Hiking, Astronomy & Stargazing with Telescopes at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center + Dinner!

IN A NUTSHELL:  Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center (CEWC) is a gorgeous 6400-acre GA DNR nature preserve about an hour's drive east of Atlanta. On this unique AOC outing we'll begin with a couple of hours of easy to moderate afternoon hiking.  We'll next join the Trip Leader's friends from Charlie Elliott Astronomy (a thriving astronomy club based at the wildlife center) for their delicious quarterly "potluck dinner" and indoor astronomy presentation.  Then weather permitting, we'll all regroup in the Wildlife Center's dark-sky observing field for an exciting observing session with the CEA members and their nice telescopes.  If it turns out to be overcast or showery we'll still enjoy the hike and the indoor session.  If it's inconvenient for you to join us for the 1:15-3:15 PM hike, feel free to sign up anyway and meet us for the various astronomy activities - see details below.)

A popular destination for hikers, "Charlie Elliott" boasts more than 10 miles of well marked forested trails that loop around its lovely lakes and granite outcrops.  Its dark unpolluted nighttime skies make it also a favorite place for stargazers and astronomy buffs.

Each month CEA members hold a late-afternoon astronomy club meeting at CEWC, then just before dusk set up their telescopes in the nearby observing field and aim them skyward, weather permitting.  CEA astronomers encourage non-members to attend these free sessions to learn more about astronomy and to enjoy telescopic views of heavenly wonders, both in our own galaxy and far beyond it.  Tips on basic skygazing and "star-hopping tours of the universe" are offered for all who have an interest in astronomy. Telescopes and binoculars are great tools for this, and an equally miraculous stargazing instrument - the naked eye! - can be the best choice for viewing constellations, bright stars, meteor showers and other awesome sky phenomena!

WHEN & WHERE?  If you prefer drive directly to CEWC, or instead feel free to carpool, meeting me and other carpoolers at 11:45 AM in NE Atlanta for the ~1-hour drive to the venue.  Our direct-drivers and carpoolers will all gather at 1:00 PM at the CEWC Visitor Center.  See detailed Directions below for both driving options, and for a zoomable map or satellite view of the CEWC spot where we'll all gather, click on the rectangular blue & green "Event Location" icon near the top of this article. 

AFTERNOON HIKING, DINNER & "INDOOR ASTRONOMY":  After introducing one another on the Visitor Center front porch we'll depart together on foot (at about 1:15 pm) to enjoy a nice leisurely 2-hour loop hike on the lovely "Red, Yellow and Blue" trails (about 4 miles). Then at about 3:15 PM we'll car-caravan to join our hosts for their Astronomy Meeting and quarterly Potluck Dinner in the park's nearby "Campbell Aquatic Activities Building."  Their informal astronomy meeting will include a movie or slide show and a lively discussion of  "What's Up in the Night Sky?" (interesting things to observe this month).  Please bring a food/refreshment item to contribute - see more below in "Items to Bring" - and please use this convenient online webpage ASAP tochoose an appropriate item and to let our CEA friends know what you plan to bring:  http://www.perfectpotluck.com/meals.php?t=MSOU5308

OUR NIGHTTIME OBSERVING SESSION (weather permitting) will begin at about 5:30 PM. We'll car-caravan from the indoor meeting & dinner (about 1 mile) to the "Jon Wood Astronomy Field."  We'll park along the shoulder of Elliott Trail (about 1/4 mi SW of the Marben Farm Rd jcn) then walk up the short gravel road into the field.  No white light is permitted but each participant may bring a small red-LED headlamp or flashlight (which preserves our night vision) - see more below in "Items to Bring."  If the weather cooperates we'll enjoy a fascinating observing session with our friendly CEA hosts who will treat us to views of the heavens through a variety of nice telescopes and binoculars.  We're each encouraged to stroll around, chat with the astronomers and take a look at whatever amazing objects they may be focused on.  We can also enjoy a "sky tutorial" on the constellations and planets that are visible to the naked eye.  Everyone is welcome to stay as late as you like at this Saturday night telescopic (+ naked eye & binocular) session.

