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Stone Mountain Sunset and INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS) Viewing




The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Stone Mountain Park   Hike: Stone Mountain Sunset and INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS) Viewing  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Thu, Feb 16 2017  5:44 pm >> Thu, Feb 16 2017 7:56 pm
Registration Opens: Sun, Feb 12 2017 8:48 pm
Registration Cut Off: Thu, Feb 16 2017 2:00 pm
Event Duration:2 Hours 12 Minutes
Difficulty Rating:D2: Easy to Moderate
Distance:2.5 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Mark
Aaron
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:20
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 12 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

Well this one's pretty simple... we'll hike to the top of Stone Mountain, get comfortable, enjoy a nice sunset, hang out for a bit enjoying each other's company, and then watch the brightest man-made object in space wiz by for 6 minutes. With the projected forecast, we should have a nice sunset this evening and it will be coming down over Downtown Atlannta.

Wiz by?... that's right... it's zippin' along at 17,200 miles per hour! Brightest man-made object in space? Yep... it's the brightest object in the sky next to the sun and moon! And if that's not enough to impress you, how about seeing $150 Billion speeding through space.  Yeah, that's 150,000,000,000 bucks and your American tax dollars contributed about $75,000,000,000.  How much does it weigh?... about 1 million lbs.  6 minutes?... well, it travels entirely around the earth over 15 times in a day, so 6 min. is about as long of a view as we will ever get from earth.  How big is it?... about the size of a football field - including end zones.  Yes, since we contributed more than any other country, the ISS is measured in football fields (per NASA)... not soccer fields. How high above does the ISS orbit? About 250 miles above us. Alrighty... enough with the numbers... in laymans terms, it's big, it's fast, it's expensive, and it's cool!

Feel free to bring beverages and/or some snacks if you want while we're haning out on top... it's meant to be a leisurely, sociable, enjoyable evening and there will be about 45 min. between sunset and the ISS flyover. If anyone wants to leave early, you're welcome to head back down whatever time you wish - as long as you let the TLs know before you leave, so we're not looking for you in the dark. After the fly-over, we'll take a stroll around the top of the mountain before heading down.

 

The hike (yes, there is a hike) will begin from the Confederate Center at 5:44 PM. We will start the hike ON TIME to ensure we are on top before sunset. HOWEVER, if you can not quite make it there on time, you are welcome to hike up on your own and meet us on top for just the ISS fly-over. The ISS will come into view at 7:06 PM.

If you have a pair of binoculars you may want to bring them for an even better view.

Please take the time to look at the park map and parking options in order to be on time!

Any questions - please call or send an email.

 


Required Items to Bring:
 
  • Flashlight or headlamp
  • Hiking shoes with good traction
Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
  • Snacks/beverages
  • Camera
  • Binoculars

How to Get There:
Event Directions:

 

GPS Coordinates: 33.81077, -84.16212

Directions: To the main entrance- From I-285 take U.S. Hwy 78 East (Snellville/Athens) exit. Travel about 7 miles and take Exit 8, the Stone Mountain Park Main Entrance. After entering the main entrance, proceed straight ahead. The road will fork at about 1 mile – stay to the right. Continue to follow the road for another mile.  Look for the large Confederate Hall parking lot on your left where we park during the hike.  We'll gather at our "usual AOC meetup spot," by the stone restroom building at the base of the Walk-Up Trail

You can also enter through the West Gate entrance, in Stone Mountain Village. If you enter here, turn right through the gate and you're just almost to the Confederate Hall parking lot on your left.

OPTIONAL FREE PARK ENTRANCE FOR PEDESTRIANS & BICYCLISTS:

There's no charge for pedestrians or bicyclists to enter Stone Mountain Park.  There is usually plenty of free parking just outside the Park in the Stone Mountain Village area.  The Village is near the Park's "West Gate" entrance which is quite close to Confederate Hall and the Walk-Up trailhead.  You can park near the railroad tracks and walk about 1/2 mile up East Mountain Street and directly into the park, through a small gate (Note that this gate is often locked soon after sunset and you have to walk out around the nearby West Gate and then left to get back to East Mountain Street.)

Another such free parking lot is the "Red Caboose Visitor Center" lot on the Main Street, which has its own paved walking/biking trail into the Park, much like the Silver Comet Trail. To drive to that lot, get off US-78 (Stone Mtn Freeway) at Exit #5, then bear right to exit again about a half mile ahead, turn left onto E. Ponce de Leon Ave, go through the first traffic light onto Main Street and continue about a half mile and look for the red caboose on your left.  In about 10 minutes you can walk into the Park via the paved PATH trail, turn left on Robt. E. Lee Blvd (for ~300 yards) and join the AOC group at the Walk-Up trailhead. (Note the gate on this PATH trail is often locked soon after sunset).

Additional directions and maps can be found at: 

http://www.stonemountainpark.com/activities/map/overview. aspx

Notes:

There is a $15 daily parking fee to drive into Stone Mountain Park unless you have an annual pass. See above for free parking options.


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


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