June 23, 2021
Stardome opens doors for Matariki showing
Auckland’s Stardome Observatory and planetarium has opened up to share korero about Matariki and Maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar.
Co-producer Josh Kirkley says the Planetarium can give people a view of what the skies would have looked like hundreds of years ago, before light pollution.
He says the show covers not just the stars in Matariki but other constellations that are of interest to Māori astronomy.
The stars are aligning now for the Māori new year.
"The stars have started to rise. We're just waiting for a Maramataka phase and that's when we start Matariki, that week of celebrations. By my reading that's for July 2 and it will be up to July 10 and that's new moon, that's when we reset and start the new year," he says.
Ngā Whetū O Matariki runs until August with sessions at 7 pm and 8.30 pm every evening, and bookings are required.
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