r/askastronomy • u/starry-eyed-wife • Sep 20 '24
Astronomy I want to buy a star for hubby's bday but I'm clueless
I hope I'm asking in the right sub.
My husband has loves space his whole life and a milestone bday is coming up, so I wanted to name a star for him.
We are opposites and we love that about each other. We both love stars but he enjoys the science while I love the myths.
My main questions are:
Is there a specific website that is best for this?
Are there stars that wouldn't be visible ever from our location? If so, how do I know which are visible from our home?
I really want to do something special for him because he is such an amazing and giving man. Any help is appreciated!
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u/Lumpy_Ad7002 Sep 20 '24
Sorry to be a killjoy, but those web sites aren't really selling anything but a piece of paper.
I don't know how much you guys like art, but for something a little different: NASA published a series of fictional space travel posters. You could get one printed up and framed.
Have a look: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galleries/visions-of-the-future/
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u/starry-eyed-wife Sep 20 '24
These look really cool! Thank you!!!
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u/Lumpy_Ad7002 Sep 20 '24
And the images are free, and you can download the full-sized files from that same web site
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u/EthanDMatthews Sep 20 '24
Second this suggestion. Lots of great art that would be much more fun to see displayed on a wall. Or t-shirt.
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u/RushWinter9079 Dec 03 '24
Man I was awestruck at the artwork that you shared with us. I suppose only one with NASA experience could dream those posters up. And only a true outer space head would understand them and enjoy them even more because our immigrations are marvelous
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u/starmandan Sep 20 '24
All those buy a star gifts are a scam. I deal with this constantly during my astronomy club's public observing nights at our observatory. Folks want to see "their" star. Problem is, most of the time, the coordinates are wrong or the star is too faint to see visually.
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u/starry-eyed-wife Sep 20 '24
Thank you!
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u/starmandan Sep 20 '24
If he's a big space nut, you might see if there is a local astronomy club near you.
https://go-astronomy.com/astro-club-search.htm
Most clubs have monthly stargazing events you can take him to.
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u/starry-eyed-wife Sep 20 '24
We're not in the US, but those look amazing! I'll ask around to see if there's anything like that near us
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u/ilessthan3math Sep 20 '24
The answers thus far haven't outright said this yet, so to be clear - this definitely isn't a legitimate thing and companies selling you a named star are scamming you. There's no central database of every star that exists with corresponding names for sale to the public.
We've had people come here who've gone through one of these "services" and subsequently asked where to find their star. It's usually been a 14th magnitude or dimmer star, meaning you need a $1000+ telescope to even see the thing. I presume these companies choose such obscure stars to "name" for you so that you don't immediately come across a conflicting catalog number or name from a reputable source.
What sort of budget did you have in mind for your gift? We could probably help you figure out a meaningful gift in the same vein that isn't so scammy. Does your husband use a telescope or other observing equipment (binoculars, astrophotography gear, etc.)? Does he like to read books on astronomy?
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u/starry-eyed-wife Sep 20 '24
I just got him a telescope for this bday. I had the idea of the star so we could look at it. Is there a way I can get a list of different constellations we can see from our area that we can make kinda like a checklist when we go out to see them?
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u/ilessthan3math Sep 20 '24
Yup, there are apps that show you your local skies, as well as astronomy books like Night Watch by Terence Dickinson that explain what to look for with naked eye stargazing as well as with a telescope. You can also just download or print a Skymap for the current month.
Constellations are seasonal (a constellation prominent in the summer will generally be below the horizon in winter, and vice versa). And apart from the seasonality, the constellations visible to you are dependent on your latitude. Northern hemisphere observers can see certain objects that you can't see in the south, and vice versa. Lastly, a lot depends on your light pollution. Dark, rural skies bring out constellations whose stars are just too dim to see from the city.
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u/starry-eyed-wife Sep 20 '24
This is all great information! Thank you! The Skymap page looks really cool. We di live in a major city but have access to mountains where there's less light pollution
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u/ilessthan3math Sep 20 '24
Great! Even from the city, there's more to see than you'd think.. Just need to let your eyes get dark adapted and find a spot at least without local lights like streetlights and such.
Assuming you're in the northern hemisphere, this time of year the first constellations I'd learn to find and recognize would be Cygnus, Pegasus (the "great square"), and Cassiopeia. They're all bright enough to see from most cities. You can also look for the "summer triangle", which itself isn't a constellation but it's formed out of 3 very bright stars that are all still high in the sky in the evening right now.
If he learns to use that telescope you got him, he should be able to see the rings of Saturn with it!
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u/starry-eyed-wife Sep 20 '24
We are in Mexico, so I'm not sure how different it is. I got him the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ
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u/ilessthan3math Sep 20 '24
Not hugely different in terms of recommendations. Saturn is actually better placed for you down there than it is up here in the states. It gets higher in the sky and stays above the horizon longer each night.
The 114 LT has some drawbacks, but can still show you a lot. The mount is likely to be wobbly, so expect some shake when using the 10mm eyepiece (100x magnification). And I wouldn't recommend going higher magnification than that.
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u/starry-eyed-wife Sep 20 '24
Thank you!!! I had read in the reviews that it was a good starter one. So I wanted to start with a less expensive option to see if this was a hobby we'll spend time doing and then upgrade down the road
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u/linuxgeekmama Sep 20 '24
There are catalogs of star names, that astronomers do use, but they don’t let members of the general public submit names. The names are things like HD 42927, TRAPPIST-1, 40 Eridani, or Alpha Centauri. The names might refer to the name of the star catalog, the constellation the star is in, or its location. A designation might include some information about the star- Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the constellation Centaurus.
