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This piece depicts the sky above the Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862 near Sharpsburg, Maryland during the American Civil War. That day remains the deadliest in American history, with 23,000 soldiers dying in the span of twelve hours. Casualties were equally heavy on both sides: 12,401 for the Union and 10,316 for the Confederacy.
The vista shown looks directly south from the battlefield and is a "reverse" starscape, with the stars shown from sunrise to sunset—the opposite of what would actually be seen—exchanging day for night, reflecting the unimaginable violence that lasted from dawn until dusk.
I chose this event as a pivotal moment of violence in American history for As the Stars Go By not only for the number of soldiers that died that day, but also because the Battle of Antietam was considered a turning point in the war. Despite the high number of casualties the battle was considered a Union victory and ended General Robert E. Lee's brief push to the north. This paved the way for Lincoln’s announcement five days later outlining his intent for the Emancipation Proclamation--which had the strategic advantage of dissuading Britain and France from acknowledging the Confederacy--shifting the objectives of the North to not just reunify the country, but abolish slavery as well.