Duncan Steel • Jun 25, 2019 •
We have just passed the solstice, the shortest day of the year in the southern hemisphere. From now on, the hours of daylight will get longer through until the December solstice. Here I discuss why the June solstice occurs a few days before the Feast Day of St John the Baptist, the traditional time of ‘midsummer’ in the northern hemisphere … Read More
John Pickering • Jun 24, 2019 •
Dark space, like green space, is essential for our well being. Dark space, like green space, is our past, our taonga, and our right. Dark space, unlike green space, is not prioritised in our city plans, is not part of our conversation about Te Tiriti, nor is it where we go for relaxation and inspiration. But once it was. Read More
Guest Author • Jun 30, 2017 •
Rangi Matamua, Waikato University The Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, is one of the most obvious star groups in the night sky, identifiable to the naked eye. In Aotearoa/New Zealand, the star cluster is known as Matariki. This name is a truncated version of the saying “Ngā mata o te ariki Tāwhirimātea” meaning “the eye of the god … Read More
Laura Goodall • Jun 09, 2016 •
It’s Matariki, a sacred time for Māori that’s named after a specific star cluster. For Waikato astronomy researcher Dr Rangi Mātāmua, traditional Māori star knowledge and Western science are not enemies but allies. His latest project uses historic star lore to shed light on modern environmental issues – and is also a deeply personal quest that began with a dying … Read More
Elf Eldridge • Jun 06, 2011 •
Happy Matariki everyone! It’s that time of the year when we approach the shortest day and Matariki appears low in the East in our morning sky just before the sunrise. To find it follow the line of the stars from Orion’s belt (Tautoru in Maori) towards the North – past a red star (Aldebaran) and to a small … Read More
Grant Jacobs • Jun 14, 2010 •
Following on from this morning’s space theme, a reminder for New Zealanders and Australians to pencil the late evening of June 26th into their diaries. For New Zealanders, the partial lunar eclipse will occur from approximately 10:30pm until 12:30am. The midpoint of the eclipse should be at 11:38pm. [caption id="attachment_2548" align="aligncenter" width="472" caption="(Source wikipedia.)"][/caption] … Read More