Incidentally, after many years of wondering about the origin of the word waxing, I finally dusted off my dictionary this week. I discovered it comes from an old English word, ‘‘weaxan’’, which means ‘‘to increase’’.
Since Sunday the moon has been moving through the constellation Taurus very close to the Pleiades. Better known as Matariki in this part of the world, this wonderful cluster of stars has been observed and celebrated by almost every culture on earth for thousands of years.
Matariki is slowly disappearing into the sunset and getting lower in the sky with each passing night as the sun moves north in the sky.
The next few nights will be some of the last chances to clearly see the cluster before it becomes invisible for a couple of months, reappearing in the morning sky in June.
In western mythology, the seven stars that make up the Pleiades are the Seven Sisters of Greek mythology and are known for their striking blue-white colour.
According to noted Maori astronomer Rangi Matamua, Matariki has nine stars, each with its unique name and significance.
The stars are: Matariki, Pohutukawa, Waiti, Waita, Waipuna-a-rangi, Tupu-a-rangi, Tupu-a-nuku, Ururangi and finally Hiwa-i-te-rangi. Each star has its own story and is associated with particular cultural practices and beliefs.
The cluster is easy to see with the unaided eye. Some skilled stargazers claim they can see as many as 12 stars without optical aid but people with normal eyesight can usually see seven or perhaps eight.
Through binoculars or a telescope many hundreds of dimmer stars become visible.
The sight of the crescent moon and Matariki sinking in the west in deepening twilight is worth looking out for.
