Fri the 13th Early Bird Hike: The Geminid Meteor Shower!

Thanks to my friend James Maroney for suggesting this unique skygazing event at our AOC Holiday Social and for being the first other "crazy member" to sign up!  - Charlie

EVENT PLAN:  The Geminid Meteor Shower is a spectacular annual display of "shooting stars" that peaks each winter on about December 13-14 as the earth plows through a stream of ancient "asteroid dust" in its repetitive orbital path around the sun.  This year here in Atlanta our best chance of observing some of the brighter meteors will likely be the wee hours of this Friday December 13th (see reasons discussed below).

For you fellow Early Birds who would like a chance to witness this unforgettable phenomenon - plus several other spectacular winter-sky objects! - and don't mind the "triple whammy" of...

1.  Getting up at 4:30 AM...
2.  ...on Friday the 13th
3.  ......in 30-degree (but likely clear!) weather

...we'll gather by our cars at 5:30 AM in Mason Mill Park near the stone restroom building.  (The nice park is in NE Atlanta near the VA Hospital -see detailed directions & Lat/Lon coordinates below.)

I'll bring hot coffee to share with everyone there as we gather (+ creamers/sweeteners & disposable cups).  After introductions we'll hike southward just 300 yards to the high boardwalk that affords a wide view of the night sky.  There we'll "skygaze" together for up to 90 minutes (depending on our luck viewing the meteors) before heading on to work, back home, etc.  Feel free to "split" at any time.  The sun will rise at 7:34 AM.

If we're lucky enough to see the Geminid meteors, they'll appear to originate from a common "radiant point" near the bright "twin stars" of Gemini, Castor and Pollux.  Although our good-ole "Naked Eye" is the best instrument for viewing meteors, if you have a pair of Binoculars, please bring them.  They might come in handy for viewing objects such as bright Jupiter (which happens to be in the foreground of Gemini this year) - also for viewing the red planet Mars in Virgo, ringed Saturn rising in Libra and the "Beehive" cluster of Cancer.  I may bring my Telescope for sharing nice closeup views.

WHY THIS FRIDAY MORNING?  This year the glare of the waxing almost-full moon is a problem for "evening-sky" meteor viewers this weekend, but the moon will set at 4:02 AM Friday morning in Atlanta, so its glare will be gone.  Our Atlanta weather for Saturday AM will likely be overcast with a good chance of rain, but the wee hours Friday morning will likely be very clear.

ABOUT the PARKS and their TRAILS:  Mason Mill Park and Medlock Park are two pretty DeKalb County parks located just east of Clairmont Road near Emory University and the VA Hospital.  They conveniently connect with one another via a network of hiking/biking paths and boardwalks.  The mile-long South Peachtree Creek Trail is the main trail through this shady corridor, and like the better known Silver Comet Trail it was designed and built to the high standards of the "PATH Foundation."  The trail features a half-mile-long raised deck through the forest canopy above the rocky creek.  Another exciting portion of this trail takes us over the railroad track via a 3-stories-high wooden walkway and deck.  Hikers are treated here to aerial views of the restored ruins of the early-20th-Century Decatur Waterworks, and the high deck is also a great spot for viewing sunsets, the moon, stars & planets and meteor showers.

FOR MORE about the GEMINID METEOR SHOWER click on these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geminids
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/10/geminid-meteor-shower/3953061/

FOR a COLOR MAP of SOUTH PEACHTREE CREEK TRAIL and its interconnecting DeKalb County parks (Mason Mill, Medlock and Ira Melton) click on this link:  http://pathfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/south-peachtree-creek-trail.pdf

FROM "SPAGHETTI JUNCTION" I-85 / I-285 INTERCHANGE in NE METRO ATLANTA to our MASON MILL PARK Meetup Spot:   (For a zoomable color MAP and satellite view of this spot and its vicinity click on the blue & green "Event Location" rectangle near the top of this article.)

1. From "Spaghetti Junction" take I-85 South toward Atlanta about 4 miles and get off at Exit #91 "Clairmont Road."

2. At the end of the exit ramp (assuming you were southbound on I-85) turn Left onto Clairmont Road (toward Decatur) and go about 2.3 miles to the traffic light at McConnell Drive.  (It's the next light south of the big Clairmont/ North Druid Hills intersection, and if you reach the huge VA Hospital you've gone a couple of blocks too far!)

3. Turn Left onto McConnell Drive, go just 0.1 mile, and turn Right at the stop sign to stay on McConnell. (Note the small "Mason Mill" directional sign here.)

4. Then turn Left almost immediately at the "Mason Mill Park" entrance sign into the large free parking lot.  We'll gather by the stone Restroom building near that main entrance adjoining the children's playground.

LAT/LON COORDINATES of the Mason Mill Park spot where we'll meet: (You GPS or Google.com/maps users may wish to augment my above verbal directions by entering these map coordinates as your destination.)
  33.8080,-84.3066

Free Event with Free Parking!