Last updated: July 1, 2026
Thing to Do
Badlands Astronomy Festival
Badlands AstroFest 2026
July 17th-19th
The Annual Badlands Astronomy Festival brings together space science professionals, amateur astronomers, educators, youth groups, and park visitors for a stellar experience. Celebrate the beauty of a dark night sky and the wonder of space exploration.
Novices and experts alike will enjoy daily family-friendly activities and evening presentations with special guest speakers. In the past activities have included a scale model solar system tour and walk, solar observing opportunities, special guest speakers, public stargazing activities, static displays, as well as equipment demonstrations by professional and amateur astronomers.
This three-day celebration at Badlands National Park will support the continued protection and enjoyment of our incredible night skies as a precious natural resource. Although light pollution threatens dark skies across the globe, the Badlands are nestled in a corner of the Great Plains where light pollution is not a prevalent issue. Come celebrate the dark skies of the park with us!
The festival schedule and activities vary year-to-year. Stop by the Ben Reifel Visitor Center to pick up this year’s schedule when you visit or check out the schedule below. Most events and activities are located in wheelchair-accessible areas. Astronomy Festival events do not require advance registration or tickets.
The schedule for the 2026 Astronomy Festival is listed below
Details
Duration
30-60 Minutes
Activity
Astronomy
Pets Allowed
Yes with Restrictions
Pets are permitted in Badlands National Park with some restrictions. Pets must be kept on a leash no more than six feet in length at all times. Pets are only permitted in developed areas, such as campgrounds and picnic areas, and other areas open to motor vehicles, such as gravel and paved roadways, roadway corridors, and parking lots. Pets are prohibited from hiking trails, public buildings (i.e. visitor centers), and backcountry areas, including the Badlands Wilderness Area, and areas with prairie dog colonies. Pet etiquette dictates always cleaning up animal waste and disposing of it in trash receptacles.
Activity Fee
No
Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.
Reservations
No
Season
Summer
Time of Day
Day, Night, Dusk
Accessibility Information
The event takes place in an ADA amphitheater. Certified service animals are welcome.
2026 Astronomy Festival
Schedule of Events:
Planet Walk
Friday, July 17th; Saturday, July 18th; and Sunday, July 19th
10:00 am and 1:00 pm. Starting at Ben Reifel Visitor Center
Learn how large our solar system is with a size-accurate scale model made by our Astronomy and Night Sky team. Meet in front of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center to join us on a walk through the solar system.
Daytime Speaker Schedule:
Friday, July 17th; Saturday, July 18th; and Sunday, July 19th
2:00PM at Theater in Ben Reifel Visitor Center
Friday, July 17th at 2:00pm
The Sun- Paul Ricketts
Synopsis: The Sun: A detailed presentation on solar dynamics, sun spots, solar flares, solar structure, prominences, magnetic cycles and coronal mass ejections. It all starts with a video of an old Bang! Learn everything you need to know about how the Sun works and affects the Earth!
Bio: Paul is the director of the WEAO and WEO observatories and AstronomUr outreach group at the University of Utah where they educate future astronomers and bring Astronomy to the public. He has been involved with research in optics, Telescopes, and dark skies. He is a former board member of the Utah Chapter of DarkSky Utah and has helped designate over a dozen dark sky parks in Utah.
Saturday, July 18th at 2:00pm
Lakotan AstroHistory- Dr. Craig Howe
Synopsis: In his talk, Dr. Howe will explore astronomy and history within a Lakotan framework, incorporating traditional narratives, selected celestial objects, that can be seen by naked eye observation, accepted astronomical understandings, and traditional winter counts.
Bio: Craig Howe, a founder and the Director of the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies (CAIRNS), earned a Ph.D. in architecture and anthropology from the University of Michigan. He served as Deputy Assistant Director for Cultural Resources at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and Director of the D’Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian History at the Newberry Library in Chicago. Howe has authored articles and book chapters on numerous topics, including tribal histories, Lakotan star knowledge, museum exhibitions, and community collaborations.
Sunday, July 19th at 2:00pm
Tour the Universe: You are Here- Astronomer Dean Regas
Synopsis: Rocket through space and sail among billions of stars and galaxies. Utilizing some amazing simulation software, astronomer Dean Regas guides you through the mind-boggling scale of the universe. Along the way you’ll stop at the Moon and individual planets. Then you’ll make the jump to light speed and head to interstellar space and see all the galaxies in the universe.
Bio: Dean Regas is a renowned public speaker, author, educator, national popularizer of astronomy and an expert in observational astronomy.
