Name a star for your dad

Last updated 21 October 2026

Plenty of dads will ask the obvious question: "which one is it?" That's the right question, and we answer it properly. Every star we dedicate is a real star from the Hipparcos and Tycho-2 catalogues compiled from the European Space Agency's Hipparcos mission, with its catalogue reference and coordinates printed on the documents. He can type those into any stargazing app or GoTo telescope and land on it.

What he receives

• A name certificate — their name, the registry number and the star's coordinates.
• A personalised welcome letter.
• A coordinates sheet with a sky chart — exactly where to look.
• The story of their constellation — its myth, and how to find it.
• A sealed extract from the register — the formal entry.
• Their own live star page, an e-gift reveal to send — and reprint at home, free, for life.

For the dad who checks

• The coordinates are real. Right ascension and declination, to the second of arc.
• The register is public. Anyone can look up the entry by its registry number on our find your star page.
• It's honest about what it is. The name is symbolic — we say so before you pay, and on every page. That tends to go down well with exactly the sort of dad who asks.
• He'll probably need kit to see it. The constellation is easy; the star itself usually needs binoculars or a telescope. Our honest guide to seeing it has the numbers.

Father's Day 2027

Which pack?

Choose a constellation he knows — Orion and Ursa Major (the Plough) are the two most people can already find — or his star sign if it's Taurus, Gemini, Leo or Scorpius.

The honest bit

Star naming is symbolic — only the International Astronomical Union assigns official star names, and it doesn't sell them, to us or anyone. What's real: the star, its coordinates, and the dedication in our register, verifiable by anyone at any time. Read how it works and what it costs.

Common questions