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In Disney’s ‘Moana,’ the characters navigate using the stars, just like real Polynesian explorers − an astronomer explains how these methods work

  • Written by Christopher Palma, Teaching Professor, Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Penn State
imageWayfarers around the world have used the stars to navigate the sea. Wirestock/iStock via Getty Images Plus

If you have visited an island like one of the Hawaiian Islands, Tahiti or Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, you may have noticed how small these land masses appear against the vast Pacific Ocean. If you’re on Hawaii, the nearest...

Read more: In Disney’s ‘Moana,’ the characters navigate using the stars, just like real Polynesian explorers...

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