Badlands National Park hosting first-ever Astronomy Festival next month at visitor centre

The Associated Press

BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK, S.D. - Get your telescopes and model rockets ready.

Badlands National Park has announced that it is holding its first-ever Astronomy Festival next month.

The Aug. 17-19 event will include hands-on activities and workshops, including model rocket building and launching, photography and night observations.

Guest speakers include NASA Astronaut Story Musgrave, Dakota Lapse photography Randy Halverson whose time-lapse videos of South Dakota's night sky have gained national attention and nuclear physicist Peggy Norris.

All events will be in the area around the Ben Reifel Visitor Center.

For more information, visit www.badlandsastrofest.org.