NASA's Hubble space telescope has provided the best images of the Matariki star cluster.
Hubble has been in continuous orbit around the Earth for 34 years and it measured the cluster at about 440 light years away from us.
NASA senior project scientist for Hubble Dr Jennifer Wiseman said the cluster, also known as the Pleiades, was relatively close in astronomical terms.
"I would say what Hubble has given us in looking at the Pleiades is a more accurate distance, something like 439 light years and also a very beautiful sharp image."
The telescope has made more than a million observations which have expanded our understanding of the universe.
The 'Man behind Matariki' said he was excited to see the idea of a Matariki public holiday spread across the Pacific.
Dr Rangi Mātāmua was invited to Tahiti recently to see how Aotearoa put together the Matariki holiday.
The territory just announced their inaugural Matari'i public holiday - which will be observed on the 20 November next year.
Look back at RNZ's live coverage from around the motu here:
