Star map or naming a star?

Two gifts often get confused.

Some companies sell the “right” to name a star and send a certificate. The International Astronomical Union — the body that approves the official names of stars — says it does not sell star names and does not recognise names bought this way. The star keeps its catalogue number; the certificate is the gift.

A star map makes no claim on any star. It shows the real sky above a place at a moment that matters — a wedding, a first date, the night a child was born — calculated for that date, time and place, with your own words beneath it.

If you want something that is true as it stands, a star map shows exactly what was above you, nothing more. If you want a piece for the wall, our prints come in three sizes, print only or in a classic frame.