Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival

Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival - see below for this year's dates and activity schedule.

NPS Graphic.

 

September 15-17, 2023

Sponsored by the Theodore Roosevelt Nature & History Association. 

The following is this year's schedule of activities (expand each tab for more details):
 

Fun in the Sun Activities

Ranger Led Talks

10:30 am MDT at the South Unit Visitors Center

• Join Ranger Sydney for her program "Reflecting on Discovery: Build Your Own Kaleidoscopes"
• Ranger Shae for her program "Navigating the Stars"

Solar Scopes

10:00 am - 2:00 pm MDT at Chimney Butte Park 
Safely view the sun through solar scopes with our amazing Astronomy Volunteers-In-Parks!

Hands-On Activities

10:00 am - 2:00 pm MDT at Chimney Butte Park 
Hands-on activities to inspire curiosity about the day and night sky.

Daytime Talks

All daytime talks are at the South Unit Visitor Center. 

Night On Fire with Professor Matthew Craig

Friday at 3:00 pm MDT
Join Professor Craig from Minnesota State University Moorhead to learn about how the recent fires and smoke effect our night skies! 

Exploring Eclipse with Anya Hartpence

Saturday at 10:00 am MDT 

Join Anya for outdoor activities exploring eclipses and how you can prepare for the upcoming eclipse later this year!

James Webb Space Telescope with Lynn Powers

Saturday at 3:00 pm MDT 
Join our James Webb Ambassador to check out the amazing photos the James Webb Space Telescope has been taking during its first year in space! 

Seeing Our Solar System with Nikkita Star

Sunday at 10:00 am MDT 
Join NASA Ambassador Nikkita for a super fun look at our solar system! Perfect for all ages to learn about the planets and beyond! 

Science in the Skies with Minnesota State University Moorhead

Sunday at 3:00 pm MDT 
Join the Minnesota State University Moorhead students as they share their favorite parts of the sky and all the amazing features of the sky that inspired them to study astronomy!

Peaceful Valley Ranch Night Viewings

Peaceful Valley Ranch Night Viewings

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm MDT 
Join amateur astronomers and rangers under the stars. Rove from telescope to telescope, each trained on a unique
space object, while you listen to stories of night sky science and mythology. (Telescope field consists of gravel lot.)

 

Want to learn more?

Dakota Nights doesn't just evolve around the festival - enjoy any and/or all of the following videos created surrounding our dark skies:

 

 

Cassiopeia and Cepheus

Constellation

 

• Cassiopeia and Cepheus: Vanity Gets You Nowhere

  
  

  Nearly all constellations have stories to tell. Learn why Cassiopeia spends half of the year on her head!

  Credit / Author:

  Brenda Nejedlo

  Date created:

  10/14/2020

  Audio Transcript

  Cassiopeia and Cepheus: Vanity Gets You Nowhere

  The northern sky holds many familiar constellations and asterisms such as Ursa Major, the Big Dipper, and the Little Dipper. These circumpolar constellations are always visible in the night sky if you live in the northern hemisphere.

  Nearly all constellations have some sort of story to tell. Different cultures from various ages all around the world look up at their sky and tell the stories of what they see. They might see a grouping of stars in a slightly different way than another culture and thus have different stories. Stories evolve, change and morph into new stories. Cultures build upon other cultures lore. There may be more than one story for a constellation, even among the same culture.

  Oftentimes, star lore can combine not just one, but several constellations into a larger story. Such is the case with the constellations of Cepheus and Cassiopeia. Both constellations are best seen in late summer and fall, when they are high in the northern sky. Both constellations lie along the northern Milky Way, and are rich with many deep sky objects. Cassiopeia is easily recognized as it looks like the letter ‘W’. Cepheus looks like a lopsided house drawn by a child.

  In Greek mythology, Cepheus and Cassiopeia were the king and queen of Ethiopia. Cassiopeia was very beautiful, but also boastful and vain about her beauty. She was not afraid to tell people how beautiful she was. One day, she dared to say that she, along with her daughter, Andromeda, were more beautiful than the sea nymphs, known as the Nereids. The Nerieds were taken aback at Cassiopeia’s claim, and went to complain to their father, Poseidon, who did not take kindly to this slight from Cassiopeia. Angered, he decided to send a sea monster, Cetus, to ravage King Cepheus’ territory. Trying to find a way to stop Cetus from destroying his kingdom, Cepheus went to the Oracle and asked what could be done to stop the monster and save his people from certain destruction. The Oracle stated the only way to save the kingdom was to sacrifice his beloved daughter, Andromeda, to the sea monster. Reluctantly, Cepheus and Cassiopeia agreed to chain Andromeda to a rock on the shoreline, and await her fate.

  Shortly thereafter, Perseus came by on his winged horse, Pegasus. He was returning home after slaying Medusa, whose snake-filled head he carried in his bag. It was said that just one look from Medusa’s stare could turn anything into stone. Seeing Andromeda’s plight and how beautiful she was, he instantly fell in love with her. Perseus offered to kill the sea monster and save Andromeda, provided he could have her hand in marriage. Cepheus gladly accepted the offer. Anything to save his precious daughter. Telling Andromeda to keep her eyes closed, Perseus hid behind the rocks near Andromeda. When Cetus rose from the waves to kill Andromeda, Perseus, with his eyes shut tightly, pulled the head of Medusa out from his bag. When Cetus gazed upon Medusa’s eyes, he was instantly transformed into stone, and sank back down to the bottom of the ocean. Andromeda was saved from a horrible death, the kingdom was rescued from ruin, and the wedding was planned.

  During the ceremony, a man named Phineus, claimed that Andromeda had been promised to him first. Standing at the altar, ready to say, “I do,” Perseus was understandably shaken by this claim, and a fight ensued. Fearing he would lose, Perseus once again pulled the writhing head of Medusa out of his bag, turning Phineus to stone. Unfortunately, Cepheus and Cassiopeia, caught in the glare of Medusa’s eyes, were also turned to stone. Andromeda and Perseus, however, lived happily ever after.

  Poseidon was still a bit miffed at Cassiopeia’s bragging and vanity, so he decided to place her on a chair, high in the sky. For twelve hours of every day, and for about six months out of the year, Cassiopeia is forced to sit on her head, holding on for dear life as she endlessly rotates around the pole star. Such a humiliating position is definitely not queenlike or very beautiful. Cepheus, consisting of much fainter stars, stands nearby, leading his vain queen around in a ceaseless circle.