Stars over Hawaii

The stars in the night sky over the HawaiianIslands overwhelm us with feelings ofwonder and amazement. They evoke imagesof Hawai'i's first people, sailing from farawaylands, finding their way by use of thestars in the heavens. Their knowledge of theskies, from Höküpa'a (North Star) toHänaiakamalama (Southern Cross) helpedthem navigate the vast Pacific in voyagingcanoes and discover new homes. Today, astronomershave explored the heavens withthe use of advanced telescopes, satellites...
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The stars in the night sky over the HawaiianIslands overwhelm us with feelings ofwonder and amazement. They evoke imagesof Hawai'i's first people, sailing from farawaylands, finding their way by use of thestars in the heavens. Their knowledge of theskies, from Höküpa'a (North Star) toHänaiakamalama (Southern Cross) helpedthem navigate the vast Pacific in voyagingcanoes and discover new homes. Today, astronomershave explored the heavens withthe use of advanced telescopes, satellites andspace vehicles traveling to our sun, moon,planets and beyond. Two voyages of discovery separated by centuries, haveboth found a home in Hawai'i.Stars Over Hawaiçi presents an introduction to the study of Astronomyand an overview of current knowledge about the night sky above us andthe vast universe beyond. Descriptions of the constellations and some ofthe stories behind the Greek and Roman mythology that is associated withtheir names is included. Twelve monthly star charts, plus two that labelstar names in Hawaiian, will help guide you through the year in your ownexplorations of Hawai'i's brilliant starlit sky. Readers can learn about"Lahaina Noon," when the sun casts no shadow, a phenomenon exclusiveto latitudes near the equator. Hawaiian Astronomy is explored throughlegend, surviving oral history, and the ongoing observation of the skiesand our planet. The Hawaiian Moon Calendar is discussed and the Nightsof the Moon are depicted and labeled in Hawaiian and other Pacific languages.Polynesian voyaging and wayfinding is celebrated with the inclusionof the Polynesian Voyaging Society's Star Compasses.Man's knowledge of our solar system and the universe has increaseddramatically in the 60 years since Stars Over Hawai'i was first published.This latest edition builds upon a solid foundation to bring star gazers upto date with current statistics and theories about our universe.Stars Over Hawai'i marries the knowledge of the masterful navigatorsand astronomers of ancient Hawai'i with today's astronomy experts to bringyou an integrated view of Hawai'i's skies, past and present.