Deadwood receives “out-of-this-world” honor with naming of asteroid

DEADWOOD, S.D. — Deadwood-native and Badlands Observatory Director Ronald Dyvig has decided to name Asteroid-123794, which he discovered back in January 2001, for his hometown.

Asteroid-123794 – now known as “Deadwood” – is approximately one- to two-miles in diameter and orbits between Mars and Jupiter.

After being confirmed by the Minor Planet Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Dyvig was given the privilege of naming his discovery. At a Deadwood High School alumni reunion, several classmates suggested naming the asteroid for their childhood community.