The new moon will be a few days later, on April 26, so moonlight won't obstruct the view of the meteors as they streak across the night sky. Away from city lights, the sky will be about as dark as it can get. The Lyrid meteor shower is of medium brightness, but not as luminous as the famous Perseid meteor shower in August, which tends to produce more prominent trails.
Make the Lyrid Meteor shower viewing more exciting and name a star for yourself or as a gift to not only spot the meteor shower but also a star named after you. Enjoy.

Let's imagine that you need a gift for that special someone. You are dragging your exhausted body through the mall and can't really decide from all the variety of options in front of you. Well, not to point out the obvious, but this is a very common situation. Everyone is looking for a perfect and personal gift, but it seems impossible. At some point you start to feel like the Universe is against you, well, spoiler alert - Universe is always on your side, you just have to turn to it, in this case, LITERALLY. The night sky is full of unique stars and they have guided humankind through centuries. We rely on their patterns, we wish upon them and we define our connections with vast eternity through them. So, please, close your search engine tab with all the results for "gift ideas", get your act together, keep calm and buy a star.

Star as a gift is truly a magnificent choice for any occasion, like an anniversary or birthday present, as a gift for Valentine's day, Mother's day, Fathers day... well, even for Halloween (there is nothing scarier than dark matter expanding through space).

Your star will be recorded in the official Star catalog (SREU), which is the largest database in Europe. You will be provided with a real Star Map and Certificate, which will prove the fact of registration and the map with coordinates will help you to locate this little piece of the Universe that belongs to you.

It is always great to see that look in someone's eyes, which transcends simple joy into a heartwarming surprise. Actually, this is the main reason why we procrastinate with gifts, why we always search for the best possible option, because we want to create catharsis of the lifetime in people close to us. It doesn't matter if you live in the United States or in India, in Spain, France, China or anywhere else on Earth... In the means of space-time, we are all just shapes and sizes locked in four dimensions, so it is important to create emotional and worthwhile impacts that can resonate with our feelings up to the sky.

So don't be ordinary and think outside of the box. Think in the universal sense and give your loved ones a personal, unique gift with meaning. In reality, there is nothing cooler than the Universe (cosmic background temperature can drop to minus 455 degrees Fahrenheit) and hotter than the star ( 200,000,000° Fahrenheit at their core).

This truly is the ultimate gift package!

The twinkle is such an inherent part of a star’s existence that it is even the primary way of distinguishing a star from a planet with the naked eye. To look up at a clear night’s sky, it’s easy to get lost in the vast expanse of glittering specks disrupting the endless darkness. But those specks have so much to tell just through the simplest detail – and twinkling is one of them.

If you’re looking at something that doesn’t twinkle in amongst a swathe of stars, you are in fact looking at a planet.

The reason that planets don’t twinkle is because they are so close to us compared to stars. The only planets that are visible from Earth with the human eye are the ones that are contained within our solar system, the other celestial bodies that orbit our sun.

Stars, on the other, all exist outside of our solar system. Except, of course, for the sun itself.

Because planets are so close, our eyes can detect their finite size and can pinpoint their edges. Even if we don’t necessarily see them as anything more than pinpricks of reflected light far, far away in the distance, the human brain still registers a planet as a solid object with a stable image that the eye can comprehend

We cannot do the same for stars.

Stars are so far away that the light that they emit get refracted by the Earth’s churning atmosphere. Even on what feels like the stillest of days, the atmosphere around our planet is violent and turbulent. And while a lot of this movement happens on such a level that it is unnoticeable to the human eye, we can see its effects.

This turbulence throws the light from the star in direction directions, pushing and pulling it until it reaches us. To the human eye, this gives the light the effect of changing slightly in terms of brightness and position.

When such miniscule specks of light appear to dance in this way, the eye perceives it as the beautiful effect we now describe as twinkling.

Because this is due entirely to the way the Earth’s atmosphere interacts with the star’s light, you can see stars that do not ever twinkle when they are photographed from space.

