Rehua is a significant atua (god/deity) in Māori mythology, associated with the highest heavens, healing, and specific stars (often Antares or Sirius). As the eldest son of Rangi and Papa, he symbolizes sacred knowledge, wellbeing, and leadership, and he is regarded as untouched by death. 

Key Aspects of Rehua:

• Star Deity: Rehua is often identified with Antares (in Scorpio), Sirius, or Betelgeuse. He is considered a chief among stars and heralds the beginning of raumati (summer).

• Healing and Power: He lives in Te Putahi-nui-o-Rehua (the tenth and highest heaven) and possesses the power to cure blindness and revive the dead.

• Mythology: In some traditions, he is a son of Rangi (Sky Father) and Papa (Earth Mother). A key narrative involves his brother Tāne visiting him, where Rehua showed him how to snare birds, despite the birds feeding on his hair (a highly tapu act).

• Associations: He is known as the "Lord of Kindness" and a source of life force and abundance.

Antares is the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius and the 15th-brightest in the night sky, often called the "heart of the scorpion". It is a massive red supergiant located roughly 550–600 light-years from Earth, notable for its distinct reddish hue and for being a "rival of Mars" in color and brightness. 

Key Facts About Antares

• Star Type: A red supergiant that is in the late stages of its life, likely to end in a supernova soon (in astronomical terms).

• Immense Size: If placed at the center of our solar system, its surface would extend beyond the orbit of Mars, potentially reaching near Jupiter.

• Binary System: Antares A (the red supergiant) is accompanied by a smaller, hot blue-white companion star, Antares B.

• Observation: It is best observed in the southern sky during summer months, appearing as a bright orange-red point in the constellation Scorpius.

• Name Origin: The name comes from Greek anti-Ares, meaning "rival of Mars".