Matariki
A classroom resource for Matariki with 3 Google slides presentations on the science, timing and cultural aspects worldwide.
What is Matariki?
Matariki is the name given to the open cluster of stars Pleiades or M45 in June by Māori as it marks the time for whānau to get together, reconnect and reflect and honour those who passed away. It is also the name of the observance of the heliacal rising of the star cluster in June, just after or around the winter solstice. Matariki is an old Māori tradition that has entered into mainstream since approximately 2005 and became increasingly popular.
Starting 2022, Matariki has become a public holiday in New Zealand.
When is Matariki?
Traditionally, Matariki is observed when the heliacal rising of the star cluster Pleiades coincides with a certain Moon phase that occurs on or after the winter solstice. Different tribes traditionally used different phases of the Moon. For example, the Full Moon, the Tangaroa Moon (when the Moon is in the Last Quarter) and the New Moon. Other tribes use the star Puanga–Rigel as Matariki is too low during that period of time around the winter solstice in some parts of New Zealand.
20 June 2025
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Full Moon
11 June, 7:43 p.m.
Half Moon
19 June, 7:19 a.m.
New Moon
25 Jun 10:31 p.m.
The star Puanga – Rigel is the blue star above Orion’s belt. Photo: Hari
Matariki comes once a year
You might hear people say, “You can only see Matariki in winter when it heralds the New Year.”
Māori, Indigenous Australians and Native Americans are some of the few cultures left in the world to use a seasonal sky. That means they give different names to the same stars at different times of the year and use these stars in different combinations.
For example, in November, the same cluster, M45 – The Pleiades, is part of a grand asterism called Te Waka O Tamarereti as the canoe’s feathers. Other times of the year is part of Te Waka a Taramainuku as its prow.
Traditionally, the star cluster was called Matariki only in wintertime. The institutionalisation of Matariki as a national holiday in New Zealand made the name mainstream and synonymous with the Pleiades. But if we are to respect the culture it came from, we must observe that the star cluster has different other names at different times of the year.
Google slides Presentation - The timing of Matariki
Right now, Matariki is a public holiday that occurs yearly for everyone. However, Matariki the Māori New Year tradition, is observed a bit differently by different tribes. This presentation talks about the seasonal sky, asterisms and various ways in which Matariki is calculated.
Matariki is a heliacal observance.
The Science
Matariki’s arrival is the perfect time to dive into the science behind the star cluster, the Pleiades.
Here are some examples of the slides included in the presentation
Our galactic neigbourhood
Matariki is part of our Galaxy, the Milky Way, and is located within the Orion Arm. This makes it one of the closest star clusters to Earth. At approximately 430-440 light years away, its visibility and significance provide a rich scientific exploration topic.
Our Place in the Universe
Introducing students to the concept of our “galactic address” can be a starting point for discussions on the scale of the Universe and our place within it. It’s an opportunity to explore how vast space is and how we use coordinates, like those for our solar system in the Orion Arm, to map it.
The Science of Star Clusters
Matariki is a young cluster, formed about 150 million years ago, during the time of the dinosaurs. Its stars are known for their blue color, which indicates their hot temperature. Discussing the lifecycle of stars through the lens of Matariki can help students understand stellar formation, evolution, and the factors that influence a star’s color and temperature.
Google slides Presentation - The science of Matariki
Matariki Dawn 2023 – Star Safari Observatory, Wairarapa, Photo: Hari
Incorporating Matariki’s Science into Teaching
Here are practical ways to bring the science of Matariki into your classroom:
Astronomical Concepts: Use Matariki as a case study to teach about the lifecycle of stars, how astronomers measure distances in space (like with the parallax method), and the significance of star clusters in our understanding of the galaxy.
Observation Skills: Star gazing can be more than just looking at stars; it can be a lesson in observation and data collection. Encourage students to observe Matariki and other celestial bodies, noting their brightness, color, and position in the sky.
Hands-on Experiments: Simple experiments to demonstrate how light travels or how parallax works can make these abstract concepts more accessible and engaging.
Activities for Students
- Star Mapping: Have students create their own star maps, locating Matariki in the sky. This activity combines art, science, and navigation skills.
- Scientific Inquiry: Students can research and present on how different civilizations understood and studied the Pleiades. This emphasizes the scientific method and the evolution of scientific understanding over time.
Earthrise – Apollo 11. View of Moon limb with Earth on the horizon, Mare Smythii Region. Earthrise. A different perspective of the world.
The Perspective
Google slides Presentation - The perspective of Matariki
Matariki – the Pleiades has many names worldwide. This presentation discusses how cultures around the world view the Pleiades and earliest observations of the clusters.
Matariki dawn ceremony, 2014 Wellington. Photo: Hari
The 3 Google Drive presentations have been created from a talk on Matariki I wrote for a Matariki event hosted by the Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy for a group of students in 2018. Sam and I have updated it since to suit schools.
Here is our blue telescope the same night, same place.
The presentation was built over a few years, since 2012, as I used to work for the Ministry of Primary Industries, and almost every year during Matariki, I went around different ministries in Wellington as an invited speaker to talk about the stars and what they represented in different cultures. Talking to other people every year, I had the opportunity to get many questions from them and used this presentation to also give a general introduction to the night sky. I also had the opportunity to support Māori Tourism with science to create a Matariki page on their website that run until approximately until 2018.
For years when I worked at Carter Observatory in Wellington and with the support of other organisations, we organised Dawn Ceremonies on top of Tangi Te Kio, starting in 2007, which was a fabulous start of the year. By the time the ceremony was over and everyone frozen just before sunrise, we would go and find a coffee shop, last time I remember going to Pandoro Panetteria, to have hot chocolates and the fabulous pastry, it was a great start of the day.
Hari
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