Christmas gift · star certificate
A star for Christmas
A Christmas present that never sits in a courier’s van: you choose a real star from the Hipparcos catalogue, give it a name and a few words, and the PDF certificate is ready to download as soon as you pay. Print it, tuck it under the tree, then go outside together on Christmas night to look for it.
Symbolic dedication in the private Starry Memory registry · from €8.91 · PDF to download as soon as you pay.
It is a symbolic dedication in the private Starry Memory registry, from €8.91. Nobody can buy a star in the literal sense and the name you choose is not an official one: what you give is a personal gesture and an appointment under the winter sky.
A last-minute gift that does not depend on the post
In December, delivery dates slip and parcels go astray. The star certificate is a digital product: once your payment is verified and the star is assigned in our registry, the two-page A4 PDF — the numbered certificate and its finder guide — is available on the confirmation page. Nothing is shipped and nothing lands in your inbox automatically, so keep the PDF and its private link.
That means you can still prepare it on the evening of 23 December, or even on Christmas Eve morning, as long as there is a printer within reach. The preview is free before you pay: check the spelling of the name, the date and the message, because they are what make the gift.
The QR code printed on the certificate opens the star’s page in the phone’s browser, with no app to install: first the star in 3D, then help finding it in the real sky using the phone’s motion sensors. The recipient’s name and your message never appear there.
Who is it for? A few ideas
For a couple, the date you met or your first Christmas together gives the dedication its meaning. For parents or grandparents, the name of a family home or a place you used to go on holiday works beautifully. For a child, pick a name they will recognise as they grow up, and a constellation that is easy to point at, such as the W of Cassiopeia.
The star name (up to 32 characters), the recipient (60 characters) and the message (280 characters) are three separate fields. The recipient and the message stay private; only the star name can be made public, and only if you switch that option on — it is off by default.
How to wrap a PDF so it feels like a present
A file can still become something to unwrap. A few simple ideas that cost nothing extra:
- Print it on A4 matte paper with a little weight (160 to 250 gsm): the certificate is laid out for that format.
- Roll it and tie it with a ribbon, or slide it flat into a large envelope to be opened last.
- Hang a small tag on the tree with only the star’s name on it: the certificate comes afterwards.
- After dinner, step outside for a few minutes: the finder guide shows the constellation and the direction to face.
- Spending Christmas apart? Send the PDF yourself, then call while they scan the QR code.
Which star for a winter sky?
On Christmas evening, from the UK, Ireland, Europe or most of North America, a handful of constellations are well placed. The table shows how many stars of our registry each one holds, and how many have a magnitude of 6 or brighter — the naked-eye limit under a dark sky. Each link preselects an available star of that constellation on the certificate page; you can then pick another one in the 3D explorer.
| Constellation | A December evening (around 9 pm, Europe and North America) | Stars in the registry | Naked-eye stars among them | Choose a star |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cassiopeia | Very high towards the north; visible all year from the UK | 16 | 7 | Choose a star |
| Perseus | Very high, close to overhead | 21 | 16 | Choose a star |
| Auriga | High in the east-north-east, around bright Capella | 16 | 12 | Choose a star |
| Taurus | In the east, with the Pleiades and Aldebaran | 20 | 15 | Choose a star |
| Orion | Climbing in the south-east; best after 10 pm | 20 | 15 | Choose a star |
| Gemini | Climbing in the east; best later in the evening | 16 | 12 | Choose a star |
Catalogue figures on the date this page was last updated: a star that has already been dedicated is no longer offered, and live availability is shown on the certificate page.
Christmas in Australia or New Zealand? Orion and Taurus rise in the east on summer evenings there too, upside down compared with Europe; the certificate page suggests a star suited to your hemisphere.
Visibility is not guaranteed: weather, moonlight, street lighting and the time of night decide what you can see. A magnitude-5 star is visible from a country garden, rarely from a city centre; the finder guide and the QR code then still show its direction.
What the gift includes — and what it does not
The certificate comes as a PDF to download as soon as you pay, in one of three colours at the same price: ivory, midnight or rose. It includes:
- the chosen name, the certificate number, the date and your message;
- the star’s HIP reference, its coordinates and its astronomical data;
- a finder guide on the second page, and the QR code to the star’s page;
- the assignment of that star to a single order in the private Starry Memory registry.
Add the sky of Christmas night?
The certificate puts one star in the spotlight. If you would rather show the whole sky of a date and a place — Christmas night above the family home, for instance — the Starry Memory personalised star map is a separate product, with its own designer and digital or printed formats. The two work well together but are not linked: buying one does not unlock the other.
Worth knowing: neither the certificate nor the star map gives ownership of a star or a name recognised by the International Astronomical Union, and Starry Memory is not affiliated with it. They are symbolic gifts, presented as such.
Frequently asked questions
What is the last day to order for Christmas?
There is no shipping cut-off: the PDF is available as soon as your payment is verified and the star is assigned, including on 24 or 25 December. Just leave yourself time to print it.
How is the certificate delivered?
As a PDF to download from the order confirmation page once payment is verified and the star is assigned. Nothing is posted and nothing arrives in your inbox automatically, so keep the PDF and its private link.
Will we be able to see the star on Christmas night?
That depends on its brightness, the weather and where you are. Stars of magnitude 6 or brighter can be seen with the naked eye under a dark sky; fainter ones need binoculars. The finder guide and the QR code always show where to look, without guaranteeing visibility.
How much does a star cost as a Christmas gift?
From €8.91. The price depends on the level you choose — how bright the star is and what type of star it is.
✦ Personalised star certificate
Give a star, scan it and find it in the sky with your smartphone
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.