This is why the images taken from the Hubble telescope, which has operated in low Earth orbit since 1990, are so fascinating to behold. They show us the beauty of our universe in an entirely new way and give us the clarity we need to develop a deeper understanding. The telescope strips away the life-giving atmosphere that warps our view of the outermost universe and presents it to us with stunning new precision.

If you take a closer view of the universe on a clear evening, you’ll see not just the sparkle of diamonds, but jewels of almost every colour of the rainbow. In amongst the wealth of silver, you’ll spot some stars burning with a low, red warmth and others blazing in a fierce, bright blue. Our own sun, itself a star, seems to our eyes to be a brilliant gold.

The difference in colour that stars can appear to human eyes effectively boils down to two causes: distance from the Earth and temperature.

Our sun generally gives off a clear white light because it burns at a temperature of 6,000 Kelvin. From further out into space, this whiteness is more evident. From where we, as a species, exist on Earth – a measly 149.6 million kilometres from the sun – the light looks richer, appearing yellow or gold, because we’re getting flashes of the burning process from our position.

This isn’t the case for all the stars we can see that seem to be white.

The reason that the vast, vast majority of the stars you can see look white is simply because they’re so far away. The further light has to travel, the less detail our eyes can pick up. The further away you are from the star you’re looking at, the less likely you are to be able to distinguish a colour.

When you think it about how far away most stars are from the Earth, it seems a miracle we ever spot them at all!

The stars that do have a clear and distinct colour are generally those that are fairly close to Earth. Their surface temperature is the main factor in determining the colour you see.

Stars that burn at a cooler temperature give off a largely red glow. They are called, perhaps expectedly, red dwarf stars. They are much smaller, in terms of mass, that our sun is – sometimes as low as 7.5% of our sun’s mass. Throughout their core, they don’t burn with the same level of intensity and have a surface temperature of around 3,500 Kelvin.

Red giant stars also give off a red colour. These are solar-mass stars that are bloated since burning through their reservoirs of hydrogen fuel. Unlike red dwarves, these stars are incredibly large. But due to their size, their heat has to be spread out across a much larger surface area, so their outer edges still have a comparably low temperature.

The stars that we see as blue exist at the complete opposite ends of the spectrum. They are many, many times the volume of our sun and have vastly hotter surfaces. The coolest star that the human eye identifies with a blue tone will still burn a temperature of higher than 10,000 Kelvin.

Many are hotter and larger still, with some hypergiant stars burning at temperatures at high a 40,000 Kelvin. These are the largest stars in the universe and can teach us the most about stellar evolution and the way stars form, stabilise and eventually die.  

Lifetimes have been spent studying the sky and the stars and there are still lightyears of stars left to explore.

Even if you’re viewing the constellations with the naked eye, without any special equipment, you can still see and learn a lot. Just by laying back and seeing how different stars stand out, you can learn so much about the vast universe in which our whole planet is just a tiny speck.

The enormous majority of visible stars are the dimmest that we can see, with only a comparative handful really standing out from the rest.

This huge difference in brightness occurs for just a couple of key reasons.

Obviously, there is an extraordinary number of stars that are so far away that their light doesn’t reach us at all. As your line of sight reaches further and further out into space, it manages to catch fewer and fewer stars.

The farthest star that is visible to the naked human eye is called V762 Cas, in the Cassiopeia constellation. It is 16,308 lightyears away from earth and its brightness measures just above the sixth magnitude limit.

Most of the stars that can be seen from Earth are red dwarf stars. These are not large, but because they all exist within our galaxy, they are close enough to be clearly seen.

But brighter stars aren’t necessarily closer to us.

In fact, the closest star to our solar system is a red dwarf star, an M-class star that is far smaller and less luminous than the sun, a G-class star. This star is Proxima Centauri, which is just 4.24 lightyears away.

For scale, if the sun was a grapefruit on the west coast of America, Proxima Centauri would be a grapefruit on the east coast of America.

