Name a star as a graduation gift

Last updated 21 October 2026

Graduation is a date people want to keep. A star named for the graduate does that: a real, catalogued star, dedicated to them in our register with the date and your message, and documents they can frame beside the degree certificate.

Ideas

• Name it after them, with the date and the subject in the message: "Dr Priya Shah — PhD, July 2027."
• Choose a constellation that fits. Their star sign, or Orion and Ursa Major — the two they'll always be able to find.
• For an astronomy or physics graduate, the catalogue reference and coordinates are the real thing; they'll be able to look the star up properly. Our guide to seeing a named star gives the magnitudes.
• From a whole family or class, one star with everyone's names in the message.

What they receive

• 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.

Which pack?

Most UK graduation ceremonies fall in June, July, November and December. The Digital Gift Pack arrives within minutes, so it works on the day; the Physical Gift Pack is posted within one working day.

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