Why name a star?

Life’s momentous events give us many reasons to name a star: a birth, a graduation, a birthday, an anniversary, a wedding, an achievement, even a loved one’s passing… You may have your very own reason to want to officially name a star, and we would love to help.

  1. Name a very special star

    Choose the name that you would like to give to the star – generally, stargazers like to use the recipient’s name, but if you feel inspired, don’t hesitate to get creative!

  2. A most original gift

    Your star package will include a beautiful 30 x 40 cm full colour parchment certificate, personalized with the star name, date on which you would like the name to become effective, and coordinates for the star that we will have named for you. Your package will also include a personalized 30 x 40 cm sky chart showing the shape of the constellation and indicating the star’s location, circled in red. Your package will also include a letter of congratulations/memorial as well as a booklet on astronomy.

  3. Find the star that we have named for you

    In addition to the sky chart which will be part of your gift package, you will also receive an email providing a link to the Worldwide Telescope, which will enable you to see, through the magic of the web, the star that was named for you.

Name your star now

Stars as unique as we are

International Star Registry was created in 1979, and four decades later, it still is the world reference for the registration of star names. Our offices in 17 countries spanning the six continents work together to ensure that each star is only named once, and that each star will keep its name for all eternity.

Additional information

First names and full names are very popular choices and are always suitable for inclusion in the Register, but we also welcome inspired creativity! The one limit we have is a maximum of 35 characters, including punctuation and spaces.

Once we have named a star for you and entered the information into our online database, we will prepare the star package which will be mailed out to you, complete with your certificate and sky chart. We will also send you an email with a link so that you may see the star on the web. We will then publish, in the next volume of our compendium Your Place in the Cosmos, the star’s name and telescopic coordinates.

Orders leave within two business days of us receiving them. Depending on the destination and the delivery option that you have chosen, it would take a further two (2) to six (6) days.

Canada Post will send you a tracking number for your parcel as soon as we are ready to ship it out, so you will be able to follow its progress as it makes its way to its destination.

Also, please note that on the same day that we mail your star package out, we will send you a PDF file containing a smaller version of the documents. This file can be printed on regular letter-sized paper, or shared electronically if that is suitable. For last-minute purchases, these PDF files have saved the day many times over the years!

Since the internet came into being, a number of outfits have sprung up, trying to copy what we do (we call them the “copycats”). Many of them have disappeared after a year or two. We often receive calls from their clients who share their frustrations. They are even more disappointed to find out that these copycats name the same stars over and over again, and avoid publishing the star names and coordinates – people would quickly understand what they are up to.

We at the International Star Registry have been in business for over 40 years, and are committed to compiling and maintaining our star catalogue in the same way that we have always done – and this is why close to three million stargazers trust us, and keep coming back.

Customers of the International Star Registry include people like you and us, but also members of royal families, actors, journalists and thousands of personalities from all walks of life. Corporate customers include the BBC, Sony, Disney, IBM, Warner Records and the Ford Motor Company among many. Our distinctive certificates have graced official residences from the White House to Downing Street and have appeared in countless TV shows throughout the world, from Oprah Winfrey and Ellen through to Coronation Street, Friends and The West Wing – and in the opening credits of Cheers!

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