Shooting Stars, Camping and Hiking

Every year in August, the Earth passes through rock and dust fragments left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle the last time it came near the Sun.  As these small particles collide with the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn-up, often creating a bright and sometimes lasting streak of light across the late night/pre-dawn sky.  And, class, these are called…?  That’s right!  Meteors!  Meteorites are the bits that actually make it through the atmosphere and end up on Earth. 

Although every year sees over a dozen predictable meteor showers, Perseids is considered by most to be the most impressive.  This tells us the Swift-Tuttle was one messy comet, and that’s a good thing!

Why is it called the Perseids?

The term “Perseid”, refers to the star constellation of Perseus. The meteors actually have nothing to do with the stars we see from Earth.  It just appears as though the meteors originate from Perseus.  However, these rock fragments are close to the Earth; just a few hundred miles, not many, many light years distant like the stars. But if you trace back the bright trails of meteors we see, they appear to originate from the stars of Perseus. 

When can you see them?

The Perseids meteor shower starts in late July and runs to late August.  However, the best time to view is around the peak, which is expected to be Wednesday, August 12^th.  However, it’s very worthwhile to observe either before or after this date, which is why we picked Friday.  This year there will be a half Moon to contend with, but meteor sightings are almost guaranteed in spite of that.

So, grab your hiking poles and whatever comforts you can carry, and join us for a unique adventure!

Our Plans:
We will meet at the carpool at 7 o'clock and head up to the Enota Campsite, where we'll set up camp before hitting the Bald.  Alternately, you can meet us at the campsite.  We'll plan to leave the campsite no later than 11pm.

When we reach the top of the mountain, we’ll have a midnight picnic and enjoy eachother’s company.  Expect to see a number of Astronomy geeks out; we hear Brasstown Bald is pretty popular with stargazers!  John will be bringing he telescope, yay!

Those of us who brought a Thermarest or woobie can spread it on the ground, lie back and get ready for the light show! 

We will probably stay on top of the mountain 'til close to sunrise, and then we'll head back to camp and crash for however long we want.  When we get up we'll have a lazy brunch (provided by yourselves) and then get geared up for the day.  We have a number of options for some great hikes very close by! 

After enjoying ourselves in the mountains, we'll head back to camp for another lazy meal (provided by your trip leaders) and some good campfire company and conversation.  We are hoping someone brings a guitar and some games we can play!

Sunday morning, breakfast will be provided by your trip leaders, and then we'll head out for a shorter hike, maybe one with some water to play in.  Bring your suits!

About our Campsite:

Enota is surrounded by 750,000 acres of Chattahoochee National Forest and has never been used for cattle grazing or had any pesticides or chemicals used on it.  Enota offers some of the cleanest air and water available.  It is located 1 ½ miles from the Appalachian Trail (which can be reached from the property) and is a direct neighbor to Brasstown Bald Mountain, the highest mountain in Georgia.

Enota North Georgia Mountain Campground is centrally located on sixty wooded acres between Helen, Hiawassee, Blairsville, & Young Harris GA, lending plenty of opportunities to enjoy the mountains.

Look forward to seeing you there!