Planisphere — explore the night sky

A planisphere is a map of our night sky. Make your own planisphere and explore! Download our template with instructions or read the accessible version on this page.

On this page

Make your own planisphere — print or accessible version

Download our 'Make your own planisphere' template.

Read the accessible, web version below.

What stars will you see tonight?

Colour artwork of the sky over the Pacific Ocean, showing the stars and constellations.

Me pēhea te hanga i tō mahererangi

Ko tēnei mea te mahererangi he mahere o tō tātou rangi ina tirohia i te pō.

Ko tāna he whakaatu ki a koe he pēhea ngā whetū me ngā kāhui whetū (ngā rōpū whetū) e nuku haere ai i te rangi i roto i te tau kotahi.

  1. Pokaina te mahererangi huri noa, ki te kutikuti. Pokaina hoki ngā kōwhao porohita-tītaha.

  2. Tapahia te mahere whetū huri noa.

  3. Kōpakina te mahererangi kia haurua te rahi, hei mahi pūkoro.

  4. Hoatu te mahere rangi ki te pūkoro.

Make your own planisphere

This planisphere is a map of our night sky.

It shows you how stars and constellations (star groups) move across the sky in a year.

  1. With scissors, cut round the planisphere. Cut out the oval holes too.

  2. Cut round the star map.

  3. Fold the planisphere in half to make a pocket.

  4. Put the star map in the pocket.

Ngā hipanga mō te whakamahi i te mahererangi

Me pēhea te whakamahi i tō mahererangi.

He pō mārama (kore-kapua) tēnei? Kua haere koe ki te tirotiro whetū!

  1. Āta titiro ki te hāora, rapua te wā hāngai, i te wira.

  2. He aha te rā o te tau (date)? Hurihia te wīra kia noho te rā o te tau ki te wā e tirotiro whetū ana koe, ināianei.

  3. Kua puta ngā whetū me ngā kāhui whetū ka taea e koe te kite i te rangi i tēnei pō, ki te mahererangi. Āta titiro kei hea te ahunga o te tonga — whakamahia Te-Taki-o-Autahi me Te Taura o te Waka o Tamarēreti, tirohia rānei ki tētahi kāpehu.

  4. E tū me te anga whaka-te-tonga. Puritia tō mahererangi kia anga mai te ‘tonga’ ki a koe.

  5. Hīkina te mahererangi ki runga ake i tō māhunga. Ka taurite te mahererangi ki te rangi i te pō.

  6. Ki te anga whaka-te-raki koe, hurihia te mahererangi kia anga kē mai te raki ki a koe, ā, ka kite koe i ngā whetū i te rangi ki te raki.

Ko ēhea ngā whetū kua kitea e koe?

How to use your planisphere

Is it a clear night? Then you're ready to go!

  1. Check the time, and look for the corresponding time marked on the wheel.

  2. What's the date? Turn the wheel so tonight's date is at the time you are observing. Now the planisphere is showing the stars and constellations you can see in the sky tonight.

  3. Find out which direction is south — use the Southern Cross and Pointers, or check with a compass.

  4. Stand facing south. Hold your planisphere so ‘south’ is facing towards you.

  5. Lift the planisphere above your head. The star map will match the night sky.

  6. If you turn to face north, flip the planisphere so north is facing towards you and you will see the stars in the northern sky.

Which stars can you find?

Māhere arotangi

Whakamārama whakaahua

Ngā kāhui whetū:

  • 1 — Te Matau a Māui

  • 2 — Māhutonga

  • 3 — Te Taura o te Waka

  • 4 — Matariki

  • 5 — Tautoru

  • 6 — Ikaroa/Mangaroa

Whetū:

  • 7 — Rehua

  • 8 — Ranginui

  • 9 — Uruao

  • 10 — Ruawheke Motumotu

  • 11 — Marere o Tonga

  • 12 — Taumata Kuku

  • 13 — Puanga

  • 14 — Putara

  • 15 — Autahi/Atutahi

  • 16 — Puanga-hori

  • 17 — Māriao

  • 18 — Ruawahia

  • 19 — Whānui

  • 20 — Poututerangi

  • 21 — Otamarakau

Planisphere

Key

Constellations:

  • 1 — Scorpius

  • 2 — The Southern Cross

  • 3 — The Pointers

  • 4 — The Pleiades

  • 5 — Orion's Belt

  • 6 — Milky Way

Stars:

  • 7 — Antares

  • 8 — Hadar

  • 9 — Alpha Centauri

  • 10 — Alpheratz

  • 11 — Achernar

  • 12 — Aldebaran

  • 13 — Rigel

  • 14 — Betelgeuse

  • 15 — Canopus

  • 16 — Procyon

  • 17 — Virgo

  • 18 — Arcturus

  • 19 — Vega

  • 20 — Altair

  • 21 — Fomalhaut

Read our planisphere how-to guide

Download/print our planisphere guide (pdf, 13MB) — or read the web version below.

Tūhuratia te rangi i te pō

He mahererangi tēnei — he mahere o tō tātou rangi ina tirohia i te pō.

Ko tāna he whakaatu ki a koe he pēhea ngā whetū me ngā kāhui whetū (ngā rōpū whetū) e nuku haere ai i te rangi i roto i te tau kotahi.

Ko ētahi noa iho ēnei o ngā whetū kaha ki te kapokapo — e hia miriona whetū atu anō kei waho!

Me tīmata

Rapua te Tuke o Tautoru hei te 10 i te ahiahi hei te 15 Hānuere:

  1. Kimihia te wā o te pō (10pm) i te porowhita whakaroto.

  2. Hurihia te wīra kia hāngai rā anō te rā (15 Kohi-tātea/Hānuere) ki te wā.

  3. Tirohia te mahere whetū i waenga pū i te wira. Kei te kitea atu a Tautoru i te rangi ki te raki?

Kimihia ētahi atu whetū

He aha ngā whetū me ngā kāhui ka puta i ēnei wā, rā hoki?

  1. 3am hei te 15 Hōngongoi/Hūrae.

  2. 9pm hei te 16 Hui-tanguru/Pēpuere.

  3. 6pm hei te 2 Haratua/Mei.

  4. 12am hei 20 Whiringa ā-rangi/Nōema.

  5. 7pm hei te 25 Pipiri/June.

Explore the night sky

This is a planisphere — a map of our night sky.

It shows you how stars and constellations (star groups) move across the sky in a year.

Only some of the brightest whetū (stars) are here — there are millions more!

Get started

Find Tautoru (Orion's belt) at 10pm on the 15th January:

  1. Look for the time of the night (10pm) on the inner dial.

  2. Turn the wheel until the date (15th January) lines up with the time.

  3. Look at the star map in the middle of the wheel. Can you spot Tautoru in the northern sky?

Discover more stars

What whetū and constellations appear at these times and dates?

  1. 3am on 15 July.

  2. 9pm on 16 February.

  3. 6pm on 2 May.

  4. 12am on 20 November.

  5. 7pm on 25 June.