Assuming that the weather cooperates I suggest that we enjoy observing with our friends on the Astronomy Field until about 8:00 PM (about 2 hours of observing) but each AOC carpool group or individual should feel free to depart for home at any time, later or earlier.  Some of the Club's more serious astronomers may continue observing as late as dawn Sunday morning.

FOR MORE on the CHARLIE ELLIOTT WILDLIFE CENTER click the following link.  (Then for a a color Trail Map click "Hiking" and for a color map of the entire CE Wildlife Center vicinity click the word "here" just above where you see "Hiking," "Fishing,"etc.)
http://www.georgiawildlife.com/node/694

FOR MORE about the CHARLIE ELLIOTT ASTRONOMY club (CEA) click this link:
http://ceastronomy.org/blog/home

OUR SPECIAL THANKS! to our friend Steve Siedentop, President of CEA for his special invitation to the AOC to participate in this exciting and entertaining event.

DIRECTIONS from ATANTA'S EAST-SIDE I-20/ I-285 INTERCHANGE to CHARLIE ELLIOTT WILDLIFE CENTER: (It's about a 42-mile, 50-minute drive from that I-20 Interchange to the venue.  For a zoomable map or satellite view of the CEWC parking lot & porch where we'll gather, click on the rectangular blue & green "Event Location" icon near the top of this article.

1. From the east-side I-20/I-285 Interchange take I-20 East toward Augusta for about 31 miles and exit to your Right at Exit #98, "GA-11".

2. Turn Right onto GA-11 (toward Monticello) and go straight ahead about 9.5 miles to its junction with Marben Farm Road. (En route you'll pass through the town of Mansfield.  When you near the Marben Farm Rd junction look for the "Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center" directional sign on your left.)

3. Turn Left onto Marben Farm Road and go 1.0 mile to Elliott Trail.

4. Turn Right onto Elliott Trail and go 0.5 mile to the Visitor Center parking lot.  At 1:15 PM our AOC hiking + astronomy group will rendezvous with one another on the covered porch of the Visitor Center building just outside the main entrance doors.

5.  At about 3:15 PM (after our hike) we'll car-caravan about 1.5 mile to the park's  "Campbell Aquatic Activities Building" for the indoor CEAstronomy.org Potluck Dinner & Indoor Meeting/Program.  (From the Visitor Ctr drive 1/2 mile back northward via Elliott Trail to Marben Farm Rd, Rt 1/2 mile to Murder Ck Church Rd, Rt 1/2 mi to Campbell Bldg on the left just before the big lakes. Lat/Lon = 33.4565,-83.7284).  After that session (weather permitting) we'll car-caravan back about 1 mile toward the Visitor Ctr and park along the shoulder of Elliott Trail (1/4 mi S of Marben Farm Rd) for the "Jon Wood Astronomy Field" stargazing & telescopic observing session.

HERE'S a suggested DESTINATION LAT/LON and ADDRESS for the CEWC VISITOR CENTER for those of us who wish to use GPS Navigation or GOOGLE.com/maps in conjunction with the above directions to our HIKE meetup spot:  
LAT/LON COORDINATES: 33.4628,-83.7338
ADDRESS: Elliott Trail, Shady Dale, GA 31085

No Charge—Free event with Free parking!

In fairness to those who may be wait-listed, if and when you find that you cannot attend this event for whatever reason, please go ASAP to the bottom of this online article and "Delete your Registration," and if it's within 2 or 3 days of the event please also email the Trip Leader to that effect so others can be invited from the wait list. Thanks!

For hiking/astronomy events at Charlie Elliott we normally go ahead with them rain or shine. In the event of cloudiness we can still enjoy hiking, the wildlife museum and the indoor astronomy program, plus of course the fun of being together in such a beautiful place.