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/or tours of our facility as appropriate.

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.   

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:

We offer either a Dark Sky Tour or a Bright Moon Tour 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) each evening, weather permitting. 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. Updates will also be posted on our website.  

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. 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.

Baby it’s COLD Outside!

When temperatures fall we offer a cosmic tour of selected deep sky objects on our 75” TV screen from the warmth and comfort of our lobby. In addition, a few objects are available visually from our Observing Deck; however, this tour is designed to minimize time spent outside.

We will observe several objects using our 26” Newtonian Reflector telescope and astronomy cameras in real-time. While you watch, these objects will be live-stacked to our big screen TV.  We will also have a couple of telescopes set up outside for visual observing and a constellation laser tour as weather permits. Astronomer Ron Dyvig will describe all objects and will address your questions.

A tour of the dome area is included at the end of the live-stack program.

We will offer this tour on clear nights when wind is minimal and temps are below 30 degrees.

Bright Moon Tour:

The Bright Moon Tour is offered 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.

The cost for nighttime tours is $29.70 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 15 people for $267.30. If you book a private party, we will contact you for prepayment.

Lakota Star Knowledge with Craig Howe, PhD.:

Badlands Observatory and the South Dakota Space Grand 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.

We are in the process of scheduling three sessions for 2024 and will update this site when the times are known.

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 Marathon:

Badlands Observatory is offering a meteor marathon in conjunction with the Perseid Meteor Shower. The event will take place during the wee hours of Tuesday, August 13 from midnight to 4 a.m. (This would be Monday night in the time space of “normal” people)

We will have seating on our Observing Deck as well as camera equipment set up to capture streaking meteors which are estimated to be 50-100 per hour. Our public telescopes will also be set up for viewing deep sky objects and planets.

Normal rates will apply; however, the program will be unstructured. Guests may stay for the entire four hours or less, at their convenience.

Reservations are required as seating is limited.

Winter Policy:

Badlands Observatory is open year-round, however in the interest of maintaining safety and comfort, we will only use our outside Observing Deck if the temperature is over 30 degrees and the wind is less than 15 mph.

On clear nights where the temperature and/or wind conditions prohibit using the Observing Deck, we will use our telescopes upstairs for visual observing and conduct live-view sessions using our cameras.

Further, we will open reservations only on nights where we can predictably offer safe and comfortable sessions. We need at least 4 participants from any number of groups on a given winter night.

What if it’s Cloudy?

The weather on your reserved night may not cooperate and some guests may not be able to return on a clear night due to travel or other restrictions; therefore we offer a substitute program as described below.

For both the Dark Sky and Bright Moon Tours, guests receive a guided tour through our exhibit galleries and the dome area; either a laser tour or pre-recorded show about objects in the night sky; presentation of a simulated live-stack and stargazing for any objects that may be visible, depending on the cloud cover. If the skies are 50% or more covered, the substitute program will be used.

The price is $15.00 per person 10 years and older reduced by one admission charge for private parties. Guests may instead choose to reschedule or cancel their reservations at no charge.

Viewing the Planets in 2024:

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 - Jupiter, Saturn

February - Jupiter, Saturn

March - Jupiter

April - Jupiter (through 4/15)

July - Saturn (beg 7/21)

August - Saturn

September - Saturn

October - Saturn, Jupiter (beginning 10/15)

November - Saturn, Jupiter, Venus (beginning 11/12)

December - Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mars

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.