Portable igloo gives a galactic experience

ROSS GIBLIN/ The Dominion Post

STARRY-EYED: Crofton Downs Primary School pupils Hila Naish, 8, left, and James Wilson, 8, learn about the Matariki constellation.

ROSS GIBLIN/ The Dominion Post

VIRTUAL WORLD: The inflatable planetarium settles in among books at Wellington library.

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Star-struck youngsters got to fly at warp speed to the Matariki constellation in a portable planetarium housed in an inflatable igloo.

The virtual journey takes place at the NightVisionz Cosmodome, which opened yesterday for a five-day season at Wellington Central Library.

Wellington City Council spent $2000 to bring the cosmodome to the city.

One of the first to taste the galactic experience was Hila Naish, 8, from Crofton Downs Primary School.

"It is really cool because I learned a bit more about Matariki."

Hila also got to see the virtual-rising of the first new Moon after the appearance of Matariki, which marks the start of the Maori New Year.

The cosmodome is the brainchild of former Carter Observatory astronomer Ron Fisher, who takes it to schools throughout New Zealand. "I tell the kids we want to set up hotels on the Moon, and send people to Mars ... so it gives them something to aspire to.

"There are plenty of oohs and aahs and wows."

Several programmes are screened in the cosmodome, including a virtual flyby around our solar system.

The 30-minute sessions have been booked out by school groups during school hours. The public can take a peek, for a gold coin donation, between 4pm-8pm till Friday, and between 10am-4pm on Saturday.

WHAT IS MATARIKI?

Matariki is the Maori name for the Pleiades constellation, a bright cluster of seven stars, also known as the Seven Sisters. The first new moon after the appearance of Matariki marks the start of the Maori New Year. This year it falls on Wednesday, June 24.

WHAT DOES MATARIKI MEAN?

Matariki has two meanings Mata Riki (Tiny Eyes) and Mata Ariki (Eyes of God). Either way, the eyes are thought to watch over the land and its people.

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