Mele Kalikimaka -
Be sure to take some time to come to the Imaginarium during the holiday season. Hokulani Imaginarium is scheduling multiple viewing times for our seasonal shows.



The recently re-mastered "Star of Bethlehem:The Magi's Story" has not been presented in ten or more years.This show can be seen Friday December 7, at 8:15p.m. and Friday January 4, at 7:00 p.m. The mystery of the Magi's Star is an evergreen story. Regardless of whether this guiding Star was some supernatural beacon, natural phenomenon or a purely allegorical sign, its meaning is a symbol of hope for all mankind. Narrated by Billy V, this show explores some of the astronomical possibilities for the Star that guided Wise Men to Bethlehem. It recounts the story of the Wise Men—who they were, where they came from and why a Star could so entice them to embark on a majestic journey to a foreign land. With the power of computer graphics, Imaginarium audiences are transported back in time to examine various astronomical explanations — a comet, supernova, meteor or planetary conjunction. Star of Bethlehem: The Magi's Story reminds us that ultimately the Star's message is far more important than its mysterious nature. This show's uplifting message has made it an endearing seasonal classic to audiences over the years.

For a holiday special flat rate of $5 on Saturday, December 22, at 1:00 p.m. see the ever popular Season of Light that traces many of the world's most enduring customs at this time of year from Christmas trees, and the Hanukkah Menorah, to Santa Clause and the Star of Bethlehem.

Aloha from the International Space Station (ISS)


Photo - courtesy of NASA

ISS Expedition 56 crew members Drew Feustel, Ricky Arnold and Oleg Artemyev who fly under the call sign "Hawaii" donned Aloha shirts to welcome the ISS Expedition 57 crew members who will be on board the ISS until December 20 when ISS Expedition 58 will then take over the space station through the holidays and into the new year. Humans have been living in space for almost 18 consecutive years aboard the International Space Station. Who knew the ISS was such a happening place of arrivals and departures.

Also, do you know how to see the ISS from your backyard? Since the ISS is the largest human-made object to fly in outer space, it can be seen from around the world when conditions are right. While some may think it may be too small to see without a telescope, it is one of the easiest objects to find in the night sky with the unaided eye. It's hard to miss the ISS, even in urban areas, as it is as bright as Venus [the third brightest natural object in the sky]. Usually it appears like a plane at first, but you will notice the steady movement without flashing lights as it grows brighter,


Although the ISS is always orbiting the Earth, it is not always visible to the unaided eye and requires a small amount of planning, and cloud-free weather, to spot. The space station is visible because it reflects the light of the Sun – the same reason we can see the Moon. However, unlike the Moon, the space station isn’t bright enough to be seen during the day or when it is flying through Earth's shadow since there is no sunlight for it to reflect back down to Earth.

How to know when to look for the ISS in the night sky
Whether or not the space station will be visible on a given day depends on its orbit and at what time of day it passes overhead.

There are many websites and cell phone apps that can be used to notify onlookers when the ISS will be visible.
This includes NASA’s Spot The Station website https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/ which lists every time the ISS will be visible for a given location over the next two weeks.

Each time the station passes overhead is different. On some passes, it is very dim and is not visible for long, while other times it is incredibly bright and visible for over five minutes.
Those planning to look for the ISS should plan to view it on a night when it will be in the sky for a longer period of time. Not only are these passes brighter, but the station will also be visible higher in the sky.

Additionally, people should check the AccuWeather Astronomy http://web.www.acuweather.com/en/us/new-york-ny/10007/astronomy/349727 weather forecast for their area to see if clouds will interfere with viewing conditions

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