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Hiking, Astronomy & Skygazing with Telescopes at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center




The Basics:
Event Type:Adventure
Event Location: Near Covington, GA: ~45 Min E of Atlanta via I-20   Adventure: Hiking, Astronomy & Skygazing with Telescopes at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Sat, Nov 5 2011  1:40 pm >> Wed, Nov 2 2011 10:00 pm  (Carpool Departure: 12:30 pm   *log in for location*)
Registration Opens: Wed, Nov 2 2011 2:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Sat, Nov 5 2011 9:00 am
Event Duration:About 8 hours
Difficulty Rating:D2: Easy to Moderate
Distance:4 Miles
Pace:Leisurely
Trip Leader(s):
Charlie Cottingham
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:12
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 10 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

OVERVIEW:  On this unique AOC outing we'll enjoy about two hours of easy to moderate afternoon Hiking, then join the Trip Leader's friends from the Atlanta Astronomy Club for an exciting late afternoon and evening program that includes an indoor Astronomy Program followed by an optional Group Dinner, then a Deep-Sky and Lunar Observing Session with telescopes on the Wildlife Center's spacious observing field.
   Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center (CEWC) is a pristine 6400-acre GA DNR nature preserve about a 45-minute drive east of Atlanta (15 miles SE of Covington, GA near I-20).  It is an excellent destination for hikers, with more than 10 miles of well marked forested trails that loop around its lovely lakes and granite outcrops—and its dark skies make it also a favorite place for stargazers.
  Each month amateur astronomers from the "Charlie Elliott Chapter" of the Atlanta Astronomy Club (AAC) hold a 90-minute meeting and program at the Charlie Elliott Visitor Center, then (about an hour before dark) set up their telescopes in the nearby low-light-pollution observing field and aim them skyward, weather permitting.  Our astronomers encourage non-members to attend these free sessions to learn more about astronomy and to enjoy telescopic views of such heavenly wonders as the moons of Jupiter and the 2-million-light-years-distant Andromeda Galaxy.  Tips on basic "sky-gazing" and "star-hopping" tours of the universe are offered for those who are interested in observing constellations, planets, deep-sky objects, eclipses, etc. with their own telescope or binoculars, or with an equally miraculous stargazing instrument—the naked eye! —the best choice of all for meteor showers and many other awesome sky phenomena
   The forecast is for nice mostly clear fall weather in the mid-60s at hike time, dropping into the 50s for our after-dark observing session.

WHEN & WHERE?  We'll all rendezvous at 1:40 just inside the entrance of the Charlie Elliott Visitor Center & Museum—see detailed directions and address below.  Drive directly to the event if you like, or join the Trip Leader at 12:30 PM in NE Atlanta for carpooling there and back (~45 min. each way).  This "general carpool" will gather in the WSB Radio Tower shopping center parking lot near the I-285 LaVista Road exit—see detailed directions also below.  Our carpool parties will plan to depart that lot by about 12:40 PM and should arrive at Charlie Elliott a few minutes before our 1:40 rendezvous time.

AFTERNOON PLAN:  After introductions and a brief walk through the museum we'll begin our Hike at about 2:00—then at 4:00 PM join our hosts for their Indoor Astronomy Program in the museum's spacious conference room. Their invited guest speaker this month will present an interesting program on the beautiful ringed planet Saturn.

SAT EVENING MEAL OPTION:  We expect to have time for a sit-down evening meal (at about 6:00 PM)  between the indoor astronomy meeting and outdoor observing session (which begins at dusk).  Those of us who are interested can caravan about 3 miles back toward Atlanta to the little town of Mansfield where there's a popular restaurant, "Where There Is Smoke"  (wide variety of entrees averaging about $8).  If you prefer, feel free to bring your own picnic dinner (e.g., bring in a small cooler) and enjoy it on the Charlie Elliott premises.  Other than a water fountain, no drinks or food are available at Charlie Elliott. 

OUTDOOR OBSERVING SESSION:   We'll reconvene with our Astronomy Club friends on the observing field at about 7:00 PM and enjoy views of Jupiter and its moons, interesting features of the lunar surface, and various deep-sky objects.  Individuals and carpool parties are free to stay as late as you like at the Saturday night telescopic (+ naked eye) observing session.  About 10:00 PM is a suggested appropriate departure time, but some of the Club's more serious astronomers may continue observing as late as dawn Sunday morning—so feel free to stay up late with them and return home "when the rooster crows" if you prefer!

FOR MORE on the CHARLIE ELLIOTT WILDLIFE CENTER (including a nice color Trail Map if you click on "hiking") go to:
http://www.georgiawildlife.com/node/694

FOR MORE  on the CHARLIE ELLIOTT CHAPTER of the ATLANTA ASTRONOMY CLUB go to:
http://ceastronomy.org/blog/home


Required Items to Bring:

• For our Hike, wear comfortable well-broken-in Athletic Shoes or Hiking Boots with a coarse tread and lightweight Clothing Layers appropriate for the weather, including Rain Gear if showers are forecast.  At least one warm Extra Upper Layer and a warm Cap are recommended for the after-dark telescopic observing session (temps in the low 50s expected).

• For the Hike, hydrate in advance and carry in your pack a filled Water Bottle or two (or other favorite soft beverages)-or if you have one, your filled "Camelbak" hydration system.

• IMPORTANT:  AT THE OBSERVING SESSION WHITE LIGHT IS NORMALLY NOT PERMITTED. Only small RED LED HEAD-LAMPS/FLASHLIGHTS are used so as not to impair observers' night vision.  Please bring such a small red LED light if you have one—otherwise the trip leader will have a couple of red lamps to share.

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
  • If you have Trekking Poles or a Hiking Stick, consider bringing them for the hike.

    • For our evening meal (at about 6 PM) our AOC "subgroup" will plan to caravan about 3 miles into Mansfield to a BBQ restaurant (entrees averaging ~$8).  If you prefer, feel free to bring your own food/refreshment items (e.g. in a small cooler) to consume on the Wildlife Center premises.

    • If you have a pair of Binoculars and/or a small Telescope, you may want to bring them for the Observing Session.  Also, some of you may have a "Sky Chart App" on your i-Phone that we may enjoy using in conjunction with our star maps, etc.

    • Consider bringing your Camera.  The Wildlife Center is very photogenic!

How to Get There:
Event Directions:


FROM THE EAST-SIDE I-20/ I-285 INTERCHANGE (~12 miles E of downtown Atlanta) it's about 42 miles to Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center:

1) Take I-20 E 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.  Look for the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center directional sign at the Marben Farm Rd junction.)

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.  Rendezvous with the rest of our AOC group at about 1:30 PM just inside the main entrance of the large Visitor Center building.

5)  At 4:00 PM (after our hike) we'll use the special entrance into the LEFT side of the Visitor Center to attend the indoor portion of the Astronomy Club program.  After that program (weather permitting) we'll drive a short distance back down the entrance road to the observing field for the stargazing & telescopes session, and for those who wish to join us for the 6:00 pm optional dinner, caravan about 3 miles to the little town of Mansfield.

"DESTINATION" for use with GPS Navigation or GOOGLE.com/maps:  
  ADDRESS: Elliott Trail, Shady Dale, GA 31085.
  LAT/LON COORDINATES: 33.4628,-83.7338

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):100Mile(s)
Carpool Departure Time: 12:30 pm
Carpool Location:   Log in for location
Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
Carpool Cost: Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $40.00 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:
* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cost Includes:

No Charge—Free event with Free parking!


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.
*Note:
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.