An honest star keepsake
Name a star
Pick a real star in the sky over a place and a day that matter to you. Give it a name. Download a keepsake that tells the truth and shows how to find it.
Can you really name a star? Not in a way astronomers will use. Only the International Astronomical Union (IAU) gives stars names, and it does not sell them. What you can do is choose a real star, give it a name that means something to you, and keep a record of it. That is what we make: a keepsake from US$12, download only, drawn on your own device.
Your star
4Preview your keepsake
The real download has no PREVIEW marks and is full size (A4 or US Letter, 300 dpi), with a second page that shows how to find the star.
Download only: nothing is printed or posted. You pay on Stripe’s secure page; any sales tax or VAT is shown there before you pay. Refunds: 30 days, no questions asked. Other people can pick the same star, because no one can own a star or its name.
What you get
Star Keepsake
US$12
- A keepsake page with the name you chose, the star’s real catalogue names, its constellation, brightness and colour
- A small map of the sky that night, with your star circled
- A “how to find it” card: which month, what time, which way to look
- A PDF to print, and pictures to share
Star Keepsake + Sky Map
US$15
- Everything in the Star Keepsake
- A poster of the whole sky over your place on your night, 3,000 by 4,000 pixels
- Your star marked with its name, and the brightest stars and constellations labelled
- As a PNG and a PDF, ready for a print shop
What we promise
- We never claim astronomers will use the name, and the keepsake says so too
- Every star is real and can be seen from a dark place
- Your names never leave your device
- Refunds: 30 days, no questions asked.
How it works
- Choose a day and a place. A birthday, a wedding, the night you met, or tonight. The map shows the real sky over that place at that time.
- Pick a real star. Choose one high overhead, one of the brightest, a “birthday light” star, or one in a constellation you love. Tap the map to choose any dot.
- Give it a name. Add who it is for and a short message if you like. The preview updates as you type.
- Download your keepsake. Pay on Stripe’s secure page, then save the PDF and pictures. Nothing is printed or posted.
Why we are honest about it
Many star gifts hint that a name is “recorded” somewhere that astronomers use. It is not. Astronomers use the names and numbers chosen by the IAU, and a bought name never appears on their charts. We think a keepsake means more when it is true: a real star, chosen by you, that you can go outside and find. Read how stars really get names or what the IAU says about buying star names.
Questions people ask
Will astronomers use the name I choose?
No. Only the International Astronomical Union (IAU) gives stars the names astronomers use, and it does not sell them. What you get here is a keepsake: a real star, the name you choose for it, and the facts to find it. We say this on every page and on the keepsake itself.
Is the star real?
Yes. Every star comes from the Bright Star Catalogue, a list of the roughly 9,000 stars you can see with your eyes on a dark night. The keepsake gives its real catalogue numbers, so anyone can look it up in a star app or a book.
Can I see my star?
Every star we offer can be seen without a telescope from a dark place. The brighter ones are easy even from a town. The keepsake comes with a card that says which month and time to look, which way to face and how high up it is.
What do I get, and how much is it?
The Star Keepsake is US$12: a keepsake page and a "how to find it" card, as a PDF and as pictures. The Star Keepsake + Sky Map is US$15: the same, plus a poster-size map of the whole sky on the night you chose. Both are downloads you can print at home or at a print shop.
Can someone else pick the same star?
Yes. No one can own a star or its name, so we do not pretend to keep a list of who named what. Your keepsake is yours; the star belongs to everyone.
Do you send our names anywhere?
No. The names, the message, the date and the place stay on your own device. The keepsake is drawn in your browser. When you pay, only the product and the star’s catalogue number go to the payment page.
Is anything printed or posted?
No. Both keepsakes are downloads only. You can print them at home on A4 or US Letter paper (choose "fit to page"), or take the files to a print shop.
How do I pay?
On Stripe’s secure payment page. We never see your card. Any sales tax or VAT where you live is shown before you pay.
What if I change my mind?
Refunds: 30 days, no questions asked. Email us within 30 days with the email address you paid with, and we will refund you in full.
Can I download it again later?
Yes. The page you land on after paying keeps working: bookmark it. On the same device and browser, it remembers the names. On another device, you can type them again.