Starry Memory

What did the sky look like on the day you were born?

See the real astronomical sky of your birth date, time and place for free

Enter a date, a place and, if you know it, the time of birth: the star map shows the sky calculated for that moment, with its constellations, the Moon and the planets. The preview is free and needs no account. Keep it as an HD PNG for €3.99, a printed poster from €39.90, or pair the date with a named star on a certificate from €9.90.

See it for free, then keep it or give it

  • See your birth sky for free — On the free star map, choose the date and city of birth: the sky is calculated for that place at 10 pm, a fixed reference time. The preview shows that night’s bright stars, the brightest with their names, and the planets above the horizon; it downloads for free, with a watermark. No account and no payment are needed.
  • Keep the star map of that sky — In the creator, set the time of birth, add a name and a few words, then check the complete poster. The 4960 × 7016 pixel HD PNG costs €3.99 and downloads on the website after payment validation. The A3 print is €39.90, the A2 €54.90 and the wooden frame starts at €134.90.
  • Give a star dated on that day — The star certificate pairs a name and a message with a star from the Hipparcos catalogue, with the birth date as the dedication date. It is a symbolic dedication in the private Starry Memory registry: a two-page PDF to download as soon as you pay, with a QR code, at the catalogue price of €9.90, €19.90 or €49.90 depending on the formula.
  • Astronomy, not astrology — The map shows the calculated positions of the stars, the Moon and the planets. It offers no birth chart, no horoscope and no personality reading.

The sky of the day you were born can be calculated again: explore it for free, then keep it.

Astronomy, not astrology

A birth star map shows the positions of the stars, the Moon and the planets, calculated for a date, a time and a place. The stars come from the HYG catalogue and the planet positions are calculated with Astronomy Engine. A birth chart uses signs, houses and aspects to interpret a personality: that is not what we offer. You can compare the main landmarks of your map with planetarium software such as Stellarium by entering the same date, local time and place.

What your birth sky shows

Three things make up that sky. First, the constellations: they depend mostly on the month, because the Earth travels around the Sun and the night sky changes with the seasons. Second, the Moon: the poster shows it in its phase on that date, crescent, quarter, gibbous or full; it runs through all its phases in a little over 29 days. Third, the planets: the calculation places Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn where they were for your date, time and place, and so tells you whether Venus or Jupiter were above the horizon. We give no general position here: it changes from one date to the next, and only the calculation for your date counts.

Constellations by birth month

Our guide to the 88 constellations gives, for each one, the month when it is best placed in the evening from France, which is close to what you see from the UK, Ireland, Canada or the northern United States. Here are the best-known ones by season of birth. Born in December, January or February: Orion, Taurus, Gemini, Canis Major and Auriga. Born in March, April or May: Leo and Virgo. Born in June, July or August: Boötes, Hercules, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila. Born in September, October or November: Pegasus and Andromeda. All year round, from these northern latitudes, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor never set: they stay above the horizon whatever the month. These landmarks hold for an evening; late at night or before dawn, the sky already shows the constellations of the next season. For a birth in the Southern Hemisphere, in Sydney, Auckland or Cape Town, the same seasonal constellations appear upside down, southern constellations such as Crux, the Southern Cross, are added, and Ursa Major stays low or below the horizon.

Date, time and place: what changes the map

The date sets the season, the phase of the Moon and the place of the planets. The time turns the sky: it seems to rotate by about 15 degrees an hour around the pole, so a few hours apart, some constellations rise in the east while others set in the west. The place sets which part of the sky is above the horizon: in the Northern Hemisphere, the height of Polaris above the horizon is roughly equal to your latitude, so it stands higher in Edinburgh than in Miami, and stars low in the south appear or not. If the exact time is unknown, the free preview uses 10 pm, a fixed reference time; the poster creator lets you choose another one. The free preview accepts any date from 1 January 1900.