He served as the astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory from 2000-2023 and was the Astronomer in Residence at the Grand Canyon in 2021. He is the author of six books including "100 Things to See in the Night Sky" and “How to Teach Grown-Ups About Pluto”. From 2010-2019 Dean was the co-host of the PBS program Star Gazers.
Dean has contributed to Astronomy Magazine, Sky and Telescope Magazine, Farmer's Almanac, USAToday, Science Friday and Here & Now. He is also the host of a popular astronomy podcast called "Looking Up with Dean Regas"
Dean brings the complicated field of astronomy down to Earth for people of all ages.
Sun Fun Solar Observing
Friday, July 17th; Saturday, July 18th; and Sunday, July 19th
3:00-5:00 pm at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center
View solar flares and sunspots through our special solar telescopes, 100% safe for eyes. Various other sun-based activities will also be offered.
Paper Rocket Launch
Friday, July 17th; Saturday, July 18th; and Sunday, July 19th
3:00-5:00 pm at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center
Join staff from Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in building your own paper rocket. Learn the anatomy of a rocket and what is needed to propel it into the cosmos (or our front yard). How can you make your rocket launch farther than the others?
Guest Speakers/Evening Programs/Public Stargazing
Friday, July 17th; Saturday, July 18th; and Sunday, July 19th
9pm - 11:30 pm (Fri, Sat, Sun) at the Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater
Nightly evening presentations will be provided by invited guest speakers followed by hands-on experience with multiple state-of-the-art telescopes and amateur astronomers providing constellation tours while guiding visitors around the universe. View planets, star clusters, nebulae, and double stars while going down the “scope line.
Evening Speaker Schedule:
Friday, July 17th at 9:00pm
Extraterrestrial Life Through the Lens of an Earthling Paleontologist
Synopsis: Astronomers, physicists, mathematicians, and biologists have speculated and calculated odds of life in other worlds in our galaxy. However, paleontologists have been studying extinct versions of planet Earth over the past couple centuries, and it is about time one of these fossil scientists jumps into the conversation. What life are we looking for in other worlds? What are the odds of making an intergalactic stop to "smell the roses", go on a fishing trip, or find someone who is also looking for you? Badlands National Park's Education Specialist and paleontologist, Ed Welsh, provides a tour of life's milestones on Earth and the odds of finding similar life forms elsewhere in the Milky Way.
Ed Welsh – Education Specialist and paleontologist at Badlands NP
Bio – Ed Welsh is a paleontologist and is also the Education Specialist at Badlands Natioanal Park. He is also part of the park's Night Sky team, guiding visitors along our increasingly popular nightly astronomy programs through the summer. He earned his Bachelor in Science degree in Geoscience from Chadron State College in Chadron Nebraska and his Masters in Science degree in Paleontology from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota.
More famously known as "The Bearded Ranger", Ed has authored or co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed scientific studies on various fossil mammals or mammal groups. He has named or helped name 1 new genus and 3 new species of fossil mammal from the park in the past 5 years.
Ed also has learned astronomy as part of his Geosciences background and is fascinated with the possibility of what the history of life might be like in another world.
Saturday, July 18th at 9:00pm
100 Things to See in the Night Sky
Synopsis: Want to know the name of that star? How do you find constellations like Leo, Scorpius, and Cygnus? When can you see the planets? Based on my popular book, astronomer Dean Regas will show you the basic tips and tricks to identifying stars, constellations, planets, and more in the night sky.
Dean Regas – Astronomer, Author, co-host of PBS's Star Gazers
Bio – Dean Regas is a renowned public speaker, author, educator, national popularizer of astronomy and an expert in observational astronomy.
He served as the astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory from 2000-2023 and was the Astronomer in Residence at the Grand Canyon in 2021. He is the author of six books including "100 Things to See in the Night Sky" and “How to Teach Grown-Ups About Pluto”. From 2010-2019 Dean was the co-host of the PBS program Star Gazers.
Dean has contributed to Astronomy Magazine, Sky and Telescope Magazine, Farmer's Almanac, USAToday, Science Friday and Here & Now. He is also the host of a popular astronomy podcast called "Looking Up with Dean Regas"
Dean brings the complicated field of astronomy down to Earth for people of all ages.
Sunday, July 19th at 9:00pm
Black Holes: There is nothing to see here, folks!
Synopsis: If you know any astronomers, you’ve probably noticed it seems like they are all obsessed with black holes right now. Well, maybe not all of them? In this presentation Dark Ranger Kevin Poe will explain the weirdness that are black holes, but then convince you that there are far more interesting things in the Universe, including national parks right here on Earth. Which begs the question if you were a space alien, with good transportation, where would you vacation? At some boring black hole, or a truly fascinating place like Badlands National Park?
