Puanga is the star Rigel and is the brightest star in the Orion constellation. Matariki is seen below Puanga and to the left of Tautoru (the three stars of Orion’s Belt) in the late autumn and early winter night sky.

Puanga, or Rigel, is the fifth brightest star in the sky, and is known to some iwi as Puanganui and by northern iwi as Puangarua. To find Puanga in the sky, look for the three stars of Tautoru (Orion’s Belt, or the Pot).

Puanga is the fifth brightest star in the sky. Find the constellation of Tautoru, also known as Orion’s Belt or the Pot. The single bright star above this group of three is Puanga. Once you have found Tautoru, look to the left.

Puanga is the star Rigel, part of the Orion constellation. Puanga features in the sky just prior to Matariki and is seen as a precursor to Matariki for the tribes that can’t see Matariki in the East. For Whanganui and Taranaki tribes, Puanga is the significant star to …

“We talk about Puna Ariki, or Te Waka o Tama Rereti as it is known by others, the waka that collects up those who have passed during the last 12 months or so. Puanga is about remembering those people who have gone, it’s our stage of …

Puanga Hori isn’t a bright star. It rises in the second month and is below Takurua. It is a star connected to te Kāhui Takurua (the winter stars). It recognises that the new year festivities are finished – kua hori ngā mahi o te tau hou. Puanga is referred to as Puanganui-o-te-rangi.

"The rise of Matariki has become a national celebration, but there's also another star that heralds the Māori new year. Puanga, or Rigel, is the star that some regions use as an indicator to mark the new year and as Irena Smith reports, traditional celestial knowledge is becoming popular."

Jun 26, 2024 · Puanga (Rigel), or Puaka as Māori in Te Waipounamu-South Island call it, is one of the brightest stars in our sky. Located "above" the constellation known as Tautoru, or Orion’s Belt (the three stars that make up the bottom of ‘the …

Richard Hall, President of the Phoenix Astronomical Society, and Vice President Ian Cooper explain when we can see the star Puanga and why it’s linked to Matariki. A ‘quirk of latitude’ has led to Puanga being recognised by some iwi as the …

May 12, 2022 · Puanga is the star Rigel and is the brightest star in the Orion constellation. All iwi celebrate the Māori New year in June or July, however, the Matariki star cluster is not clearly visible in all parts of New Zealand so some iwi place importance on the star Puanga, which is the next significant star closest to Matariki, as this is much ...