Matariki, Pleiades, M45

Messier 45 (M45), commonly known as the Pleiades, Seven Sisters or Matariki in Māori culture, is an open star cluster located in the constellation Taurus. It is one of the nearest star clusters to Earth and is easily visible to the naked eye, even in light-polluted areas, making it a prominent feature in the night sky. It consists of several hundred stars, with the brightest members being hot, young B-type stars that illuminate the surrounding gas and dust. These stars, particularly the prominent blue-white ones, are only a few million years old. The cluster is also enveloped in a faint reflection nebula, which is primarily composed of interstellar dust that scatters the light from the stars, giving the Pleiades its characteristic bluish hue.

Matariki is the Māori New Year, celebrated in Aotearoa -New Zealand when the Pleiades star cluster rises in the pre-dawn sky, usually around late May to early July. This time marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of a new year, symbolizing renewal, remembrance, and connection to the land and ancestors. Matariki is a time for communities to come together, celebrate with feasts, perform cultural rituals, and reflect on the past while looking forward to the future, highlighting themes of hope, unity, and the importance of the natural world.