‘Lahaina Noon’ more pleasant than cruel at Sunshine Markets

KOLOA — Kaua‘i farmers markets set the stage Monday for Lahaina Noon.

The solar phenomena takes place twice a year, according to the Beat of Hawai‘i website. A Lahaina Noon is when the sun is directly overhead and is casting no shadow on vertical objects like telephone and flag poles.

Or in the case this week, Sunshine Market farmers, patrons and produce.

A vendor looked at a discarded longan pith in the parking lot of Anne Knudsen Park, site of the Koloa market, and remarked about its lack of shadow.

Ron Sharik, visiting from Okinawa, listened quizzically to the ongoing discussion while enjoying an ice cold coconut as respite from the overhead sun.

All of that took place at 12:47 p.m., five minutes past when Lahaina Noon was forecast to happen in Lihu‘e.

The Bishop Museum planetarium website states that every location in the tropics has two days when the sun is exactly overhead, the dates varying depending on the site’s latitude.

On Kaua‘i, the Lihu‘e location called for Lahaina Noon at 12:35 p.m. on May 31 and at 12:42 p.m. Monday.

Honolulu’s Lahaina Noon took place at 12:28 p.m. May 27 and will be at 12:37 p.m. this Friday.

In Lahaina, Maui, the phenomena takes place at 12:30 p.m. next Tuesday followed two minutes later in Kahului, Maui at 12:32 p.m.

The Big Island will enjoy Lahaina Noon at 12:26 p.m. July 24 for Hilo and at 12:30 p.m. for Kailua-Kona that same day.

Hawai‘i is the only state where the phenomena takes place, The Bishop Museum planetarium site states.

During the Honolulu occurrence, a special program was planned at the planetarium, concluding with people viewing Lahaina Noon outside on the lawn.

The term Lahaina Noon was applied to the phenomena when Bishop Museum ran a contest in 1989 to name this solar event, states the Beat of Hawai‘i website.

Lahaina Noon was the front runner of this contest. The word “Lahaina” — when broken into “La” and “Haina” — means “cruel sun.”