The current gate closure time is 7 p.m. After that time, a code is needed for park entry (& access to the astronomy field).



2009 Chapter Outreach Events

  • 2009-11-03 Chamblee Middle School Star Party
    Steve Bieger and Stephen Ramsden held a mini star party at Chamblee Middle School on Tuesday, November 3rd. The Charlie Elliot Chapter had been approached by Dr. Victoria Rao and asked that we help host such a gathering. The event had been postponed a week thanks to a very cloudy rainy weather before. But there was still a good turn out of parents and students in the parking lot of the school.
    Stephen had two refractors and a GoTo SCT setup and Steve had an 8 inch SCT and a GoTo 5 inch Mak on site. Steve gave a quick talk on using the skymaps in the handouts and how to get oriented under the typical suburban sky. The group was shown how to use the Summer Triangle, Cassiopeia and Polaris to get oriented this time of year. The handouts also included a number of useful web site links to help with their classroom study and homework.Stephen gave everyone a run through of his equipment and entertained the gathering with his vast knowledge. Jupiter was the main target for the evening and the students and parents got a good look at the giant planet and all four Galilean moons. Stephen was able to target some deep sky objects like M57. He was also able to get a look at the moon first with his very tall refractors! Steve also got Alberio in view before switching to the moon coming up over the trees. Our nearest neighbor never fails to get lots of Ooohs and Ahhhs!
    The gathering had more than two hours to observe and ask questions. There were about 50 people that came by. Students and parents alike had many great questions about the sky and telescopes. Steve and Stephen had a chance to make some new friends and promote the Chapter. Click here for some images of this event.
  • 2009-10-22 Chamblee Middle School – 6 grade
    This is the second time this year we did an event for Chamblee Middle School. This time for the 6 grade science class of Mrs Shirley Sigmon. Theo used the Glass and Mirrors toolkit to explaine how telescopes work as well as Celestia to zoom through the solar system and give the kids a view of the different planets and some of their moons. Click here for some images of this event.
  • 2009-10-21 Children’s School Atlanta – Group 2
    The second group of the Children’s School of Atlanta came on the 21st for their vist to Charlie Elliott. Tonight Jon Wood and Theo Ramakers with assistance of Bob Leffert, his son and W. Hendricks showed the kids a little of the night sky. Unlike the previous night, tonight a large portion of the sky was obscured by clouds. However, despite this, they still were able to observe Jupiter with its banding and several of its moons. All got a view of our Moon with some detailed craters, and some were able to see a planetary nebula until the clouds moved in. Click here for some images of the event.
  • 2009-10-20 Children’s School Atlanta – Group 1
    The Children’s School of Atlanta came back this year for another visit to Charlie Elliott and our chapter put on a Star Gazing party for the 5th graders. Stephen Ramsden, Jon Wood, Jim Sobeleski, Theo Ramakers and Frank showed the students what Astronomy is about. They were able to observe Jupiter with its banding and several of its moons. Some caught the moon just before it set, and in addition they were able to see some globular and open clusters as well as some nebulas. We thank the school and Charlie Elliott’s Outdoor School for giving us the opportunity to show the students the beauty of the night sky Click here for some images of the event.
  • 2009-10-06 Stone Mountain Middle School – Galileo
    Steve Bieger did a presentation for 3 classes about Gallileo’s discoveries for the Stone Mountain Middel School’s 6 graders. Steve’s presentation was well received by the students who in the end came up with some very good questions for Steve. Thanks to teacher Madeline Hill who invited us to do this for her 75 students in her astronomy class Click here for some images of the event.
  • 2009-09-30 Chamblee Middle School
    Frank Garner and Theo Ramakers went to the Chamblee Middle School for an entire school day and did 6 presentations for all the 6th graders of Dr. Victoria Rao. Frank’s presentation explained and showed the students how telescopes work. They could touch and feel the optics and after Frank built the “open” telescope they could look through it and saw the results. Frank’s presentation included refractors and reflectors.
    Theo took the students on a flight through the solar system and they did visit a number of planets from a viewpoint you only can get from a space craft that orbits a planet, or moon. Most of the students were very surpised to find out that other planets have moons that do not look like moons but more like asteroids…. The event was very rewarding for us and the students did like it too I believe. Some of them made it home with some nice sun posters and stereo cards of the sun. Click here for pictures of the event.
  • 2009-08-15 Stone Mountain Middle School
    Stone Mountain Middel School had planned a Star Party for this weekend in hopes of still seeing some meteors from the Perseids. Around 6:00pm a storm moved into the area while Atlanta still had clear skies. Jim Soboleski, Frank Garner and Theo Ramakers decided decided to go to CE anyway in case some of the students would show up anyway. Science Teacher M Hill, another teacher and two students showed up when the sky was completely covered. However, around 10pm the lower cloud cover broke and we started seeing some stars. The trip to CE paid off for the visitors since they got a glimps of Jupiter and even some open clusters, globular clusters, double stars, and despite the low transparency some nebulas and the students went home with some astronomy goodies, courtesy of NSN and NASA. Click here for some images of the event that was “cancelled”.
  • 2009-07-22 Charlie Elliott “Summer Camp Week 2″
    The problems with this year’s outreach program for the week 2 of Charlie Elliott summer campers started before we actually were on site. Stephen’s cases with eye pieces and hand controllers were stolen the night before. However, Stephen did not let up. He was at the Camera Bug first thing on Wednesday morning to see if Tim could get him the pieces he needed to make the outreach event happen!! At 11:30 he was uploading the latest version of the software for the new controllers, but at that time the clouds had already rolled in at Charlie Elliott, 60 miles to the east, so we had to cancel the solar event. Stephen, thanks so much for your effort and your attempts to still make this happen and thanks to Tim for helping him out!!!The evening session was still on with an inside presentation by Theo Ramakers and outside observing if the clouds would let up. Theo presented material of the NSN on the solar system, followed by a flight throught the solar system showing views future astronauts would be able to see using the program Celestia. After visiting earth, our moon, and practically all the planets and some of Jupiter’s moons, the kids had many questions. Outside the clouds were still persisting, so we had to cancel the observing part of the outreach program. Taking the observing cancellations aside, overall a great event!Thanks to the management of Charlie Elliott, especially Julie Duncan, for inviting us again this year to reach out to those kids and try to spark interest in Astronomy and Space Exploration, and the members of the Charlie Elliot Chapter, Stephen, Frank and Jim Soboleski, who had volunteered their time but could not because of mother nature.
    Click here or use this URL for images of the program.

