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While location is important for night sky viewing, weather conditions are critical. Tyler Nordgren Ideal Locations for Night Sky Viewing

American Indian oral histories speak of ties between the Tower and the stars. Ursa major (the "Great Bear") is one of many constellations visible from the Tower. Today, you can enjoy the park after dark and marvel at the same sky and the same stars that have captured the imaginations of people for thousands of years. The star knowledge of the Lakotas is one of many ways that demonstrate the cultural significance the Tower site has for so many diverse people. Oral histories about the night sky include elements common to many cultures, such as the Milky Way, the North Star, and Orion's Belt.Ĭonnections between people and the night sky stretch back for millennia. Lakotas developed their star knowledge over generations of watching the night sky although many aspects of their culture became fragmented by the end of the 1800s, their astronomical connections are still taught and studied today.

When the constellation rises, it is on its side but as it sets it falls perpendicular to the horizon, mirroring the shape of the Tower. These stars, as well as several others form the Gemini constellation, and known to Lakotas as Mato Tipila - Bear Lodge.īoth the geographic feature and the constellation Mato Tipila are roughly rectangular in shape, but with a slight lean. Castor and Pollux are two bright stars that mark the constellation known as Gemini. The fact that it shares the name of the geographic feature known as Devils Tower is no coincidence.Ĭommon astronomy today uses Greek or Latin names and constellations. In addition to other known Lakota constellations, "Mato Tipila" shines brightly in the northern hemisphere. Through their oral traditions, Lakotas have passed on their knowledge of the stars to current generations. In Lakota, Devils Tower is known as "mato tipi la paha" or "The Hill of the Bear's Lodge." More commonly called Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge). The Lakota constellation Mato Tipila is a leaning rectangle, very similar to the geographic feature of the same name.