There is currently a plan underway to send a lightsail-powered spacecraft to Proxima Centauri and its sister stars in the Alpha Centauri cluster. It would take the craft twenty years to get arrive. Once it was there, it would reveal not only a wealth of information about this trio of stars, but also the mysterious planet orbiting them.

Of the brightest couple of dozen stars, around half of them simply do burn harder, to the extent that even very distant ones are distinctly clear and bold from Earth. These stars are incredible, monstrous fireballs. There are some truly behemoth stars that can emit the same amount of radiation in a single second as our own sun can produce in a full day.

The brightest star visible from Earth – excluding, of course, the sun – is Alpha Canis Majoris, more commonly known as Sirius or the Dog Star, which sits at the centre of the Canis Major constellation. The Dog Star is twenty times brighter than our own sun. At just 8.7 lightyears away, it is the seventh closest star to Earth.

You can learn a lot about a star just from its brightness. The way that that brightness manifests can tell you even more still, with the colour and movement of its light revealing more about not only the stars themselves but our relationship with them.

The Sun’s Arch Rival

This amazing image shows the sun having a great quick fit. It led to a big arch of substances that were picked from the surface due to the magnetic power around the sun. Mostly, the arches normally collapse
back down. However, in this case, the arches erupted blasting hundreds of millions of tons of high-temperature plasma into space at nine hundred miles per second, faster than a rifle bullet.

Planet Earth

We cannot describe the beautiful images of space without mentioning our planet - Earth. The beautiful image of planet earth known originally as The Blue Marble is spectacular and breathtaking. This image was taken by astronauts with the sun behind them. The entire visible planet was illuminated. The earth looks like a giant glass marble. When you look clearly in the image, Africa and Antarctica are captured.

The Pillars of Creation

The picture shows vast interstellar clouds. The picture shows a portion of the Eagle Nebula. What we are able to see is the creation of new stars in the young nebula.

A Raging Dying Star

This image shows a star disintegrating. It is seen as a glowing cloud when using a telescope. The centre of the cloud presents to as a white short substance. The substances are the remains of the star as it dies and could be as twice big as the size of the sun. In the course of the dying process, the star disintegration process is slowing down and large volumes of gas are emitted
into the universe revealing the dense parts of the star. The star is white hot and it spins at a sporadic speed as it dies to make an S shape.

Cold Fire in Orion

In space, what you see depends on how you look at it, just like in life. The eyes are very sensitive to visible light. When looking at M78, the dust and a haze of gas that surrounds Orion’s belt, a person can merely see the object that reflects and provides light. The interstellar dust that is thickly
spread around the region is black and cold. However, if an individual had infrared eyes, one will be able to see the dust glowing at the farthest end. Using a telescope, that light can be seen and when put together with a noticeable light picture, this incredible image is obtained. The bright loops of light are the location where the stars emerge, covered in the immense dust.

The Chaos of Creation

While looking for a moment, the image shows a process whereby the stars are being produced, where the stars are diminishing. Take some time to actually take in this image of a ridiculously complex large stellar nursery. The image can keep a person occupied for a considerable amount of time. It is hard to believe that these amazing creatures that keep us amazed are just pieces of boiling gas that can be observed from millions miles away.

The universe is a fascinating and wondrous place. Loaded with unknown phenomena and mysterious things that keep us wondering. Something that has confused the inhabitants of the earth for many years are the twinkling lights that appear in the sky each night. Little sparks of light twinkling in the dark night sky.

Stars have been around for a long time! A very long time. But what do we actually know about them? Below are listed 7 facts we actually do know about stars.

1. Stars are massive

And when I say massive, I mean massive! The largest known star is Canis Majoris which is 2000 times bigger than our sun and our sun is big with a diameter of 864,938 miles. But it is the sheer mass of the stars that make them impressive. When we consider the mass of some of the biggest stars we know of we usually count them as multiples of our sun, For example, Carinae A is 120 times the mass of our sun but it is nowhere near the biggest we know of.

