Guides
Guides to star naming
Can you buy a star? How do you find your star in the sky? Honest answers to the most common questions – clear and without sales pressure.
Honestly
Can you officially name a star?
No, individuals and companies cannot officially name a star. Official star names are assigned only by the International Astronomical Union (IAU); the public's only route has been organised IAU campaigns such as NameExoWorlds. Every star naming you buy or give is therefore symbolic – which is exactly why it can still be a lovely, personal gift.
Can you buy a star?
No, nobody can own a star. Here is what paid star offers really sell, what they typically cost and which lovely alternatives exist – explained honestly.
5 min readHow do I find my star in the sky?
Find your named star in the night sky: enter the HIP number in Stellarium, understand RA and Dec, and use bright constellations as signposts – step by step.
6 min readHow do I give a named star as a gift?
How to give a named star: print and frame the certificate, reveal it under the night sky, send a digital link, write the dedication – plus last-minute tips.
5 min readWhich star should I name? How to choose the right one
Which star should you name? Key criteria – visibility, brightness, constellation, colour and distance – plus stars whose light set off in a birth year.
6 min readWhat is the difference between a zodiac sign and a constellation?
Zodiac signs are 12 equal 30° segments; constellations are 88 regions of sky. Why they no longer match, and where Ophiuchus, the 13th constellation, fits in.
6 min readStar naming providers: what should you look out for?
A neutral star naming checklist: official claims, real star data, print quality, data privacy, price transparency and what happens if the provider disappears.
5 min readHow do stars get their names?
From Aldebaran to HIP 32349: how stars get their names and catalogue numbers, what Bayer, Flamsteed, HD, Hipparcos and Gaia mean, and how to read them.
5 min readHonestly
Why we don’t need a database – and that’s why we’re free
Giving someone a star is a beautiful gesture. It says: you mean so much to me that I’m writing you into the sky. That’s what Sternschenker is all about.
So you know exactly what you’re giving, we’ll be honest: only the International Astronomical Union (IAU) gives stars official names – and to date it has named only around 640 of them. Astronomers know every other star by a catalogue number such as “HIP 26093”. The Gaia catalogue alone lists more than 1.8 billion objects. No private register – ours included – changes what science calls a star.
A central database would therefore just be stage scenery. So we leave it out: everything that makes your star yours – name, date, dedication and coordinates – lives right inside your QR code and link. It belongs to you and works without us.
And because there’s no register to maintain and no fees for entries that mean nothing astronomically, Sternschenker is free. You give your star its meaning. The sky belongs to everyone anyway.
“Like many of the best things in life, the beauty of the night sky is not for sale – it is free for all to enjoy.”Which star will it be?
The sky is waiting. Naming your star takes about two minutes.
Name a star for free