Custom Star MapsYour Moment in the Stars
Create a beautiful personalized star map showing the exact night sky from any special moment. Whether it's a wedding, birthday, anniversary, or the night you met, capture it forever with an astronomically accurate star map.
Choose Your Star Map Format
All formats feature the same beautiful, accurate star map design
New · Star Map Necklace
Also as a necklace
Laser engraved on a 20 mm coin, gift boxed with your own message. From $79, free shipping.
Design your necklaceHow your custom star map is computed
A custom star map is a chart of the sky exactly as it stood over one place at one minute. You give us three things: a date, a time and a location. From those we work out the local sidereal time (which slice of the sky was overhead), then place every star, planet and the Moon where an observer standing there would have seen them.
The stars come from the European Space Agency's Hipparcos catalogue, measured by the Hipparcos satellite between 1989 and 1993. We draw every star down to magnitude 5.5, which is close to what your eye picks out under a dark country sky. Catalogue positions are fixed to the year 2000, so we correct them for precession, the slow wobble of Earth's axis, to the date you choose. The time zone and daylight-saving rule are taken from the place itself, so a 9 pm in Chicago in 1975 is the 9 pm that the clocks in Chicago showed that night.
The planets are placed from their orbits for that instant, and the Moon is drawn in the phase it was in. We check these positions against astropy, the software professional astronomers use, for every date from 1900 to 2100.
The chart is drawn in stereographic projection centred on the zenith: the point straight above your head sits in the middle, and the circle's edge is the horizon all the way round.
Choosing the date, time and place
The place sets which stars are possible at all. From London you never see the Southern Cross; from Sydney, Polaris never rises. Use the town or venue where the moment happened, not where you live now. A few kilometres either way makes no visible difference, so a city name is enough.
The time sets how the sky is turned. The whole sky rotates about 15 degrees an hour, so 8 pm and midnight on the same date give clearly different charts. If you know the minute (a birth time, the first dance, the moment of a proposal), use it. If you do not, pick the hour it most likely happened; the Moon moves only about its own width in an hour, so the chart will still be true to that night.
Daytime moments are fine. The stars were there behind the daylight, and the chart shows them as they were. Some couples prefer the evening of a midday wedding, when the guests could have looked up and seen it; both are honest choices.
You can try as many dates as you like in the star map designer before paying. The preview is the same computation as the print file.
Digital, poster or framed: which to choose
All three carry the identical chart. What changes is what arrives.
- Digital ($19.99). A 4800 × 6400 pixel PNG in your inbox within minutes, sharp enough for a 16 × 21 inch print at 300 DPI. The download link stays live for 365 days. Best for last-minute gifts or if you want to print it locally. See the star map digital download.
- Poster (from $39.99). Printed on 260 g/m² luster photo paper, which sits between gloss and matte: deep blacks without glare. Shipped rolled in a tube. Choose it if you already have a frame or want a framer to mount it. See the star map poster.
- Framed (from $79.99). The same print in a black, white or natural alder frame with an acrylic front, hanging hardware fitted. It arrives ready for the wall. See the framed star map.
For the size, think about where it will hang. 11 × 14 in suits a shelf or desk; 18 × 24 in, our most popular size, fits above a bed or sofa (framed, $139.99); 24 × 36 in is a statement piece.
| Size | Where it fits | Poster | Framed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 × 14 in28 × 35.6 cm | Desks, shelves and standard frames | $39.99 | $79.99 |
| 12 × 16 in30.5 × 40.6 cm | The classic gift size | $44.99 | $89.99 |
| 18 × 24 in45.7 × 61 cm | Most popular · above a sofa or bed | $59.99 | $139.99 |
| 24 × 36 in61 × 91.4 cm | Statement piece · the largest we print | $94.99 | $229.99 |
Prices in USD, free shipping included.
Want the planets rather than the stars? The planetary chart of the same date shows where each planet sat around the Sun that day.
Delivery
- United States4-10 business days
- Canada4-10 business days
- United Kingdom4-8 business days
- Europe4-10 business days
- Nordics and Switzerland7-15 business days
- Australia5-11 business days
Prints are made to order and leave the print shop within 2-5 business days. The ranges above include that and the courier. Free shipping on prints to 35 countries (the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Australia). Digital charts delivered instantly, anywhere in the world.
Giving it as a gift? The star map gift guide covers what to write on it and how to time the delivery.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a custom star map?
A custom star map is a personalized poster showing the exact arrangement of stars and constellations visible from a specific location and time. It's a unique way to commemorate special moments like weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, or the night you met someone special.
How accurate are your star maps?
Our star maps are astronomically accurate, created by a PhD astronomy student using real celestial data. Each map shows the precise position of stars, constellations, and planets as they appeared from your chosen location and time.
What formats do star maps come in?
We offer star maps in three formats: instant digital download ($19.99), unframed premium poster (from $39.99), and framed poster ready to hang (from $79.99). All physical prints ship free to 35 countries (the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Australia).
Can I create a star map for any date?
Yes! You can create a star map for any date - past, present, or future. Our system uses astronomical calculations to accurately plot star positions for dates going back centuries and into the future.
What if I don't know the exact time?
Choose the hour it most likely happened. The sky turns about 15 degrees an hour, so the hour matters, but a few minutes either way changes almost nothing you could see on the print.
Can I see it before I pay?
Yes. The designer draws your chart live as you type the date and place, free and without an account. You only pay when you choose a format.
What is the difference between a star map and a star chart?
None in what you receive; the two names are used for the same thing. Astronomers tend to say star chart, gift shops say star map. Every element you can change (names, message, colours, constellation lines) is listed on the personalized star chart page.
Create Your Custom Star Map Today
Turn any special moment into a beautiful, personalized star map that you'll treasure forever.
Start Creating