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Home , Gemini (constellation), Matariki

TEACHER SCIENCE RESOURCE CONTENT/ CURRICULUM LINK ASTRONOMICAL

STARDOME OBSERVATORY & PLANETARIUM SYSTEMS FACTS, RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES ON... - SPACE/TIME GUIDE The cluster Matariki plays a

pivotal role in marking the Māori . It is one of the nearest open star clusters MATARIKI SEP CT AUG to Earth, and is the most O

V Matariki rises early JU obvious grouping of O Matariki rises in the morning & is visible L N middle of the night & until sunrise that can be seen with is visible until sunrise Matariki rises pre-dawn & is visible the unaided eye. It can until sunrise Matariki rises late C evening & is visible

E N be seen from almost until early morning D U Matariki is J everywhere in the world, not visiable Matariki rises

and at almost any time at dusk & is visible Matariki is visible near until late EARTH Matariki is visible high the western horizon JA of the year. N in the sky at dusk & is at dusk & is visible Y for a short while MA visible in the evening

FEB APR Because of Earth’s MAR rotation, the Sun and & MAUI’S FISH HOOK stars appear to move across the sky. Matariki appears to move through the night sky along the same path as the Sun. This path is known as the . Matariki can be found at different points of the ecliptic at different times in the year. This is because of Earth’s yearly One of the easiest times of orbit around the Sun. The direction Earth is facing year to see Matariki is at end of at night changes by ~30 degrees each , or 360-degrees over a whole year. Sometimes Matariki summer/beginning of autumn as it appears just after sunset, while other times it appears appears just after sunset. late at night or just before the Sun rises.

There is one time every year it is not visible at all, Our other Teacher Resources on this subject: after which the festival of Matariki is celebrated, when • The Dark Side of the • Daytime Moon we can just see it rising at dawn. This happens at the • Day and Not Day • Rising and Setting of the Sun same time every year, however the Matariki festival • Changing • The is anytime from the beginning to the end of . This is because the Māori followed a lunar calendar. The lunar calendar is based on the Check out these other resources... around Earth, which doesn’t fit evenly into a solar http://www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identity-heritage/matariki calendar. To reset the lunar calendar in line with http://www.matarikifestival.org.nz/ Earth’s orbit around the Sun, the Māori New Year is http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/matariki-maori-new-year traditionally marked by the first crescent moon after the reappearance of Matariki.

Do we see the Matariki stars at different locations Do the Is Matariki in our sky during Matariki stars only visible the night because cause the they are moving? seasons to from New change? Zealand? DISCUSSION STARDOME.ORG.NZ POINTS 09 624 1246 ACTIVITY STARDOME OBSERVATORY & PLANETARIUM ORBIT SIMULATOR FOR MATARIKI VIEWINGIn this activity, students will physically recreate the movements of Earth so they can make observations of the sky. You’ll need: Instructions: • Pick students to represent the Sun, Earth and each of the constellations. For this activity, you require a large • Stand the students in a giant circle around the Sun, and recreate the open space for the movement of Earth to create day and night. students to move, • Add in Earth’s orbit around the Sun. and the following • Next the giant circle of students around the Sun will become the backdrop props. of the twelve constellations.

Sun (does not • The students will see how Earth views different constellations at night during need to light up) different parts of its orbit. This is where the students will discover how the

Earth Matariki can be used to tell when Earth has completed one orbit around the Sun. Zodiac constellations • Have Earth face the Sun, and note the that is not visible (We’ve provided because it is behind the Sun. these for you) • Have Earth slowly turn away from the Sun, and face 90 degrees to the right. This is the constellation visible right after sunset. During the Matariki festival, this constellation should be , as it is on the opposite side of the sky from Taurus. • Have Earth turn their back to the Sun, and see the constellations visible in the middle of the night. • Have Earth turn another 90 degrees to the right, and view the constellation visible just before sunrise. During the Matariki festival, this constellation should be Taurus.

PISCES AQUARIUS ARIES T SEP CAPRICORN OC AU G V NO TAURUS & JU L MATARIKI

SAGITTARIUS C

E

D SUN

N

U GEMINI J EARTH JA N Y SCORPIO MA FE & MAUI’S B MA APR FISH HOOK CANCER R LIBRA LEO VIRGO

send it to us. Ta k e a photo of your activity and love to see it! [email protected] We’d STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246 SAGITTARIUS

STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246 SCORPIO & MAUI’S FISH HOOK

STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246 LIBRA

STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246 VIRGO

STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246 LEO

STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246 CANCER

STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246 GEMINI

STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246 TAURUS & MATARIKI

STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246 ARIES

STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246 PISCES

STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246 AQUARIUS

STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246 CAPRICORN

STARDOME.ORG.NZ 09 624 1246