Cloudland Canyon State Park invites the community to view the Perseid meteor shower during a special viewing event at 2 a.m. on Aug. 12 at the park’s tennis courts.

If you have never seen a meteor shower before, this is one of the most consistent and active of the whole year, according to a media release from the park.

Don't miss the opportunity to observe this shower in the clear skies above Lookout Mountain. In addition to observing the shower, discussion topics will include what meteors are, what they are made of, where they come from and why they appear every year at the same time.

Also, members of the Barnard Astronomical Society will be on hand, with telescopes, to answer questions about what we see when we look up into the night sky.

If you attend, recommended equipment includes a comfortable, reclining lawn chair or blanket and insect repellent. Flashlights are optional, but if brought, they must have red cellophane over the lens to protect night vision.

The event is free and open to the public, but the normal $5 parking fee or annual pass per vehicle is required. Gates will open at 1 a.m.

Contact Ranger April Sakowski at 706-657-4050 for more information.