Charlie Elliott Astronomy Meeting & Observing

on October 10, 2020

(September 24, 2020) It’s been said “The gods must be angry” and if evidence is needed, the third scheduled gathering in a row at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center Jon Wood Astronomy Field fell through when we were socked in with total cloud cover on September 19.
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Never ones to give up, we invite all to our next event at 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, when we will feature a special segment for those of you who favor solar observing. Greg Bragg of Celestron will be with us to demonstrate the new Sky-Watcher SolarQuest solar tracking mount. A friend to Atlanta amateur astronomers for many years and who has appeared at the Peach State Star Gaze nine times, Greg will also talk about some new products that Celestron will have just announced prior to our meeting date.
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From the Sky-Watcher online product description: “The Sky-Watcher SolarQuest solar tracking mount is lightweight and ridiculously easy to use. No need to worry about aligning your equipment the night before or early in the morning. Using its patented HelioFind solar finder and built-in GPS, SolarQuest autolevels and calculates the azimuth and altitude of the Sun, all with the single push of a button. Once self-aligned, the mount locates and tracks the Sun for hours at a time. SolarQuest is perfect for eclipse chasers or anyone fascinated with our closest star.”
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There’s also a Sky-Watcher overview of the SolarQuest mount on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ro3uX9zBCs plus a few other videos about the device there as well.
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THIS time, we will meet at the Campbell Aquatics Building on Murder Creek Church Rd. To get there, turn off Hwy 11 onto Marben Farm Rd, continue past Elliott Trail, then turn right onto Murder Creek Church Rd and follow it to the aquatics building.
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Face masks are STRONGLY advised and we remind all attendees that the CDC’s 6-foot social distancing requirement remains in effect. If the attendance reaches a certain point, we will simply meet under the covered area just outside the Campbell building. Note also that NO refreshments will be served, so bring your own.
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According to the Sky Safari astronomy app, sunset at our location will be at 7:07 p.m. In consideration of the astro-imagers, astronomical dusk ends at 8:29 p.m.
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“All of the Above”

Besides Greg, our observing coordinator David Whalen will be on hand with his very entertaining and informative narration (with video and even some music as well) about what you can see and image in the night sky this month.  He’ll cover observing targets ranging from our own solar system to distant galaxies.
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If you can’t be with us on October 10, don’t forget your own astronomy interests, and instead use your available time to observe on your own or even learn some new astro-oriented skills that you can talk about at our next official meeting. Whether you venture out to the Jon Wood Astronomy Field or a location closer to home, we suggest that you consider begin working on the Astronomical League’s Lunar Observing Program (“Lunar I), the Urban Observing Program and the Constellation Hunter Observing Program. These are all relatively easy and can be done from various locations in the metro Atlanta area. Go to:
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https://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/lunar/lunar1.html for information about the Lunar Observing Club.
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https://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/urban/urban.html for information on the Urban Observing Program.
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https://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/consthunt/const.html for information about the Constellation Hunter Observing Program; send e-mail requests for the Constellation Hunter Observing Program constellation maps and observing sketch form to poshedly@bellsouth.net
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Please check out our Facebook Page! There you’ll find a welcoming group of people sharing ideas and tips as well as organizing ad-hoc observing and imaging sessions on the Jon Wood Astronomy Field.
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For those not familiar with the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, go to https://georgiawildlife.com/CharlieElliott.   The CEWC phone is 770-784-3059, Monday–Saturday 9 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.

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Observing After the Meeting

All are invited to Jon Wood Astronomy Field immediately after the meeting (weather-permitting). As always, the event is free and open to the public. If you are not able to attend the meeting but would still like to join us on the field, note that the Elliott Trail automatic road gate at Marben Farm Rd. closes for incoming traffic at 7 p.m., so be prepared to enter the gate code if you arrive afterwards. The gate opens automatically for outgoing traffic as you approach it to leave.

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Workshops

If you have an idea for a 15 to 20-minute pre-meeting presentation about something you’ve learned or a project you’re working on, contact Steve Siedentop or Ken Poshedly.

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All Charlie Elliott Astronomy events are free and open to the public and you don’t have to be a member to attend our meetings or join us on Jon Wood Astronomy Field.  However, we would encourage you to consider a yearly paid membership for less than the cost of a couple of pizzas.  Your membership dues allow us to continue our science outreach programs in area schools and youth organizations, merit badge programs with area Scout Troops, and allow us to maintain the facilities on Jon Wood Astronomy Field.  To become a member, you can fill out our Membership Form or contact an officer.  March is membership renewal month. If you are renewing your membership, no form is necessary.

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Charlie Elliott Astronomy, serving the Atlanta area and East Middle Georgia, is a chapter of the Atlanta Astronomy Club, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to promoting the public knowledge of and interest in astronomy.

Donations support our outreach programs, equipment expense, and educational materials.

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