‘Matariki Dawn’ Show Rises Again at Stardome

This year on June 6, as the first crescent Moon rose after the reappearance of the Matariki star cluster in the dawn sky, the Matariki Festival began. As part of the celebrations, Stardome Observatory & Planetarium is screening the popular ‘Matariki Dawn’ show, which includes a brand new animation.

Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleiades star cluster. This beautiful group of stars is visible around the world so it has many different names, myths, and stories associated with it. The name Pleiades and The Seven Sisters originate in ancient Greece, in Japan it is known as Subaru, Vikings referred to the cluster as Freyja’s Hens and in scientific circles it is known by its less catchy astronomical designation of Messier 45.

Matariki is a stunning star cluster, which is relatively close to Earth at 440 light-years away. One light-year is the distance light travels in a single year, which is about 10 trillion kilometres. At only 100 million years old, Matariki is a young star cluster – in stellar terms. The brightest stars in the Matariki cluster are burning very hot. These blue-white stars will explode as supernovas over the coming few million years, providing the material to build planets and new solar systems in the cluster. Observing Matariki is to look back in time to when our Sun and the Solar System formed in a star cluster similar to Matariki some 5 billion years ago.

Every year during May, Matariki is obscured by the Sun’s glare and disappears from view for about a month. Ancient Māori measured the passing of time and seasons using a lunar calendar. Each monthly cycle of the Moon is 29.53 days, which leaves the year about 11 days short of the 365-day solar year, so each year it needs to be re-set using the stars to prevent the seasons slipping. Most Maori achieved this by re-starting the year with reference to the first reappearance of Matariki from behind the Sun in the early dawn sky. In some areas of New Zealand, the lunar calendar is re-set using other celestial bodies such as Te Puanga (Rigel) or Tautoro (Orion’s Belt).

The ‘Matariki Dawn’ Planetarium show at Stardome describes the Matariki star cluster and its importance in New Zealand cultures. In the 360° immersive show you’ll learn more about why Matariki falls on a different day every year, how ancient Māori used the Moon as a calendar and how it influenced agricultural and festive activities. This year the show includes a new story, animated by Wellington-based OHU Domes, telling the tale of Rona and the Moon and why there are shadow patterns on the Moon.

‘Matariki Dawn’ plays at 7pm Wednesday to Sunday 1 – 30 June. See www.stardome.org.nz for further details.

ENDS

© Scoop Media