Town Creek Indian Mound is a prehistoric Native American archaeological site located near present-day Mount Gilead, Montgomery County, North Carolina, and 52 miles (84 km) due east of Charlotte. The site closes at 5:00 pm but hosts regular solar observing and stargazing events with the site’s 12-inch (30 cm) Dobsonian telescope.  Observing programs are free but require advance registration via phone or e-mail. “It all started with an idea to share an interest in astronomy with the public,” said in 2016 the site manager, while commemorating 10 years of the first-ever stargazing event at the site. A friend of EarthSky adds that Town Creek Indian Mound is an “excellent locale away from city lights in southwest Montgomery County.”

Deborah Byrd

Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.