    http://www.ceastronomy.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=6790

  • 2009-06-10 Charlie Elliott “Summer Camp”
    Charlie Elliott held its summer camp in the week of 6/7/2009 and the chapter was asked if we could come out for an Astronomy session. We planned for a Solar session as well as an observing session of the night sky for June 10th. Stephen Ramsden and Marie Lott brought their solar scopes out and I attended just to help out. Unfortunately there was not much to see on the sun. Very quiet. In the evening we planned for a movie about Gallileo followed by observing, but the rain moved in and the forecast changed to overcast for the rest of the evening, so we cancelled the observing. Instead we played an additional movie, which put a strain on their attention span. So next time it goes back to an interactive flying around in the Solar system. Click here for some pictures of the event.
  • 2009-05-16 Charlie Elliott’s JAKES Day Outdoor Festival
    The Chapter did participate in Charlie Elliott’s JAKES Day outdoor Festival. We were part of the Museum Scavenger hunt and among others, participants needed to answer two astronomy questions. About 110 individuals came and talked to us about the sun, the solar system and astronomy in general. This was a very successfull event even though Stephen could not use his solar scopes to let the visitors see the sun. Click here for a few pictures of the event
  • 2009-04-02 to 2009-04-05 The 100 Hours of Astronomy
    The Chapter did participate in the “100 Hours of Astronomy” events. These worldwide events took place from April 2nd – April 5th. The Chapter organized 4 events. For more information on what the chapter did click here, and click here for a few pictures of the different outreach events
  • 2009-02-27 The 5th. Hightower Trail Elementary School “Space Camp
    Jon Wood and Theo Ramakers did participate in Hightower Trail Elementary School’s 4th. Grade Space Camp event. Because the weather did not cooperate for looking at the stars and deep sky objects, Jon and Theo did give presentations inside the school. Jon took the students on a spaceflight through the solar system where they did visit the planets with their moons, while Theo took them on a trip to the sun, where they flew trough some prominences, landed in a sunspot, and learned about the “other” kind of weather, “Space Weather” and its effects on earth. Click here for a few pictures of the presentations
  • 2009-02-10 Rock Eagle 4-H Environmental Education Astronomy Event
    Stephen Ramsden, Jon Wood and Theo Ramakers did an event with a group of young educators at Rock Eagle in Eatonton. Because the forecast was cloudy we counted on doing presentations on the Moon and Solar observing and using some of the material provided by the Night Sky Network. However, the clouds gave in a little after a while, which allowed us to setup the scopes and have a peek at the Orion Nebula and the waning cresent of Venus! It was very rewarding for us to be together with such an enthousiastic group of young educators! A special thanks to Matt Hammons for inviting us. Click here for a few pictures of the presentations
  • 2009-01-23 and 24, Girl Scout leaders Stargazing at Camp Misty Mountain
    Chapter member Marie Lott stepped up to the plate and did her yearly event with the Girl Scout leaders at their training camp. Marie showed 37 Girl Scout leaders the beauty of the night sky and provided, among others, handouts from the Night Sky Network and Astronomy magazine.
    Some of the leaders were so excited about the stargazing, that they asked about their troops attending a local astronomy club event or a dark sky campout. Club information has been sent to the leaders so we probably have not heard the last from them. Thanks Marie for the terrific event, our first one in the International Year of Astronomy!