Synopsis
The stars in the night sky over the Hawaiian Islands overwhelm us with feelings of wonder and amazement. They evoke images of Hawai i s first people, sailing from faraway lands, finding their way by use of the stars in the heavens. Their knowledge of the skies, from Hokupa a (North Star) to Hanaiakamalama (Southern Cross) helped them navigate the vast Pacific in voyaging canoes and discover new homes. Today, astronomers have explored the heavens with the use of advanced telescopes, satellites and space vehicles traveling to our sun, moon, planets and beyond. Two voyages of discovery separated by centuries, have both found a home in Hawai i. Stars Over Hawai i presents an introduction to the study of Astronomy and an overview of current knowledge about the night sky above us and the vast universe beyond. Descriptions of the constellations and some of the stories behind the Greek and Roman mythology that is associated with their names is included. Twelve monthly star charts, plus two that label star names in Hawaiian, will help guide you through the year in your own explorations of Hawai i s brilliant starlit sky. Readers can learn about "Lahaina Noon," when the sun casts no shadow, a phenomenon exclusive to latitudes near the equator. Hawaiian Astronomy is explored through legend, surviving oral history, and the ongoing observation of the skies and our planet. The Hawaiian Moon Calendar is discussed and the Nights of the Moon are depicted and labeled in Hawaiian and other Pacific languages. Polynesian voyaging and way finding is celebrated with the inclusion of the Polynesian Voyaging Society s Star Compasses. Man's knowledge of our solar system and the universe has increased dramatically in the 60 years since Stars Over Hawai i was first published. This latest edition builds upon a solid foundation to bring star gazers up to date with current statistics and theories about our universe. Stars Over Hawai i marries the knowledge of the masterful navigators and astronomers of ancient Hawai i with today's astronomy experts to bring you an integrated view of Hawai i's skies, past and present.
About the Author
The first edition of Stars Over Hawai i was written by E.H. Bryan, Jr., in 1955. A second edition was published in 1977. Since his death in 1985, no further revisions have appeared until now when it is deemed appropriate and worthwhile to update this very popular handbook of astronomy in Hawai i. Ed Bryan, as his friends knew him, was a fount of knowledge in all aspects of the natural history of Hawai i. He was born in California in 1898 but came to Hawai'i at the young age of 18. He studied at the University of Hawai i where he earned a Masters degree in entomology and carried out additional graduate studies at Stanford University in botany and zoology. He was one of the early users of the Kaimuki Observatory which was built in 1910 primarily to observe Comet Halley s 1910 apparition. During 1917 and 1918, Bryan and fellow amateur R. W. French, a sergeant in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, used the telescope in the observation of variable stars. Both were members of the American Association of Variable Star Observers. Bryan also helped organize and conduct public star parties at the Kaimuki Observatory. (As a footnote, the Kaimuki Observatory, once located on Sea View Avenue in Kaimuki, was demolished in 1958.) During the 1930 s and 1940 s a growing number of amateur astronomers felt the need for some sort of organization and the availability of astronomical information tailored to Hawai'i. Bryan, now on the staff of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, responded to this latter need by preparing the original Stars Over Hawai i. Most importantly, it contained a star chart for each month of the year, for the latitude of Hawai i. This book received wide circulation and certainly must have had a significant impact on astronomical literacy in Hawai i. Bryan also initiated the monthly publication in a local newspaper of the current star chart and a description of astronomical phenomena for the month, a tradition that has continued uninterrupted to the present day. Ed Bryan also authored countless popular articles on astronomy and natural history in Hawai i. When I initially came to Hawai i in 1945, the first book I found to teach me about beautiful Hawai i was Bryan s little volume, Hawaiian Nature Notes, first published in 1933. It is my opinion that E. H. Bryan, Jr., more than any other individual, served to inform and stimulate public interest in Hawaiian astronomy and natural history during the early decades of the 20th century.
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