Ka hele 'ana o Hōkūloa ma luna o ka maka o ka Lā

Synopsis: Discussion of the transit of Venus and the names of the planets that orbit the sun.

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Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu o Kauakūkalahale. Ua 'ike aku nei paha ko 'oukou mau maka i ka mā'alo 'ana a'e o Hōkūloa ma mua pono mai o ka lā i ka Pō'alua nei? He mea nui paha ia, no ka mea, ua 'ōlelo 'ia, he hiki i ke kanaka akeakamai ke ana i ka Paralake (parallax) o ka Lā. A ma o ia Paralake e 'imi ai ke kanaka akeakamai i ka loa mai ka Honua aku a hiki i ka Lā (Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Nowemapa 26, 1864).

A 'o kekahi mea nui, inā 'a'ole 'oukou i 'ike aku i ia hele 'ana o Hōkūloa ma luna o ka maka o ka lā i ka Pō'alua nei, 'a'ole nō 'oukou e 'ike iki aku. Aia wale nō paha a lō'ihi ko 'oukou mau makahiki e ola ai, e like me ko Kūali'i, a laila, e hiki ke 'ike aku. No ka mea, 'o ka makahiki e mā'alo hou ai 'o Hōkūloa ma mua pono mai o ka lā, 'o ia ka makahiki 2117.

A ua pōmaika'i ko 'oukou mea kākau, no ka mea, ma ua lā nei, e iho ana kēia i ke alapi'i ma ka Hale 'o Spalding no ka hui pū 'ana me ka wahine aloha, a ma ia iho 'ana i ke alapi'i, e iho pū ana ka luna o ke Ke'ena IPLL o ke Kulanui o Hawai'i ma Mānoa, 'o John Mayer, a ua loa'a kāna pale kilo lā. ('Auhea 'oukou, mai nō a poina, 'a'ole e nānā wale ka maka i ka lā e kau ana, o pilikia auane'i ka maka, a 'o ka makaaniani pale lā, 'a'ole lawa ke pale 'ana aku, he pono ke pale kilo lā.) A ma ka hiki 'ana iho i lalo o Spalding, nānā a'ela 'o John i luna i ka Lā me ia pale kilo lā, a 'oiai, 'o ka ho'omaka wale nō ia o Hōkūloa e 'ike 'ia ma ka lihilihi o ka Lā, 'a'ole i mōakāka pono. Noi akula ko 'oukou mea kākau iā John i kāna pale kilo lā, a i nānā aku ka hana o ko 'oukou mea kākau, ua 'ike 'ia nō, he hapa kiko wale nō ia. A ma ka 'olu'olu o John, hā'awi maila 'o ia i pale kilo lā na ko 'oukou mea kākau. A i ka nānā hou 'ana a'e i ka Lā he kanakolu paha minuke ma ia hope mai, ua komo le'a mai 'o Hōkūloa ma ke alo o ka Lā. He kiko 'u'uku wale nō ia i ka maka o ka Lā.

Ma muli o ia, komo ihola ka mana'o i loko o ko 'oukou mea kākau, e 'imi aku i nā inoa o nā Hōkūhele, a ua loa'a maila nō. 'O Hōkūloa, 'o Venuka ia. 'O Ukali (Ukaliali'i), 'o Melekulia nō ia. 'O Holoholopīna'au (a 'o Hōkū'ula paha i kekahi manawa), 'o Maleka nō ia. 'O Ka'āwela, 'o Iupika nō ia. 'O Nāholoholo (a 'o Makulu i kekahi manawa), 'o Kakulena ia. 'O Helekela, 'o Ulano ia. A ho'okahi Hōkūhele, 'a'ohe ona inoa Hawai'i, ua ho'ohawai'i wale 'ia iho nō kona inoa haole. 'O ia 'o Nepetune. He aha lā ke kumu i loa'a 'ole ai kona inoa Hawai'i pono'ī? A he inoa nō paha, 'a'ole na'e i loa'a i ko 'oukou mea kākau.

A 'o kekahi mea i ulu ai ka hoi, ma ka puke a Fornander, hō'ike mai 'o ia he mau inoa ko Venuka, 'o Nāholoholo a me Ka'āwela i kona wā he Hōkū kau ahiahi, a i kona kau 'ana i ke kakahiaka, 'o Mānanalo a me Hōkūloa. He kumu paha i kapa 'ia ai 'o Venuka lāua 'o Kakulena ma ka inoa ho'okahi? E 'olu'olu, inā maopopo paha i kekahi o 'oukou, e hō'ike mai.

Ua lawa paha ia. Ke ho'i aku nei ko Mānana uka keiki, ua ahiahi. Ke aloha.

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This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.