Starwatch: it’s time to celebrate Matariki

The Mori new year festivities can begin when the Pleiades star cluster is seen and the moon reaches its next last quarter phase

The moon moves into its last quarter phase this week, heralding a new moon on 17 July next week. In New Zealand, this means it is time for the celebration of Matariki. In Mori culture, this marks the new year and is a time of reflection for the previous 12 months and a chance to look ahead. The timing of the celebration is determined by the interplay of both stars and moon.

Matariki itself is the Mori name for the Pleiades star cluster. It disappears from the skies of New Zealand in May for around a month. When it is spotted again, rising in the dawn sky just before the sun, the festival of Matariki can begin once the moon reaches its next last quarter phase.