Matariki

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Activity: Stellarium-Web

Use the interactive below or click on this link: https://stellarium-web.org

Click on the time/date menu, and change the date to 20th June, around 6:30 am. Then, click and drag the sky until you are looking toward the Northeast.

Which constellations are seen near the horizon in the eastern sky? (You can use the menuy at the bottom to turn on their labels).
Between Jupiter and Taurus, there is a small group of stars that are outllined with a dashed circle. Zoom into this group, and then look for its international name.

Click on the time/date menu, and change the date to early December, around 4:00 am. Make sure you are still looking toward the Northeast.

Which constellations are seen near the horizon in the eastern sky at this time of year?

How to Find Matariki

We group stars into pictures to help us remember where they are in relation to each other. These "pictures" are called constellations.

We can use the three belt stars of the constellation Orion to find Matariki.

Matariki to the left, Tautoru (Orion's Belt) in the center, and Takurua (Sirius) to the right. These are the three pillars in the East as seen in the early morning hours of June. The three pillars holding up the neck and shoulders of Ranginui.

The Stars in the Matariki Star Cluster

Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as Pleiades. In Japan, it is also known as Subaru.

Matariki is a star cluster because it is not intended to be joined to draw a picture like a constellation. A star cluster is a group of stars that are physically near each other in space. There are about 500 stars in the Matariki cluster. Different iwi have seen either 7 or 9 stars in Matariki, but it is more common to only see 6 or 7 without a telescope. Each star in Matariki represents an atua, or God/ancestor that has an influence on things happening in the world around us.

Different Constellations at Different Times of the Year

In reality, the stars are constantly moving. They are just so far away that our eyes cannot detect their movement. The stars you can see at night depend on the time of year.

We can see stars whenever we are facing away from the Sun and its brightness. As the Earth orbits the Sun over the year, the brightness of the Sun blocks our view of the stars behind it. Its light also scatters into our atmosphere, further blocking our view of the stars. This means we see different constellations at different times of the year.

The Earth revolvres around the Sun, but we are only able to see stars when we face away from the Sun. So, the night sky looks different each night because the Earth is in a different spot in its orbit. The stars appear each night to move slightly west of where they were the night before.

In April, we see it setting just after the Sun in the evening sky. In May, we are not able to see it because the brightness of the Sun is blocking our view of Matariki. In June, the Earth has moved into a different place in its orbit, and so the Sun is no longer blocking our view of Matariki.

The Earth goes around the Sun throughout the year.

At this point in the year, we can look at the Sun compared to the stars behihnd it. The Sun gets in the way of these stars.

A few months later, our Earth has moved to a new place, we can do the same thing.

We look toward the Sun again and compare it to the background stars. The Sun now gets in the way of these stars.

Matariki is a star cluster that is usually pretty easy to see at different times of the year. In May, the Sun gets in the way of Matariki so we can't see it. We have to wait until June to see Matariki again.

Cultural Significance of Matariki

Tohunga kōkōrangi (expert astronomers) use their knowledge of constellations and star clusters such as Matariki to help them find their way around the night sky, and can use this to navigate.

The reappearance of Matariki in early June signals the start of a new year for many Māori, as the days have longer daylight hours and the temperatures begin to warm up again.

Matariki's reapperance in the north east sky is not visible in all parts of New Zealand, especially in areas to the west of the mountains. For some iwi in Taranaki and Whanganui, and on the West Coast of the South Island, the new year begins with the rising of Puanga.

More on Matariki

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Glossary

Key terms and definitions.

constellation: A group of stars that form a pattern in the sky.

Matariki: The Māori name for a group of stars also known as the Pleiades, which signals the Māori New Year when it appears in early June.

Puanga: The Māori name for the star Rigel, which is an important marker for the Māori New Year in some regions, particularly on the western side of the North Island.

star cluster: A group of stars that are close together in space and appear close together in the sky.

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