A graduation gift written in the stars
Capture the night sky of the night before the rest of your life — astronomically exact, beautifully printed
A graduation is the kind of moment you can't recreate. The sky above you on that night is just as irreplaceable — and just as forgettable, unless someone captures it. Starry Memory does, with documented astronomical accuracy.
Why choose Starry Memory
- 119,614 entries in the HYG catalogue — HYG catalogue — 119,614 entries in the HYG catalogue, the same data used by observatories.
- documented Astronomy Engine method — Planetary positions computed with Astronomy Engine (VSOP87/NOVAS).
- Any graduation date works — From 1900 to today, anywhere on Earth — your exact coordinates, your exact sky.
- Premium printing — 170 gsm silk paper, 300 DPI, archival-grade inks. Wood or metal frame optional.
- 🔭 Free 3D Sky Exploration — The immersive sky experience is offered free on the website, before or after ordering — explore the sky calculated for your date like in a planetarium. It stays optional.
Graduation moments are rare. The sky above them, even rarer — every minute produces a unique alignment of stars that won't repeat for thousands of years. Some moments deserve to be bottled. A summer evening embrace, a laugh that changed everything, a promise whispered low. The sky above those moments is the only thing that truly fixes them in the universe — every star, every planet, aligned in a way that will never repeat exactly. Starry Memory captures the precise trace.
Why a graduation star map lands harder than expected
Generic gifts get added to a pile. A star map of a graduation gets framed, hung, and pointed at by visitors for years. The recipient doesn't just receive a poster — they receive proof that someone noticed the date specifically enough to capture the sky of it.
How precise is "the exact sky"?
Every star position is rendered from the HYG catalogue, the same database professional astronomers use. Planet positions come from Astronomy Engine calculations tested against JPL Horizons — the same data feeding mission planning. The result is verifiable against any planetarium software.
🔭 Free 3D Sky Exploration included
Our free 3D sky explorer, open to everyone on the website, is an interactive tool that lets you navigate the exact sky of your chosen date as if you were standing under the stars that night. Drag to change the angle, zoom into a specific constellation, identify every visible planet. We combine a printed poster with an immersive digital experience — not a static PDF, but a personalised planetarium for your moment.
Starry Memory vs other options: what's different
On the custom star map market, you mainly find three categories. All-physical services delivering a printed poster between $25 and $50, with a 3-10 day delay and expensive logistics passed on to the price. Marketplaces (Etsy) where each seller has their own quality, their own delay, with no guarantee of astronomical precision. Premium digital services charging $15-30 for a file, justifying it by careful design. Starry Memory positions itself elsewhere: €3.99 for the HD digital file, available to download on the site after payment validation, with a documented astronomical method and access to the 3D explorer included. For this occasion, this positioning means: no compromise on quality, price divided by 5 to 10.
Printing & sizing: everything you need to know
The PNG measures 4960 × 7016 pixels. This provides about 300 pixels per inch at A2 (42 × 59.4 cm). At 70 × 100 cm, the density is about 178–180 pixels per inch; the proportions differ slightly, so choose margins or cropping. For a large print, check the result and settings with your printer. Enlarging the file does not add detail. For this occasion, here are our size recommendations: A4 (8.3 × 11.7 in) for a desk or small shelf; A3 (11.7 × 16.5 in) for a standard bedroom wall; A2 for a main living room; A1 for an accent wall in a high-ceiling space. On paper: 170 gsm for everyday use, 250 gsm for gallery look, matte or semi-gloss depending on the room's lighting. Online print shops typically charge between $5 and $25 depending on size.
The astronomical precision behind every chart
Every star position on your poster is computed from the HYG catalogue, which combines the three reference astronomical databases: Hipparcos (European Space Agency mission, 1989-1993), Yale Bright Star Catalogue, and Gliese Catalogue. Planetary positions are calculated with Astronomy Engine (VSOP87 and NOVAS models), an open-source library tested against JPL Horizons that documents an angular accuracy of about one arcminute. You can compare the main landmarks with Stellarium, SkySafari or Cartes du Ciel for the same date, time and place.
Frequently asked questions
Is the graduation sky scientifically accurate?
Yes — verify with Stellarium or any planetarium software, you'll find the same star positions, the same planets, the same moon phase.
Do you ship to the UK / US / Canada / Australia?
Yes. The digital file is available worldwide. Physical delivery is offered to supported destinations; physical format availability, delivery timing and any supplement are checked for your destination before payment.
What's included in the order?
The high-resolution star map (4960×7016 px, 300 DPI) + a personalised illustrated poem generated from the brightest stars visible that night.
How quickly will it arrive?
Digital file: 30 seconds after payment. Physical formats are offered to supported destinations; availability, delivery timing and any supplement are checked before payment.
How does the 3D sky exploration work?
On the website, the immersive experience gives free access to an interactive web planetarium, before or after ordering. You can rotate the celestial sphere, zoom into any constellation, recognise the bright named stars. No installation required — works on smartphone, tablet or computer.
Does the poster work for a future date?
Yes — we can compute the sky up to 2100. The computation remains accurate, as star positions change very slowly on a human timescale.
✦ Personalised star certificate
For a person rather than a date: give them a star
A personalised certificate with a QR code: one smartphone scan shows the star in 3D, then its direction in the real sky.
- Choose a real star and its name
- Scan the certificate’s QR code, no app needed
- Find it in the sky with your smartphone
From €8.91 · PDF to download as soon as you pay
Symbolic dedication in the private Starry Memory registry. Depending on its brightness and the weather, you’ll see it with the naked eye, with binoculars, or find its direction.
Name a star: the certificate in detail
Rather the sky of a date and place? Create a star map · HD file €3.99