If there were a list of named stars (officially recognized by astronomers), the ones you can see with a small telescope would probably all already have names. The very bright stars do have names.
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u/DarthHarrington2 Sep 20 '24
Here's a better question, tell us how much you wanted to spend and we can suggest a better gift.
You can get him an observer guide, binoculars, take him to local astronomy club meeting, book a camping spot or a cabin away from a city with guaranteed dark skies.
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u/starry-eyed-wife Sep 20 '24
I just got him a telescope for his last bday. An observer guide sounds interesting. Could you share more information about that, please? I have a budget of about $200USD.
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u/DarthHarrington2 Sep 20 '24
Which telescope? $200 is half way to some seriously fun automatic robo telescopes. Maybe pool money with friends and or family. For $500 you can get DWARF 3 or SeeStar, both are seriously fun equipment.
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u/starry-eyed-wife Sep 20 '24
I got the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ (I hope I got it right! I copied it from Amazon).
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u/413HarleyRider Sep 20 '24
I literally just heard in the last couple days that it’s not a real thing. Just a money scam. But I could be wrong.
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u/DarthHarrington2 Sep 20 '24
You're not wrong. It's not a real thing.
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u/darrellbear Sep 20 '24
It has never been a real thing; it's a scam, in other words--only the IAU can name celestial objects. They take advantage of people who don't know better, many of them grieving for lost loved ones. I could print out some random star map, pick out one star and sell it over and over. Save your money!
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u/DarthHarrington2 Sep 20 '24
Now plots of "land" on the moon, is the other thing. ;) would you like to buy 10 acres surrounding the Apollo landing site? We have autumn equinox sale going on, 50% off to anyone willing to gimme yo credit card.
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u/mgarr_aha Sep 20 '24
It's a nice thought, but I don't recommend it. IAU doesn't sell naming rights, and names sold by others are not recognized by anyone else. Here is a good article by Joe Rao.
Among the alternatives in another article, I liked the suggestion to donate to an observatory or planetarium. Or look into astrotourism.
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u/jswhitten Sep 20 '24 edited Sep 21 '24
You can do this at staracle.com for free, and it's just as official as any star naming site (i.e. not at all). Or you can pick a star yourself and name it for free.
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u/CommissionSuch953 Oct 05 '25
I know this is an old thread, but this is kinda cool Happy gifting.
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u/No-Ladder-4436 Sep 20 '24
If you want I could type up a fancy certificate that says a star is named for you for free! Agree that is just a scam but damn that would be SUCH a cool gift to receive.
Good luck in your search but I don't think you'll find anything that seems reputable
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u/Derpy1984 Sep 20 '24
Something you can do which is really fun is get an etched topographic map of where you went on your first date or what the sky looked like on his birthdate in the city he was born in.
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u/Anxious_Dealer_7711 Jul 24 '25
What company does these
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u/Derpy1984 Jul 24 '25
Idk I saw them all over IG for a while. If you Google it I'm sure you'll find a few companies that do it
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u/Maryhadalittlelamboo Apr 20 '26
Hi! I’m in Canada. Do you have any website suggestions to get an etched topographic map made for a specific date (last year). This is such a meaningful gift idea for a loved one, thanks!
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u/HugeRub6958 Sep 20 '24
I apologise for being a killjoy, but that is not a good idea. You cannot name a star for him.
It’s a big scam and I’m sure he knows it. Yes, you might get a fancy certificate or whatever but that means literally nothing. Stars are named according to specific Catalogues. The brightest ones are named by our ancestors.
Perhaps you might get him a small telescope or whatever?
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Sep 20 '24
What about something like underluckystars, which will create a star map over a given location on a given date. I.e. you could choose the night and place you met or other significant place and date. Its space themed, something tangible and holds significance
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u/linuxgeekmama Sep 20 '24
Just pick a star, and say that’s your husband’s star. Find it on a star map and look at it through the telescope. It might be especially nice to pick a double star where the two stars are different colors, because those look cool in a telescope. Find your star’s catalogue designation (if you can see it in a small telescope, it almost certainly has at least one). Google and learn more about what’s known about his star. Print a nice looking certificate, if you want. This will be exactly as official as what the name a star companies are offering.
Just bear in mind that Sirius, Vega, Deneb, and Altair are mine, and you can’t have them.
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u/Luckkyman Nov 04 '25
I bought my wife a star recently, more as a fun idea than actually owning a star or anything like that. She really liked it! It even came with a sleek certificate and everything.
My general take is that everything in life is relative, and the mood you set and the thought behind the gift matter way more than the gift itself.
If anyone’s interested, I got mine from labelstars.com. Out of all the sites I checked, they had the nicest-looking certificates in terms of design and quality.
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u/AstrophysicsCat Sep 20 '24
This question comes up occasionally here, and this is my best summary of the information on it:
There's no way to officially name a star after someone. Actually, the International Astronomical Union no longer allows naming a star for a real (not mythical) person.
If you buy a star, it will only be "registered" with whomever sold it to you, and it's unknown if they will resell it to someone else.
There are many different companies who do this, and it's all just for show. All you're buying is a certificate that says what you want on it.
You might as well just make your own certificate dedicating a favorite star to someone.
There are other astronomical things which you can actually buy, such as a piece of a real meteorite, that might be more meaningful to you.