Arcturus and Sirius
Posted: Nov 11, 2010
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Two other important stars to the early Hawaiians were Arcturus and Sirius. Arcturus, known in Hawaiian as Hokulea, or the “Star of Joy/Happiness” passed over the islands of Hawaii at its zenith. Likewise, Sirius, known as Aa in Hawaiian, passes over Tahiti at its zenith. These stars are used by navigators as a longitudinal reference point for the respective islands for Tahitian/Hawaiian voyages.
