The Northwest Georgia Astronomical Association has scheduled its annual
Star Party for Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Earth ’n’ Sky farm in western
Gordon County.
The event is open to the public, as well as school groups,
home-schoolers and others interested in astronomy, said Ron Niklasson, a
member of NWGAA and owner of Earth ’n’ Sky farm.
This year’s event will host an Interactive Viewing that challenges
visitors to identify the night sky objects found in the eyepiece,
Niklasson said.
“We do this as a community service,” Niklasson said. “We have great
skies in Northwest Georgia, but a lot of people are not aware of that.”
Niklasson said the NWGAA started out as a chat group on Yahoo.com but
grew into a larger organization.
“We started getting together and putting some telescopes up,” he said.
“Now we have 45 or 50 members scattered from Chattanooga to Roswell.”
The NWGAA is an informal group with no dues that serves Calhoun
Cartersville, Rome, Adairsville, Dalton, Rockmart, Cedartown,
Summerville and surrounding areas but members are welcome from anywhere.
According to Niklasson:
On the night of the Star Party, around 6:45 p.m., visitors will be able
walk around the field, meet the astronomers, and get a good daylight
view of the equipment. There will be an astronomer at every scope to
answer questions.
After twilight, the interactive viewing begins. Each visitor will be
provided a printed guide, and have the opportunity to identify the night
sky objects being viewed.
Interactive viewing will continue until 10 p.m., and each astronomer
will have a unique type of night sky object in the eyepiece to view and
identify.
The view in each telescope will change about every 20 minutes.
After 10 p.m. the astronomers will select their favorite night sky
objects for viewing.
“Anyone with an interest in any aspect of astronomy is welcome and
belongs,” he said. You don’t have to live in this area to join and you
certainly don’t have to own a telescope either.
For directions to Earth ’n’ Sky farm, e-mail NWGAAA at
starpartyinfo AT nwgaa.org.
Viewing sites are selected from around Northwest Georgia. Group viewing
sessions are scheduled every month on the Saturday closest to the new moon.
Meetings are currently scheduled two hours before sunset on the day of
the group viewing sessions.
The NWGAA members also make presentations for local schools and other
interested groups.
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BevanRon of EarthNSky Farm NW Georgia USDA Zone 7
34.498N 85.076W Bev is Earth, Ron is Sky