Hawaii NightLife

NightLife and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau team up to bring paradise to Golden Gate Park. On Thursday, November 4th, join us for a cultural extravaganza celebrating the scientific side of Hawaii. Learn all about ancient and modern Polynesian voyaging, wayfinding, and star navigation from Imiloa Astronomy Center, then enjoy live Hawaiian music, hula dancing, and DJ beats. Island-style cuisine, Hawaii-inspired cocktails, and Kona Brewing Company beer will be offered.

The Academy is proud to welcome the Imiloa Astronomy Center for a special show in our Planetarium, Hawaiian Star Lines, chronicling how the Polynesians used star navigation for their remarkable feat of populating the islands of the Pacific. As mariners sailed in search of new landfalls, the stars above served signposts along oceanic seaways, recording the direction to new discoveries and the return pathways to where they had sailed from. With a blanket of stars above their heads, they sailed with confidence and security, knowing that the stars would always lead them home.

Screenings are at 7:30 and 8:30 pm in the Planetarium.  Show passes are available on a first-come first-served basis at the Planetarium kiosk.

In addition to the Planetarium show, learn more about how the Polynesian sailors accomplished this amazing trek, and how modern sailors are keeping these traditional methods alive, with interactive exhibits in the museum: a demonstration of a Polynesian Star Map Compass, lashing stations where you can see how ocean going vessels were built, and video interviews with the navigators.

Papa Mau: The Wayfinder documents the lasting legacy of Micronesian master navigator Mau Piailug, who revived the art of traditional voyaging and reawakened cultural pride throughout Polynesia. Relying solely on his intimate knowledge of celestial bodies, oceanic currents, and other environmental cues, Mau navigated the traditional sailing canoe Hokulea on its 1976 maiden voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti.  For Native Hawaiians, this historical expedition signaled not only a rediscovery of lost knowledge, but also a revival of native identity and an exodus from the cultural doldrums of the previous century.  NightLife is pleased to offer a screening of this documentary