Data on
Celestial BodiesLooking East and West
The stars are relatively fixed in their positions in the sky. They rise and set in particular directions along the horizon. Thus, the navigators can tell which direction they are going in by orienting themselves and the canoe to these rising and setting points.
The rising and setting points change as the observer moves north or south of the equator, but between Hawai'i and Tahiti, the shifts are not great for the stars that rise between northeast and southeast and set between northwest and southwest. The brightest, most easily seen of these stars as they rise and set are the main clues to direction at night.
The navigators divide the dome of the sky into four quarters, with the following names:
-
North-South Star Line (Iwikuamo`o, the Backbone)
-
Navigator's Triangle in the North, with Maui's Fishhook (Manaiakalani)
in the South
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The Great Square of Pegasus
-
The Bailer (Ke Ka o Makali'i, The Bailer of Makali'i)
After sunset, the quarter of the North-South Star Line will be rising in the east. The major stars and constellations in this quarter of the sky are:
-Regulus in Leo, which rises E by N (12 degrees N of E) and sets W by N
-The Big Dipper, which rises NE by N (between 49 and 62 degrees N of E) and sets NW by N
-Hokule'a (the star Arcturus), which rises ENE (19 degrees N of E) and sets WNW -Hikinanalia (the star Spica), which rises E by S (11 degrees S of E) and sets W by S
The quarter of the Navigator's Triangle will follow the quarter of the North-South Star Line into the sky, starting to rise around midnight. The three stars of the triangle are:
-Pira'etea (the star Deneb in the constellation Cygnus), which rises NE (45 degrees N of E) and sets NW.
-Keoe (the star Vega in the constellation Lyra), which rises NE by E (39 degrees N of E) and sets NW by W
-Humu (the star Altair), which rises E by N (9 degrees N of E) and sets W by N
Also in this quarter of the sky is Lehuakona (the bright red star Antares in Maui's fishhook, Manaiakalani, or Scorpio), which rises ESE (26.5 degrees S of E) and sets WSW
Near sunrise, the quarter of the Great Square will be rising in the east. The major stars and constellations in this quarter of the sky are:
-The Great Square of Pegasus, which rises ENE (between 15 and 29 degrees N of E) and sets WNW
-'Iwakeli'i (the constellation Cassiopeia), which rises NE by N (between 59 and 64 degrees N of E) and sets NW by W
-Fomalhaut (Star), which rises SE by E (29.5 degrees S of E) and sets SW by W
-Aries (Constellation), which rises ENE (between 21 and 23 degrees N of E) and sets WNW.
Looking West
After traveling across the sky unseen in daylight, the quarter of the Great Square will be setting in the west at sunset.
The quarter of the Bailer, which rose unseen at about noon, will follow the quarter of the Great Square into the western horizon, setting around midnight. Makali'i (the Pleiades) sets first WNW (24.5 degrees N of W), followed by Hoku'ula, the bright red star Aldebaran in the constellation of Taurus, setting between W by N and WNW.
The constellation Ka Heihei 0 Na Keiki (orion) then sets between W by N and W by S. The first star in the belt of Orion rises due E and sets due west.
The bailer, follows, a curve formed by five stars:
-Hokulei (Capella), which sets NW
-Na Mahoe (The Twin stars of Gemini), which set NW by W
-Puana (Procyon), which sets 5 degrees N of W
-A'a (Sirius), which sets W by S
South of the Bailer is Ke Ali'i Kona i ka Lewa (Canopus), which sets SW by S
The quarter of the North-South Star Line, which rose around midnight, will be setting in the west near sunrise.
Looking South
Hanaiakamalama (the Southern Cross) will provide the navigators with clues to their direction and latitude. The cross rises on its side SE by S (from 57 degrees S of E to 63 degrees S of E); crosses the meridian in an upright position; and sets SW by S on its other side. The meridian is an imaginary north-south line on the dome of heaven from due north to due south and passing through the zenith (the point directly overhead).
As the upright Hanaiakamalama (Southern Cross) crosses the meridian, it is pointing south.
At the latitude of Tahiti (17.5 degrees S), the bottom star is 44 degrees above the horizon as Hanaiakamalama crosses the meridian Hawai'i.. At the latitude of Hawai 'i, the bottom star is 6 degrees above the horizon. (One degree lower for each degree of latitude the observer moves north; Hawai'i is 38 degrees of latitude north of Tahiti.)
The navigators will use the altitudes of stars in the upright Hanaiakamalama (Southern Cross) to determine when the canoes are at 20.5 degrees N, the mid- latitude of their target screen of Hawai'i. During the first week of May, 1995, when the canoes expect to reach the mid-latitude of Hawai'i, Hanaiakamalama will rise at sunset and cross the meridian in an upright position around 9:20 p.m. During this transit, the distance from the horizon to the bottom star of the cross (Ka Mole Honua, or Acrux, 6 degrees :24' above the horizon) will be about equal to the distance from the bottom star to the top star (Kaulia, or Gacrux, 12 degrees 23' above the horizon). When the two distances are determined to be about equal, the canoes will turn west and search for islands at that latitude.
Looking North--Hokupa'a (the North Star)
South of the equator, Hokupa’a, or the North Star, cannot be seen. At the equator, it will be at the horizon, unseen because of water and dust in the atmosphere above the horizon. As the canoe sails north, Hokupa’a will appear higher and higher in the sky, one degree higher for each degree of latitude the observer moves north from the equator. Hokupa'a can be used for both direction and latitude. It marks due north. When it is 10 degrees high in the sky, the canoe is at about 10 degrees N latitude; when it is 20 degrees high in the sky, the canoe is at 20 degrees N.
Planets
The planets appear to wander slowly among the stars of the ecliptic (the path of the sun among the stars, marked by the 12 constellations of the zodiac.) Hence rising and setting points of the planets will change over time. However, the changes are slow, and the planets provide relatively stable clues to direction.
Jupiter in Scorpio will rise ESE (21.5 degrees S of E) about 9 p.m. in the evening between April 17 and May 12.
On April 17, Mars in Leo will set WNW (18.5 degrees N of W) in the early morning around 1:50 a.m. Its setting point is slowly moving south each day. By May 1, it will be setting W by N (15.5 degrees N of W) at about 1:30 a.m.
Saturn in Aquarius will rise in the early morning (3-4 a.m.) about 5 degrees south of due East.
Venus in Aquarius will rise in the early morning (about 4:15-4:45 a.m.) after Saturn. On April 17, its rising point is about 3.5 degrees south of East. Its rising point will shift north each day. By April 24, its rising point is almost due East. By May 8, its rising point is about 6.5 degrees north of East.
Moon
The moon changes its rising and setting points nightly, rising between ENE and ESE and setting between WNW and WSW on its 29.5 day cycle from new moon to full moon and back. The new moon rises and sets near the sun. The full moon is on the opposite side of the sky from the sun.
April 15: Full Moon--Rises E by S (11.5 degrees S of E) on the opposite side of the sky from the sun around sunset; sets W by S around sunrise.
April 21: Last Quarter Rises between E by S and ESE (about 15 degrees S of E) about midnight; sets around noon WSW.
April 29: New Moon---rises unseen near the Sun E by N (15 degrees N of E) around sunrise; sets unseen near the sun at W by N (15 degrees N of W) around sunset.
May 7: First Quarter--Rises E by N (10 degrees N of E) around noon; sets W by N (10 degrees N of W) around midnight.
May 14: Full Moon--Rises around sunset ESE (17 degrees S of E); sets around sunrise WSW.
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