The night sky on your birthday, year after year

On every birthday, at the same clock time and from the same place, the stars return to almost the same positions: Orion or the Summer Triangle stand roughly where they stood on the night you were born. The Moon and the planets do not. The Moon is in a different phase each year, and Venus, Mars, Jupiter or Saturn move along the zodiac at their own pace. That is the real difference between a map of the night sky on your birthday this year and a map of the day you were born: the background of stars is shared, the Moon and the planets belong to one year only. To keep the night of your birth, enter its year; to celebrate this year’s birthday, enter today’s date.

Who it is for: a birth, a birthday, an 18th, 30th or 50th

For a newborn, the star map of the first day belongs in the nursery, with the name, date, time and town; the Rose Aube and Atelier Ivoire styles stay soft in a child’s room. For a birthday, give someone the sky of the day they were born. At 18 it is a keepsake for a first flat or dorm room; at 30 or 50 it is a way of telling where you come from, and a whole family or group of friends can sign the message. For yourself, it is a free way to discover what the sky looked like that day before deciding whether it deserves a wall.

Star map or star certificate?

The star map shows the whole sky of the date: it is a piece of decoration, as an HD PNG for €3.99, an A3 print at €39.90, an A2 at €54.90 or framed from €134.90. The certificate tells another story: one chosen star, a name and a message, with the birth date as the dedication date. It is a symbolic dedication in the private Starry Memory registry and does not change the star’s astronomical name. The two-page PDF downloads as soon as you pay; its QR code opens the star in 3D on a smartphone, then shows its direction in the real sky. The catalogue has three formulas, at €9.90, €19.90 or €49.90. With the two higher formulas, the star has a magnitude of 6 or brighter, the usual naked-eye limit under a dark sky; seeing it always depends on the place, the time and the weather. Our step-by-step guide on how to name a star explains the certificate in detail.

Frequently asked questions

How can I see what the sky looked like when I was born?

Open the free star map, enter your birth date and city, then explore the sky calculated for that place at 10 pm. For the actual time of birth, move to the poster creator and set it: the sky is then calculated for that moment. If the time is unknown, choose a reference time and say so in your message: the map will match that time, not a birth moment found automatically.

Is it free?

Yes, to see the sky: exploring and previewing the poster are free, with no account. You only pay if you keep something: the HD PNG for €3.99, a printed poster from €39.90 or a star certificate, from €9.90 in the catalogue.

What if I don’t know my birth time?

The date and the place are enough to get the sky of the day; the time turns that sky above the horizon. Depending on the country, the time may appear on a full birth certificate, a hospital record or a baby book, and parents often remember it. Otherwise keep the 10 pm reference time or choose another one, and write “around 10 pm” or “one March night” rather than a precise time. Our page on a birth star map without a time explains the options.

Can I print it?

Yes. The 4960 × 7016 pixel HD PNG, at €3.99, matches an A2 sheet at 300 dots per inch, so any print shop can print it. You can also order the A3 print at €39.90, the A2 at €54.90 or a wooden frame from €134.90; the configurator shows availability, delivery and the total for your address before payment. The star certificate is a two-page A4 PDF, easy to print at home.

Is this the same as my zodiac sign or birth chart?

No. Your zodiac sign comes from the date alone: it is the part of the zodiac where the Sun stood. The star map shows what was above the horizon of your birthplace at the chosen time. On the night you were born, the constellation of your sign was usually close to the Sun, so below the horizon or lost in its glare: it does not necessarily appear on the map. We never add a constellation artificially.

Were the stars visible on the night I was born?

The stars were there, even in daylight or behind clouds, but sunlight or the weather could hide them. The map shows a calculated sky, not a photograph of what could be seen outside. A clear, dark sky far from city lights shows far more stars than a city street, so the map usually holds more than the eye could see that night.

Create my birth sky star map

Certificate specimen: the example star “Your star” (HIP 4151, Cassiopeia) and its QR code

✦ 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.

  1. Choose a real star and its name
  2. Scan the certificate’s QR code, no app needed
  3. Find it in the sky with your smartphone
Choose my starTry the demo

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

See also

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