Kevin Poe – Dark Ranger Telescope Tours, Bryce Canyon, UT
Bio – Kevin is a recently retired Park Ranger who spent most of his National Park Service career at Mount Rushmore and Bryce Canyon. Now, his 10-year-old, side-hustle and astronomy tourism business, sustains he and his family as well as employing a hand-picked cadre of astronomy entertainers known as the Dark Rangers. Kevin’s 3rd favorite National Park is the Badlands because of out of its out of this world geology and gorgeous night sky. Otherwise he’s just this guy with arguably too many telescopes and perhaps an unhealthy obsession for all things Douglas Adams.
Previous Astronomy Festivals
2025 Astronomy Festival
Schedule of Events:
Planet Walk
Friday, July 18th; Saturday, July 19th; and Sunday, July 20th
10:00 am and 1:00 pm. Starting at Ben Reifel Visitor Center
Learn how large our solar system is with a size-accurate scale model made by our Astronomy and Night Sky team. Meet in front of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center to join us on a walk through the solar system.
Sun Fun Solar Observing
Friday, July 18th; Saturday, July 19th; and Sunday, July 20th
3:00-5:00 pm at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center
View solar flares and sunspots through our special solar telescopes, 100% safe for eyes. Various other sun-based activities will also be offered.
Paper Rocket Launch
Friday, July 18th; Saturday, July 19th; and Sunday, July 20th
3:00-5:00 pm at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center
Join staff from Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in building your own paper rocket. Learn the anatomy of a rocket and what is needed to propel it into the cosmos (or our front yard). How can you make your rocket launch farther than the others?
Guest Speakers/Evening Programs/Public Stargazing
Friday, July 18th; Saturday, July 19th; and Sunday, July 20th
9pm - 11:30 pm (Fri, Sat, Sun) at the Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater
Nightly evening presentations will be provided by invited guest speakers followed by hands-on experience with multiple state-of-the-art telescopes and amateur astronomers providing constellation tours while guiding visitors around the universe. View planets, star clusters, nebulae, and double stars while going down the “scope line.”
Speaker Schedule:
Friday, July 18th at 9:00pm
Tour of the Universe: You Are Here
Synopsis: Rocket through space and sail among billions of stars and galaxies. Utilizing some amazing simulation software astronomer Dean Regas will guide you through the mind-boggling scale of the universe. Along the way you’ll stop at the Moon and individual planets. Then you’ll make the jump to light speed and head to interstellar space and see all the galaxies in the universe.
Dean Regas – Astronomer, Author, co-host of PBS's Star Gazers
Bio – Dean Regas is a renowned public speaker, author, educator, national popularizer of astronomy and an expert in observational astronomy.
He served as the astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory from 2000-2023 and was the Astronomer in Residence at the Grand Canyon in 2021. He is the author of six books including "100 Things to See in the Night Sky" and “How to Teach Grown-Ups About Pluto”. From 2010-2019 Dean was the co-host of the PBS program Star Gazers.
Dean has contributed to Astronomy Magazine, Sky and Telescope Magazine, Farmer's Almanac, USAToday, Science Friday and Here & Now. He is also the host of a popular astronomy podcast called "Looking Up with Dean Regas"
Dean brings the complicated field of astronomy down to Earth for people of all ages.
Saturday, July 19th at 9:00pm
Things That Go Bump in the Night
Synopsis: Things that go bump in the night: astronomy isn’t as peaceful as it seems! From star birth to star death, join Dark Ranger Savannah on a journey through the cosmos as you learn about some of astronomy’s most violent events and how without these collisions the Universe would be an even more lonely place.
Savannah Cary – Ph.D. student at the University of California, Berkeley
Bio – Savannah Cary is a PhD student at Berkeley with background in radio astronomy. Prior to that, her ungraduated senior thesis earned her the 2nd place in 2022 Leroy Apker Award where while studying a new kind of Fast Radio Burst Savannah was able a calibrate a $50,000 atomic clock to a level of the precision normally only possible for $1 million Maser Clock. That innovation allowed 3 radio observatories in British Columbia, Nevada, and West Virginia to unite their instrumentation to form a long-baseline, interferometer. Kinda makes you wonder what in the world the 1st place winner did to surpass that accomplish, eh? Regardless even 2nd place helped her secure a Fulbright Scholarship so that she could spend a year in Japan, studying and modeling the gravitational chaos of star cluster interaction. When not listening for strange signals deep within the universe she enjoys ultimate frisbee, long distance running with Taylor Swift tunes singing and dancing in her head, and world peace.
