"Before the stress of the holiday season begins to overwhelm you, spend a leisurely evening at Town Creek Indian Mound State Historic Site watching this year's Leonid Meteor Shower," says a spokesman.

This free program, one in a series of regular astronomy presentations available to the public, is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15, beginning at 6 p.m. Registration is required.

The Leonids are associated with the Comet Tempel-Tuttle and appear to radiate from the star constellation Leo the Lion, for which the showers are named. One of the better showers to observe, the Leonid Meteor Shower can produce an average of 40 meteors per hour at its peak.

Leonid meteors are visible this time of year because the Earth moves through the meteoroid stream of particles left from the comet's passage. The shower itself has a cyclic peak year approximately every 33 years when hundreds of meteors can be seen each hour -- the last of these occurring in 2001. This year, the peak viewing for the Leonids will be the morning of Nov. 17; however, a few meteors may be seen Nov. 13-20. Participants will also get a chance to learn about the prominent autumn constellations as they look up in the dark night sky.

Those interested in attending this event are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to view the night sky and to dress for the weather. Personal binoculars and telescopes are also welcome. Call (910) 439-6802 or e-mail towncreek@ncmail.net to register.

The historic site is located on Town Creek Mound Road approximately five miles east of Mt. Gilead, in southern Montgomery County between N.C. 73 and N.C. 731. For more information on Town Creek, visit www.towncreek.nchistoricsites.org.