Town Creek Indian Mound will offer a special astronomy program for the first time.

Friday, May 18, and Saturday, May 19, amateur astronomers and interested stargazers will have the opportunity to camp overnight and view the night sky at one the of the last great dark-sky sites in central North Carolina.

Interested participants should bring their telescopes, campers or tents and plan to spend a night or two scrutinizing stars and other celestial objects.

Registration is required for overnight camping/viewing with a fee of $15 per tent, per night. Bathroom facilities at the museum will be available all night, but parking gates will close by 10 p.m..

Site staff will offer a free program from 8 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 19 for visitors not registered to camp overnight.

Some highlights will include viewing the planets Venus, Mars, and Saturn, as well as learning about prominent constellations like the Little and Big Dippers. Registration is also required for the free event. Contact the site at (910) 439-6802 or by email at towncreek@ncdcr.gov to register for overnight camping or sign-up for the free event.

The historic site is located at 509 Town Creek Mound Road, Mount Gilead.

For more information on Town Creek, visit www.towncreekindianmound.com.