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There
are no definitive Māori names for particular stars. The various tribes often have
different names and different traditions. It is probable that
each tribe had its own names for something in the vicinity of 300
stars, with some names being used more universally throughout Aotearoa. These 'universal' names
were often used for different stars by different tribes. To
further add to the complexity of the situation, some stars were
given different names at different times of the year, or when
appearing in different parts of the sky. Several Māori star
names have been recorded and published, most with no indication
of which tribes made use of the names, and most not identified
with specific stars.
This
list has been compiled for the purpose of putting names to actual
stars and groups of stars. Only published star names have been
used, and only those that can be definitely identified with a
particular star, constellation or planet. Where more than one
name is known for a single star, constellation or planet, one
name has been chosen and an attempt has been made to select the
commonest or most representative name from those available in the
literature. The result is a collection made up of names taken
from more than one iwi.
This
practice has been adopted in order to create a list of names that
can be used as labels on a star map. It creates a one dimensional
picture of what was once a complex system of inter-related names
that were almost certainly used for many purposes besides those
we know about today from the literature.
This
list of names has been used as the basis for a bilingual Star
Wheel, published on the web site Astronomy
In Your Hands. This is believed to be the most comprehensive
Māori star map published.
Due
to the incompleteness of this list any additions that you might
offer are welcomed. | 
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