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The night sky
Posted: Friday, November 13, 2015 12:16 pm
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Posted on Nov 13, 2015
The days are getting shorter and the nights longer offering plenty of dark sky viewing at Town Creek Under the Stars on Saturday, November 14 from 6 to 10 pm. The highlight of this night will be the Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest neighboring galaxy to our home the Milky Way, located 2.5 million light years from Earth. This massive spiral galaxy is also believed to contain one trillion stars.
“Skywatchers may also get an opportunity to view a few stray Leonids before the peak of the Leonid Meteor Shower occurs overnight November 17 – 18,” says Site Manager Rich Thompson.
Interested stargazers are encouraged to dress for the weather. Participants may also bring binoculars and telescopes. The staff will have a scope available if you do not have one. Advanced registration is requested by calling or emailing the site. This event is free and open to the public but donations are welcome. Please contact the site at 910-439-6802 or attowncreek@ncdcr.gov to register.
For more than 1,000 years, American Indians farmed lands later known as North Carolina. Around A.D. 1000, a new cultural tradition arrived in the Pee Dee River Valley. Throughout Georgia, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and western and southern Piedmont North Carolina, inhabitants built earthen mounds for their leaders, engaged in widespread trade, supported craftspeople, and celebrated a new religion.
The mission of Town Creek is to interpret the history of the American Indians who once lived here. The visitor center features interpretive exhibits and audiovisual displays. A national historic landmark, Town Creek Indian Mound State Historic Site is North Carolina’s only state historic site dedicated to American Indian heritage. Tour groups are welcome and encouraged. The site is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. It is closed to the public Mondays and most major holidays.
The historic site is within the Division of State Historic Sites and located at 509 Town Creek Mound Road, Mount Gilead, N.C, 27306. For more information on Town Creek, visitwww.towncreekindianmound.com.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Clean Water Management Trust Fund and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.
Sandy Selvy-Mullis is publisher of The Stanly News Press. Contact her at (704) 982-2121 ext. 27, sselvy@cnhi.com or PO Box 488, Albemarle, NC 28002.
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Friday, November 13, 2015 12:16 pm.
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