years old are admitted free. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Payment will be collected when you arrive at our facility and can be made by cash, check or credit card. The entire facility may be reserved for a private party of up to 10 people for $315.00. Please contact us to book a private party.

We offer either a Dark Sky Tour or a Bright Moon Tour (by special request) depending on the phase and rise time of the Moon on the night reserved. We also offer special programming from time to time that may include free public events.

The night programs are scheduled for 2 hours and will begin at approximately between 7:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. (depending on the season) on dark sky evenings with a clear weather forecast. Arrival time will be noted on the sign-up menu and on your confirmation. Reservation holders will be notified two hours in advance via text message or email if weather conditions prohibit observing.

To make your reservation, scroll down to our reservations area and enter the “quantity” (# of persons 10 years and older) then, click the “sign up” button on the date you wish to visit. Please note that we do not open the schedule until two days prior to the visit date in order to take sky and weather conditions into consideration. The programs will be available for the date selected unless the maximum number of reservations has been met or the Observatory is closed for the evening. After making a reservation, you will receive a confirmation via email noting your arrival time and the amount due upon arrival. Please feel free to call us at 605-381-1521 or email observatory@goldenwest.net with any questions about availability or problems with the booking site.

Dark Sky Tour:

The Dark Sky Tour is available on nights during the month occurring roughly 10 days before and after new moon. These nights offer the best opportunity to view deep sky objects and the Milky Way galaxy.

Included in the tour is a Live-Stack of a deep sky object on either our 75” TV or 110” outdoor screen; a tour of the dome area to see and learn about our 26” Newtonian Reflector Telescope; a laser show on our Observing Deck pointing out constellations and seasonal markers; and stargazing using our public telescopes.

Bright Moon Tour:

The Bright Moon Tour is offered by special request on nights roughly occurring 5 nights before and after Full Moon. The brightness of the Moon prohibits viewing of dimmer night sky objects. It should be noted that the brightness of the Moon significantly washes out the visibility of the Milky Way.

Included in the tour is a simulation live-stack of a deep sky object using images collected by us on a clear dark night and presented on either our 75” TV or 110” outdoor screen; a pre-recorded show about objects in the night sky; a tour of our telescope dome area; and viewing of the Moon, bright stars and available planets from our Observing Deck using our public telescopes.

Dates the Observatory Will be Closed:

In the absence of special requests for tours during Bright Moon periods, the Observatory will be closed on these dates in order to perform maintenance and special observing tasks:

April 5th - April 14th

May 6th- May 14th

June 3th-June 13th

July 3rd - July 16th

August 2nd - August 14th

September 1st - September 13th

September 30th - October 12th

October 30th - November 10th

November 29th - December 10th

Lakota Star Knowledge with Craig Howe, PhD.:

Badlands Observatory and the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium have teamed up with Dr. Craig Howe, Director of the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies (CAIRNS) to offer free public events on Lakota Star Knowledge.

These events will take place at Badlands Observatory and will include a presentation by Dr. Howe, augmented by views of the night sky from our Observing Deck and using our public telescopes.

Presentation dates will be noted on the reservation schedule. Please note that we do require reservations as seating is limited.

Various publications and Dr. Howe’s Lakota Star Knowledge CD are offered for sale at Badlands Observatory or by contacting CAIRNS at info@nativecairns.org

Meteor Showers:

The following are the major Meteor Showers visible in our area in 2025:

Lyrids: April 17th-26th, peak on 21st -22nd

Eta Aquarids: April 20th-May 21st, peak on May 3rd-4th

Perseids: July 17th-August 23rd, peak on August 12th-13th

Orionids: October 2nd-November 12th, peak on October 22nd-23rd

Leonids: November 3rd - December 2nd, peak on November 16th-17th

Geminids: December 1st-21st, peak on December 12th-13th

These events will be a part of our regular observing sessions and availability will be subject to whether we are open and have clear sky conditions. Normal rates will apply. Reservations are required.

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)

On nights when we have a prediction for a Northern Lights display, we will position a camera on our roof facing north and project images onto a 110” screen on our Observing Deck.

It is estimated that the peak for the current 12 year cycle occurred in 2024, which means displays are expected to decrease over the next two years. The Northern Lights cannot occur without a Coronal Mass Ejection from the Sun. A display cannot be predicted more than 3 days in advance of the event and predictions are somewhat uncertain. Therefore, we will be on watch for predicted displays and prepare accordingly, however we cannot guarantee that the Northern Lights will be visible on the night you visit.

What if it’s Cloudy?

We use professional weather resources and strive to ensure that we will only be open on clear nights. However, popup storms and water vapor clouds can form suddenly. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that your night will be clear. We will text you at least two hours in advance on the night of your reservation with the most up-to-date information available. Reserved guests may be able to reschedule.

Viewing the Planets in 2025:

The bright planets of Saturn and Jupiter will not be available for viewing during our stargazing times for part of the summer. The schedule of planets available during our tour times is as follows:

January - Venus, Jupiter, Mars

February - Venus, Jupiter, Mars

March - Venus (through 3/20), Jupiter, Mars

April - Jupiter (through 4/15), Mars

May - Mars

June - Mars

July - Mars (through 7/10), Saturn (beg 7/22)

August - Saturn

September - Saturn

October - Saturn

November - Saturn, Jupiter

December - Saturn, Jupiter

Other items for sale:

We have photographic prints, t-shirts, mugs and telescope kits for sale at our facility. Our photographic prints, t-shirts, mugs, puzzles, phone cases and other items are also available for sale online at https://pixels.com/profiles/teresa-hofer/shop.