How star naming works

How star naming works

Naming a star with International Star Registry takes a few minutes. Here is what happens from the moment you choose a package to the moment the name appears in our published catalogue.

1. Choose your star package

   Every package includes the star naming itself, a personalised certificate of registration and a sky chart showing where the star sits. Packages differ in presentation and in the extras they include.

2. Choose the name

   First names and full names are popular choices, and we welcome inspired creativity. The one limit is 35 characters, including punctuation and spaces.

3. Choose the registration date

   The date on which the star name becomes official is printed on the certificate, which lets you tie the gift to a particular occasion.

4. Your star is registered

   We name a star from NASA’s Hubble Guide Star Catalog, which lists almost 20 million distinct stars. Each star is named only once, then removed from the list of stars available to register.

5. Receive your PDF the same day we ship

   On the day your package is mailed, we email you a PDF containing smaller versions of the documents. It can be printed on letter-sized paper or shared electronically — useful for last-minute gifts.

6. Your package is delivered

   Orders leave within two business days of us receiving them. Delivery takes a further two to six days depending on destination and the option chosen. Canada Post sends a tracking number as soon as the parcel is ready to ship.

7. Find your star online

   We send you a link so you can see the star on the web and locate it in the night sky.

8. The name is published in our compendium

   The star name and its telescopic coordinates appear in the next volume of Your Place in the Cosmos, published roughly every four years. Copies are filed in International Star Registry’s vaults in Switzerland and are available through the US Library of Congress.

Questions we have not covered here are answered in our FAQ.