The Matariki stars get all the headlines these days, but they are not the only iconic stars in our skies. At the end of the Milky Way shine four bright stars that feature on our national flag - the Southern Cross.
The Southern Cross was known to ancient Greeks and Romans as Crux, but as the Earth gradually tipped over (known as the precession of the equinoxes), Crux disappeared over their southern horizon. They lost sight of it and won't see it in their skies again for about 16,000 years.
In the other half of the world, knowledgeable Polynesian navigators used the Southern Cross to find their way around the Pacific. The constellation is known by the Hawaiian, Tahitian and Samoan peoples as Hānaiakamalama ("cared for by the Moon"). To some Māori, it was the anchor of a great sky canoe; to others, an opening in the sky that the winds blew through.
Indigenous Australians have a range of names for the Southern Cross, some seeing the stars as a stingray being chased by a shark, and others as an eagle's footprint.
Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin May 21 - 27, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin May 21 - 27, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Roman scandals
Sarah Watt reviews two major titles at this year's Italian Film Festival.
Rising tide
Twenty years on from the foreshore and seabed hikoi, the issues behind it have not subsided.
The balance of Powers
The Naked and Famous star is unashamedly indulgent in his new solo album.
Love, love me Who
New Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa and producer Russell T Davies talk about getting by with a little help from their friends.
Raising the barre
Why acclaimed Kiwi director James Napier Robertson-took on the bruising true story of an American ballerina in Russia.
A dickens of a novel
Historical novel is rich in women characters from all levels of Victorian society - including some from real life.
Parental advisory
A vibrant collection of essays sets out to answer one less-than-simple question: what makes a mother?
Unhappy endings
Leslie Jamison anatomises her broken marriage in a candid new memoir - but who or what was really to blame?
'I am still quite overwhelmed'
Ginette McDonald is good with voices. Now, a new anthology celebrates the long and varied career of the actor who brought us Lynn of Tawa. Just don't call it a valedictory.
A long Trekka north
Almost forgotten in this country, NZ's only homedesigned, mass-produced motor vehicle has a new following in Europe.