How star naming works — the honest guide
Can you really name a star?
Symbolically, yes. Officially, no — and no company can honestly tell you otherwise. Official star designations are assigned by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the global scientific authority for naming celestial objects. The IAU does not sell star names — not to companies, and not to individuals, at any price.
Every star-naming company, including us, operates a private register: a record of symbolic dedications, maintained by that company. The difference between companies isn't whether the naming is official — it never is. The difference is whether they tell you that before you pay. We do.
So what's real about it?
Three things, and they matter:
- The star is real. Every star we dedicate is a genuine star from the Hipparcos astronomical catalogue, the standard reference created by the European Space Agency's Hipparcos mission. It has a real catalogue number and real coordinates you can point a telescope at.
- The dedication is unique. Each star in our register is allocated once, marked as taken, and never resold. Your registry number belongs to one star and one dedication, permanently, and anyone can verify the entry on our site at any time.
- The documents are yours forever. Your certificate, coordinates sheet and live star viewer never expire, and reprints are free for life.
What happens when you order
- You choose a constellation — Orion, Cygnus, Ursa Major and nine others — or let us surprise you with a star from anywhere in the sky.
- You choose the star's name (up to 40 characters) and an optional personal message.
- The moment your payment is confirmed, our register allocates a star from the curated pool for your constellation and issues your unique registry number — automatically, usually within a minute.
- Your confirmation email links to your star page: an interactive sky map showing your star among its neighbours, plus your printable A4 certificate and coordinates sheet.
Will I be able to see my star? Every star we allocate is bright enough to appear in astronomical charts (magnitude 6.5–11). Some are visible to the naked eye from a dark location; all can be found with binoculars or a small telescope using the coordinates on your sheet. Your live star viewer shows exactly where it sits in its constellation, any night of the year.
Is a named star a good gift?
Yes — when it's given honestly. A named star is a symbol, like a locket or an engraved ring, except it can't be lost, broken, or worn out. It works because of what it means, not what it legally is. Birthdays, anniversaries, new babies, and — perhaps most of all — remembering someone loved: the night sky has carried human memory for as long as we've been human.
What should star naming cost?
Because the naming is symbolic everywhere, you're really paying for the quality of the documents, the permanence of the register, and the experience. Established competitors charge £20–£45 and post a printed pack days later. We deliver instantly, digitally, with free reprints forever, for £9.99 — because doing it digitally, and honestly, simply costs less than the industry likes to admit.