Through it all Savannah continues to work as an astronomy entertainer for Dark Ranger Telescope Tours. This is her second year running telescopes at the Badlands Astronomy Festival and her first taking the stage.
Sunday, July 20th at 9:00pm
Black Holes: There is nothing to see here, folks!
Synopsis: If you know any astronomers, you’ve probably noticed it seems like they are all obsessed with black holes right now. Well, maybe not all of them? In this presentation Dark Ranger Kevin Poe will explain the weirdness that are black holes, but then convince you that there are far more interesting things in the Universe, including national parks right here on Earth. Which begs the question if you were a space alien, where would you vacation? At some boring black hole, or a truly fascinating place like Badlands National Park?
Kevin Poe – Dark Ranger Telescope Tours, Bryce Canyon, UT
Bio – Kevin is a recently retired Park Ranger who spent most of his National Park Service career at Mount Rushmore and Bryce Canyon. Now, his 10-year-old, side-hustle and astronomy tourism business, sustains he and his family as well as employing a hand-picked cadre of astronomy entertainers known as the Dark Rangers. Kevin’s 3rd favorite National Park is the Badlands because of out of its out of this world geology and gorgeous night sky. Otherwise he’s just this guy with arguably too many telescopes and perhaps an unhealthy obsession for all things Douglas Adams.
2024 Astronomy Festival
Schedule of Events:
Planet Walk
Friday, July 5th; Saturday, July 6th; and Sunday, July 7th
10:00 am and 1:00 pm. Starting at Ben Reifel Visitor Center
Learn how large our solar system is with a size-accurate scale model made by our Astronomy and Night Sky team. Meet in front of the Ben Reifel Visitor Center to join us on a walk through the solar system.
Sun Fun Solar Observing
Friday, July 5th; Saturday, July 6th; and Sunday, July 7th
3:00-5:00 pm at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center
View solar flares and sunspots through our special solar telescopes, 100% safe for eyes. Various other sun-based activities will also be offered.
Paper Rocket Launch
Friday, July 5th; Saturday, July 6th; and Sunday, July 7th
3:00-5:00 pm at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center
Join staff from Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in building your own paper rocket. Learn the anatomy of a rocket and what is needed to propel it into the cosmos (or our front yard). How can you make your rocket launch farther than the others?
Guest Speakers/Evening Programs/Public Stargazing
Friday, July 5th; Saturday, July 6th; and Sunday, July 7th
9pm - 11:30 pm (Fri, Sat, Sun) at the Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater
Nightly evening presentations will be provided by invited guest speakers followed by hands-on experience with multiple state-of-the-art telescopes and amateur astronomers providing constellation tours while guiding visitors around the universe. View planets, star clusters, nebulae, and double stars while going down the “scope line.”
Speaker Schedule:
Friday, July 5th at 9:00pm
The Webb Space Telescope, Peering into the Early Universe
Eve Wooldridge – NASA Aerospace Engineer, Emerita; Aerospace Contamination Control for James Webb Space Telescope
Synopsis: Eve Wooldridge started working at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in 1984, cutting her teeth as a contamination control engineer on the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE). Since then, Eve has worked many projects, including one from the history books: the TOMS instrument which launched in 1991 on the Soviet Meteor-3 spacecraft as part of the Reagan-Gorbachev agreement for the United States and the Soviet Union to work together on space programs for peaceful purposes.
Since then, most of Eve’s career has been her 26 years as the Contamination Engineering Lead on the James Webb Space Telescope. In this role, Eve has had the joy and privilege of leading a highly skilled team of engineers, scientists, and technicians. Working with this team on JWST has been the highlight of her career, and today she is very happy to talk about some of the things they did together to launch the telescope clean and ready for the spectacular science we have seen in the last 2 years.
Saturday, July 6th at 9:00pm
How We Study the Geology of Mars
Cate Larsen – Geologist and Science communicator, New York
Synopsis: Mars is over 110 MILLION miles away, so how do scientists study it and learn so much about it? Come learn about things like rovers, orbiters, and places here on Earth that help us understand Mars’ geology and piece together its history. This is an interactive presentation meant to teach observation and interpretation skills, so bring your good eyes and thinking cap!
Sunday, July 7th at 9:00pm
Just 42!
Kevin Poe – Dark Ranger Telescope Tours, Bryce Canyon, UT
Synopsis: Astronomy math is VERY hard, but the science itself is pretty simple when compared to biology, geology, etc. So much so, that once you exclude Earth, there's only 42 things left to learn about before you can understand the whole Universe. Join Kevin "The Dark Ranger" Poe to get a semester's worth of astronomy from this single show.