Visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park this weekend to check out the night skies/NPS

Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the town of historic Medora, North Dakota, are hosting the sixth annual Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival this Friday through Sunday. You can join park rangers, astronomers, and space enthusiasts of all types to celebrate North Dakota’s night skies.

“People have been marveling at the night skies for thousands of years,” said Theodore Roosevelt Chief of Interpretation Eileen Andes. “Dakota Nights celebrates the beauty and fragility of this awe-inspiring resource and makes it accessible and fun for people of all ages. You don’t have to be an astronomy expert; our festival has something for everyone.”

Visitors are invited to enjoy presentations by special guest speakers at 7 p.m. MDT each evening at the park’s Cottonwood Campground amphitheater. Friday evening’s speaker is Dr. Corinne Brevik, associate professor of physics at Dickinson State University, who will speak about planets and solar systems beyond our own.

Star lore historian and storyteller Mary Stewart Adams will speak about dark night skies and their connection to human imagination on Saturday evening. On Sunday evening,  Ranger Andrea Martinson will help visitors get acquainted with the park’s nocturnal wildlife. After each evening’s presentation, astronomers will share the mysteries of the universe while star gazing in a field of more than a dozen telescopes at the historic Peaceful Valley Ranch.

Daytime activities include model rocket building and launching, kids’ crafts and activities, “sun gazing,” solar system hikes, presentations, and hourly shows in Dickinson State University’s Discovery Dome.

The Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival is a partnership between Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Historic Medora.

“Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival would not be possible without our partners and the many volunteers who join us in celebrating the night sky,” said Andes. Partners include Theodore Roosevelt Nature and History Association, Medora Chamber of Commerce, Medora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chateau De Mores State Historic Site, and Dickinson State University.

All festival events are free, though park entrance fees apply.