What do you get an astronomy lover who has everything?

Something computed rather than manufactured. A star map of a night that matters to them, a planetary chart of the same date, or a wall clock with their sky as the face are gifts they cannot already own, because the date and place are theirs. Pair one with a plan for a dark-sky night and the present covers both the wall and the calendar.

Are the star maps accurate enough for someone who knows the sky?

Yes. Charts are generated from the Hipparcos-derived catalogue for the exact time and coordinates, with planets and Moon phase, and the constellation lines follow the IAU figures. The astronomy is written by Mayukh Bagchi, founder & phd candidate in astronomy. 326 customers have rated the result 4.9/5.

What is a planetary chart?

A top-down view of the solar system showing where each planet sat in its orbit on a chosen date, rather than the stars overhead. It is the companion piece to a star map and the one astronomy people tend to ask for second.

Will a print arrive before Christmas?

Order-by dates by country are on the Christmas page and in the table below. Prints ship free to 35 countries; the digital chart arrives by email in minutes if the date has passed.

Gift list · Christmas 2026

Christmas gifts for astronomy lovers

Eight ideas for the person who will check whether the stars are right. Five are ours and computed from a real catalogue; three cost nothing or come from a shop we do not own. Written by an astronomer who has received a lot of glow-in-the-dark ceiling stickers.

Read the list Make a star map

Why they are hard to buy for

The accuracy problem

Most “space gifts” are decorated with a sky that does not exist: a nebula print with constellations drawn in the wrong places, a mug with a galaxy that is really a photograph of paint in water, a poster of the night sky with the Big Dipper next to Orion. An astronomy person notices in about a second, says thank you, and puts it in a cupboard.

The gifts below pass that test, or do not pretend to. Where we sell the thing, the sky on it is computed for the date and place you enter from the same star catalogue used in research, which is what Mayukh, who wrote the code, does for a living: astronomy phd candidate developing balloon-borne vlbi telescopes for black hole research. Where we do not sell it, we say so and leave the link out.

The list

Eight ideas, in the order we would give them

01
A star map of a night they care about, framed
The test an astronomy person applies to any star print is whether the stars are real. Ours are computed from the Hipparcos-derived catalogue for the exact time and coordinates, with constellation lines drawn from the IAU figures and the planets placed where they were. They will check Polaris against their latitude; it will be right. Give the framed 11×14 for a desk wall or the 18×24 above a sofa.
Framed star map →
$79.99 · $139.99
Free Worldwide Shipping
02
A planetary chart: the solar system on their date
Instead of the stars overhead, the positions of the planets in their orbits around the Sun on a chosen day. It is the chart that makes the astronomy person lean in, because it is the one they cannot get from a phone app in the same form. Popular for birthdays ("where the planets were when you arrived") and as the second chart for someone who already has a star map.
Planetary charts →
from $19.99
Free Worldwide Shipping
03
The star map wall clock
An 8-inch acrylic clock with their night sky as the face and Roman numerals or ticks around the rim; a silent sweep movement, so it belongs in a bedroom or a study. It is the format that gets commented on by visitors, and nobody else in the star map business sells one.
Wall clock →
$74.99
Free Worldwide Shipping
04
A digital chart as a phone or desktop wallpaper
The $19.99 digital chart is a 300 DPI file, which also makes a crisp lock screen or desktop background. For an astronomy person who already has walls full of prints, this is the one that goes with them everywhere. Two charts are $30.00 together.
Digital chart →
$19.99
Free Worldwide Shipping
05
A "then and now" pair
The sky over their birthplace on the night they were born, and the sky over where they live now on the same calendar night this year. Same date, different latitude, decades of proper motion and precession between them: it is a gift that starts a conversation about why the two charts differ, which is exactly the conversation an astronomy person wants to have.
Make the pair →
$30.00 digital · $59.99 each printed
Free Worldwide Shipping
06
A night under a dark sky (no purchase required)
The best astronomy gift is often a plan: a night at a designated dark-sky site within driving distance, timed for a new Moon. Pack a red torch, a planisphere for their latitude, a thermos, and the printed star map for that exact date and place so they can hold the chart up against the real thing. We sell the chart; the rest is yours to organise.
Not sold here
07
A planisphere and a red torch
Cheap, old-fashioned and genuinely useful: a rotating planisphere for their latitude shows what is up at any hour, and a red-filtered torch preserves night vision while reading it. They pair well with a framed star map, which shows one night in detail while the planisphere shows every night in outline. Any astronomy shop stocks both; we do not.
Not sold here
08
The guide to reading the chart they already have
If they have a star map from us, or from anyone, our guide to using a star chart explains the projection, why the map is flipped east-to-west compared with a ground map, and how to find the first three constellations from any backyard. Free, and a decent thing to print and tuck into the card.
How to use a star chart →
Not sold here

Formats and prices

What the charts cost

Shipping included on every print to 35 countries. Two prints in one order save 10% automatically; two digital charts are $30.00 together.

Keep reading

Questions

Questions from people buying for the expert

What do you get an astronomy lover who has everything?: Something computed rather than manufactured. A star map of a night that matters to them, a planetary chart of the same date, or a wall clock with their sky as the face are gifts they cannot already own, because the date and place are theirs. Pair one with a plan for a dark-sky night and the present covers both the wall and the calendar.
Are the star maps accurate enough for someone who knows the sky?: Yes. Charts are generated from the Hipparcos-derived catalogue for the exact time and coordinates, with planets and Moon phase, and the constellation lines follow the IAU figures. The astronomy is written by Mayukh Bagchi, founder & phd candidate in astronomy. 326 customers have rated the result 4.9/5.
What is a planetary chart?: A top-down view of the solar system showing where each planet sat in its orbit on a chosen date, rather than the stars overhead. It is the companion piece to a star map and the one astronomy people tend to ask for second.
Will a print arrive before Christmas?: Order-by dates by country are on the Christmas page and in the table below. Prints ship free to 35 countries; the digital chart arrives by email in minutes if the date has passed.

Real stars, their date

Make the chart they will check, and pass

Framed from $79.99, clock $74.99, digital $19.99 in minutes. Free Worldwide Shipping on every print.

Create your star map Or a planetary chart

Christmas gifts for astronomy lovers

The accuracy problem

Eight ideas, in the order we would give them

A star map of a night they care about, framed

A planetary chart: the solar system on their date

The star map wall clock

A digital chart as a phone or desktop wallpaper

A "then and now" pair

A night under a dark sky (no purchase required)

A planisphere and a red torch

The guide to reading the chart they already have

What the charts cost

Digital Star Chart

Unframed Poster

Framed Poster

Wall Clock

Questions from people buying for the expert

Make the chart they will check, and pass