Our Treasures: Matariki at Planetarium North

The current show is called 'Puanga/Matariki 2023 Under the Stars'. It is a sunrise-to-sunset visual display of what’s happening behind the clouds at this time of year, with a focus on the pre-dawn sky as Matariki rises.

Opinion

My daughter and I had the great pleasure recently of being taken on a guided tour of the stars. Outside it was a typical Northland night, driving rain, gusting wind and clouds concealing anything higher than Parihaka from view, but from where we were sitting, the celestial scene was perfect. We were at Planetarium North.

Just up the hill from the carpark at Kiwi North is an absolute treasure for Whangārei, a gateway to the stars and an incredible source of cosmic knowledge delivered by a dedicated team of volunteers from the Northland Astronomical Society. When we arrived, we were greeted and invited to look at the impressive Lego displays in the lobby, including the International Space Station, the Apollo 11 Rocket and three generations of Mars Rovers.

At showtime, we were escorted into the planetarium, an intimate space with just 24 chairs lining the circular room, a star projector in the centre and a domed ceiling above us. There was a mixture of guests on our journey with us, among them a family, a mother and son, a father and son and ourselves. There was something special about leaning back and watching the night sky being projected above us as Naomi took us on a guided tour of the cosmos.

The current show is called Puanga/Matariki 2023 Under the Stars. It is a sunrise-to-sunset visual display of what’s happening behind the clouds at this time of year, with a focus on the pre-dawn sky as Matariki rises. We learned about the Matariki cluster, how to navigate to its location and about the constellations surrounding it. We learned about the historical importance of Puanga, a star also known as Rigel and which is part of the Orion constellation. As Matariki rises so low in the sky, many Māori tribes observed the appearance of Puanga as marking the beginning of the new year.

There are a selection of telescopes for stargazers which they can look through if the weather is right.

The other constellation flagged on the tour was one we were all familiar with, Crux, the Southern Cross. This constellation is special because it is permanently visible in New Zealand. The angle at which the Earth rotates on its axis means Crux never goes below the horizon - it is an astronomic constant circling our southern night sky. The five stars that make up this iconic constellation are Alpha Crucis, Beta Crucis, Gamma Crucis, Delta Crucis and Epsilon Crucis.

Many other stars were mentioned. I’d heard of some but could never tell you where they were, except to say they were “up there somewhere”. Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri are the southern pointers that show us where to find the Southern Cross. Proxima Centauri and Alpha Centauri are the nearest stars to Earth, just 4.2 and 4.4 light years away, although with current technology it could take around 6,000 years to reach them.

My new favourite star is Betelgeuse, a red supergiant within the Orion constellation that is the 10th-brightest star in the sky with a diameter 500 times greater than our sun. My daughter couldn’t understand why I got the giggles when Naomi said the name “Betelgeuse” three times, and I had to explain the premise of the ‘80s movie Beetlejuice to her. She still didn’t think it was funny - my inner child, however, thought it was hilarious.

Following the show we were all invited up to the observatory, but unfortunately the rain had not eased and the clouds had not dispersed so we couldn’t use the telescopes to view the sky that night. We were, however, shown a selection of telescopes showcasing a range of technologies that have been used to educate stargazers for many years, and we were invited to return on a clear night to experience first-hand what can be seen through them.

Our visit to Planetarium North was a stellar experience, made even more special because it was free. Whangārei District Council has sponsored this show as part of the Puanga/Matariki Festival, so residents will have the opportunity to attend for free until July 22nd.

Puanga/Matariki 2023 Under the Stars is recommended for those aged eight and over and can be booked online at planetariumnorth.co.nz.

Mel Williams, Visitor Services, Kiwi North