joseph peterson

Editor’s note: Astronomy Update is provided by the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society and is compiled by Dr. Lauren Likkel. There are a lot of cool things to see in the night sky. There are many constellations like Pegasus or Orion and sometimes you can see the moon. I have spent time looking at the moon with my eyes, binoculars, and a telescope while earning my Astronomical League Lunar Observing certificate through the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society.

Most stars rise in the east and set in the west. But some stars never set. Stars that do not rise and set daily are circumpolar — they circle the poles. At any time during any clear night of the year in Wisconsin, you can see the Big or Little Dipper. But many constellations are seasonal and can only be seen at certain times of the year and night. And there are constellations that you can never see from Wisconsin (like Pavo the Peacock). Imagine laying on a merry go round and looking straight up.

Frederick might be Maryland’s most haunted city, but there’s one ghost of a literary icon that has had a different Maryland city by the throat for nearly 200 years, much to the delight of those who live there.