Small gestures, lasting memories
Star certificate or star map: which should you give?
A star certificate is for a person: it dedicates a real star to them, symbolically, in our private register. A star map is for a moment: it shows the sky calculated for a date and a place, such as a birth or the night you met.
A symbolic dedication in our private register.
The choice at a glance
Start from what you want to say when you give the gift.
| You want to… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Put one person’s name at the centre | The star certificate |
| Recall a specific date and place: a birth, a first meeting, a wedding | The star map |
| Give it tonight, without waiting for a parcel | Either one in digital form: the certificate PDF or the map’s HD PNG |
| Give something to hang on the wall | The star map as a poster or framed |
| Look for a star together outside one evening | The certificate, naked-eye option, weather permitting |
| Keep the budget as small as possible | The star map as an HD file, at €3.99 |
| Celebrate a birth | Both, if you like: a star in the child’s name, the sky of their night |
In both journeys, you personalise and see the preview before paying.
What each one is: a symbolic dedication or an astronomical calculation
The star certificate links a name of your choice to a real star from the Hipparcos catalogue, identified by its HIP number and coordinates. The dedication is symbolic: it is recorded in the private Starry Memory register, it does not change the star’s scientific name and no astronomical body records it.
The star map dedicates nothing. It is a calculation: from a date, a time and a place, the creator positions the stars and constellations as they stood above that spot. The sky it shows is therefore real, even if the night was cloudy. Both gifts are about the sky, but not about the same thing: one tells the story of a person, the other of a moment.
What you actually receive
With the certificate, you receive a two-page A4 PDF. The first page is the certificate itself: the name given to the star, the recipient, the date, your message, the HIP reference, the coordinates and a QR code. Scanned with a smartphone, no app needed, the QR code shows the star in 3D and then its direction in the real sky. The second page is a guide to finding it. There is no frame and no parcel: you print it if you wish.
With the star map, you receive an HD PNG file of 4960 × 7016 pixels, which is 300 DPI at A2 size. You can also order a printed poster in A3 or A2, or a wooden frame ready to hang. The sky and your words stay the same; only the format changes.
Price and timing
The certificate comes in three catalogue options: €9.90 for a catalogue star, €19.90 for a star visible to the naked eye under a dark sky, and €49.90 for a white type A star that is also visible to the naked eye. A verified promotion may sometimes appear in the star chooser; the total is always confirmed before payment. The PDF is ready to download as soon as payment is validated, even on the evening of the celebration.
The star map costs €3.99 as an HD file, €39.90 as an A3 poster, €54.90 as an A2 poster and from €134.90 with the wooden frame. The file is ready to download once payment is validated. Posters and frames are made and then shipped: availability, delivery time and any delivery supplement are checked for your country before payment. For a fixed date, order early or choose the file.
How each one is personalised
For the certificate, you pick the star yourself in the 3D explorer, or let the quick pick select the best available star in your chosen option. You then write the dedication name, often a first name or a nickname, the recipient’s name, a date that matters and a message. A star that has already been dedicated is no longer offered, and the certificate preview is free: you see everything before paying.
For the star map, you enter the date, the time if you know it, and the place. You then choose a colour style, a title and a few lines of text, then the format. The preview appears in the creator before any payment, so you can check names and dates calmly.
Who is it for? One person or a shared story
The certificate suits a gift for one particular person: a child, a parent, a friend, a teacher, or someone you are remembering. You give them a star dedicated to their name, a way of saying “I’m thinking of you” that you can look for together on a clear evening.
The star map suits a gift that celebrates a moment lived as a couple or as a family: a first meeting, a wedding, a birth, a new home. It hangs on the wall and is shared. It names no one: the date, the place and the words you add give it its meaning.
Giving both, when it makes sense
For a birth, the two work well together: a certificate in the child’s name, and the star map of their first night, at the time and in the town where they were born. The star remains something of their own; the map tells the story of the moment the family shared.
In most cases, one gift is enough. The two purchases are separate: buying one does not unlock the other and there is no bundle. If your budget is tight, start from the sentence you would like to say when you hand over the gift; you can always add the other later, for a birthday.
What neither of them promises
Neither is a title recognised by astronomers. The certificate is a symbolic dedication in the private Starry Memory register: the star cannot be bought and keeps its scientific designation. The star map is a calculated representation, not a photograph of the night.
Visibility is never guaranteed. Seeing a star with the naked eye depends on its brightness, the place, the date, the time, the Moon and the weather; in a city, many stars vanish in the glow of street lights. The finding guide and the QR code always show the direction to look in. Finally, the star map shows the stars calculated for your date: it does not mark the star of a certificate.
How ordering works
Certificate: open the star chooser, choose a star or an option, write the name, date and message, check the preview, then pay. The PDF downloads straight away; all that is left is to print it or send it.
Star map: open the creator, enter the date, time and place, choose the style and your words, then the format. The HD file downloads after payment; posters and frames follow the delivery time shown for your address. To try a sky without paying anything, the free star map shows a preview within seconds.
Three situations, three recommendations
A baby born this week
Our advice: The grandparents want to mark their granddaughter’s arrival. A certificate in her name and, if they wish, the star map of the night she was born, at the time and in the town of her birth.
A couple’s tenth anniversary
Our advice: You want to recall the evening you met, in a particular town. The star map of that date and place, as a poster or framed, with a line of your own: here, the moment matters more than a name.
Remembering a grandfather
Our advice: The family is looking for a simple gesture that can be shared at a distance on the day itself. The certificate, with his first name as the dedication and a naked-eye star to look for together; the PDF downloads straight away.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a star certificate and a star map?
The certificate symbolically dedicates a real star to a person, in the private Starry Memory register. The star map shows the whole sky calculated for a date and a place. The first is a two-page PDF; the second is an HD file, a poster or a framed print.
Which one costs less?
The star map as an HD file costs €3.99. The certificate starts at €9.90 at catalogue price. For something to hang on the wall, allow €39.90 for the A3 poster and from €134.90 with the wooden frame.
Which one arrives faster?
The certificate PDF and the map’s HD PNG can be downloaded as soon as payment is validated. A poster or a frame has to be made and shipped: the estimated delivery time for your address is shown before payment.
Does the star’s name really change?
No. The dedication is symbolic and stays in the private Starry Memory register; the star keeps its catalogue number and its scientific designation. It is a personal gift, not a request made to astronomers.
Will we see the star, or the constellations on the map, in the sky?
That depends on the place, the date, the time and the weather. A star of magnitude 6 or brighter can be seen with the naked eye under a dark sky, rarely in a city centre. The map shows calculated positions: it stays accurate even if the night was overcast.
Can I give both?
Yes, they are two separate orders, with no bundle. It is most useful for a birth: a star in the child’s name, and the star map of their night. For other occasions, one gift is often enough.
Words to make your own
I dedicated this star to your name. On a clear night, let’s look for it together.
Here is the sky of the night it all began, on that date and in that place.
A star in your name, and the sky of your very first night: welcome to the world.
Before preparing your gift
- Is the gift about a person (certificate) or a moment (star map)?
- Do you need it right now (PDF or PNG) or as a delivered object (poster, frame)?
- What is the full budget, including printing and framing?
- Do you know the exact date, time and place for the star map?