Four Seasons Hawaii's Exciting Astro-tourism Offering Adds a New Dimension to Luxury

Increasing the luxury level (literally), Four Seasons Hawaii gives an opportunity to further your knowledge of the sky and space. Four Seasons' Lanai Observatory offers guests a one-of-a-kind astrological experience. Your luxurious vacation has been enhanced with an astro-themed touch.

The Four Seasons Resort Lanai recently announced the opening of the Lanai Observatory, a new astrotourism destination for Resort guests, Lanai locals, and students.

The Kilo Hoku Experience is a new cultural event from Love Lanai, in which cultural advisers impart ike kupuna (ancestral wisdom) about the celestial sphere and take tourists on a night sky tour. 

In Hawaiian, kilo may mean "observer" or "to observe," whereas hoku means "star." Lanai is a good site for stargazing because to its low levels of air and light pollution.

Anela Evans of Love Lanai spent several hours painstakingly studying original Olelo Hawaii (Hawaiian language) materials, such as newspapers and academic literature from the 1800s, in order to construct programme scripts and unearth stellar tales shared throughout the Hawaiian community.

"Our Love Lanai team spent numerous hours learning not only about the telescope's operation and the skies, but also about the history of ancient wayfinding and the methods of traditional, non-instrument navigation that Native Hawaiians and peoples of the Pacific use today in an attempt to retrace our ancestors' voyages in order to reclaim ancestral knowledge," explains Four Seasons Resorts Lanai General Manager Alastair McAlpine.

 "We're looking forward to sharing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the stars and learn about another facet of Hawaiian culture."

The Kilo Hoku Experience starts by describing how indigenous Hawaiians and Pacific peoples used celestial bodies and natural components to navigate the seas. Voyages between Hawaii and the South Pacific are believed to have begun as early as 400 AD. Early Polynesians relied on a highly developed ability to see the night sky to navigate from island to island across the Pacific, eventually arriving in Hawaii. Their understanding of the fixed celestial sphere, ka lani paa, was crucial. 

The wayfinders used their understanding of ka lani paa to navigate hundreds of kilometres of open ocean in their voyaging canoes. The vast Pacific Ocean functioned as a superhighway, connecting civilizations.

Following the lecture, attendees are escorted through a viewing experience that makes use of the 40-inch (1-metre) telescope. 

Guests may peer far into the night sky and see a variety of celestial bodies, including planets, star clusters, galaxies, nebulae, and the magnificent moon.

The telescope is housed in a two-story domed building with a diameter of about 25 feet (7.6 metres). The PW1000 is an observatory-class telescope manufactured by PlaneWave Instruments. It has a direct drive altitude-azimuth (Alt-Az) mounting mechanism, stands 135 inches (3.4 metres) tall, and weighs roughly 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms).

Future plans include programming with Imiloa, Hawaii's Astronomy Center, as well as educational activities customised to Lanai kids.

USD 35 per person, USD 17.50 each kid four to twelve years old, and minors must be accompanied by an adult. Each lesson lasts an hour and includes a lecture on safety and lens information. Timing will vary throughout the year owing to sunsets and the visibility of the sky's natural rotation. 

Guests may see the schedule on the Resort's online activities calendar.

The Resort's Love Lanai Cultural Advisors provide a variety of activities, many of which are free to visitors, that allow guests to tour historic locations, discuss history, and immerse themselves in the island's rich legacy.

The Following is a Glossary of Some Hawaiian Star Names.

• Hōkū Star
• ‘A‘ā Sirius
• Hānaiakamalama Southern Cross
• Hōkūpa‘a Polaris
• ‘Iwakeli‘i Cassiopeia
• Kaheiheionākeiki Orion
• Kauluakoko Betelgeuse
• Makali‘i Pleiades
• Nāhiku Big Dipper
• Nākao Orion's belt and sword