2. Stars are held together by gravity

It is their gravity alone that holds them together, the mass of the hydrogen that makes up the stars and the gravity created by this mass is what holds them together. The glue that holds the universe together is also holding the stars together. Without gravity bits of the stars would be flung all over the place and fusion would never happen.

3. Stars provide all the energy for life on earth

Everything on the planet is here because of the stars. Every chemical on the planet was created in a star. Every living thing on the planet relies on the stars for energy. All the energy for the plants and animals on earth comes from our nearest star. Without the sun there would be no life on earth.

4. The stars are out in the daytime as well

The stars come out at night but they are also there in the daytime. The difference is that our sun and the earth's atmosphere drowns out the light from the stars. If you sit at the bottom of a very deep, dark hole you can see the stars in the daytime. A deep well maybe.

5. The Milky Way has over 400 billion stars

Nobody knows exactly how many for sure but there are at least 400 billion in the Milky way alone. To quantify how many there are in the entire universe is extremely difficult but it is a ridiculous number! Another amazing fact is that each star is different, there are billions of them but they are all different and to be a perfect star like our sun the star needs to be in perfect balance.

6. People have used the stars to navigate for hundreds of years

The positions of the stars are so reliable that humans have used them for hundreds of years as a reference point for navigation. Not only humans use the stars, the animal kingdom also uses them. Insects and birds use the positions of the stars to find their way around the planet.

7. Nuclear fusion drives a star

Stars are formed when clouds of hydrogen in space collapse in on themselves under the force of gravity. The ball of matter collapses and collapses under its own gravity until there is enough pressure to cause the nuclear fusion. Once fusion is achieved a chain reaction occurs that gradually burns up all the fuel. Fusion creates massive amounts of energy that is released in the form of heat and light and various other forms of deadly radiation.

Bonus Fact

Our sun, the closest star to the earth, consumes 600 million tonnes of hydrogen per second and provides ALL the energy for life on earth.

Buy A Star

Nowadays there are many gifts you could buy a loved one, but buying a star really is a special gift that your loved one will remember, cherish and forever be looking up at the sky to see what they now own. You can head over to our buy a star page and name a star after your loved one, they will be able to look up to the sky and see their star, a truly magnificent gift. 

Early Mother's Day celebrations can be dated back to the spring celebrations to honor Rhea, the Mother of the Gods, in ancient Greek civilization, according to some sources. Later, Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom was traditionally a day for people to visit the church where they were baptized, although it now also celebrates motherhood in modern times.
The modern-day origins of Mother's Day can be attributed to two women – Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis, who were important in establishing the tradition in the United States. Around 1870, Julia Ward Howe called for Mother's Day to be celebrated each year. It continued to be held in Boston for about 10 years under her sponsorship but died out after that. Other sources say that Juliet Calhoun Blakely initiated Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the late 1800s. Her sons paid tribute to her each year and urged others to honor their mothers.

In 1907, Anna Jarvis held a private Mother's Day celebration in memory of her mother, Ann Jarvis, in Grafton, West Virginia. In 1908, she played a key role in arranging a church service that attracted 407 children and their mothers. A Mother’s Day International Association was founded in 1912 to promote the holiday in other countries. Mother’s Day has grown increasingly popular since then.

Many people believe that Mother’s Day is now largely commercialized, with card companies, flower shops, jewelry stores, gift shops, restaurants, hotels, and department stores advertising promotions and special deals for this event. Anna Jarvis, in her lifetime, unsuccessfully filed a lawsuit to stop the over-commercialization of Mother's Day.

Life doesn't come with a manual, it comes with a mother. From your first steps to learning to eat with a spoon or even going to the dentist, Mom’s love and support are what gets us through everything in life. Mom’s are like superheroes.

Name a star as a gift for Mother’s day to give back something meaningful and show her that she is that star that shines brightly every day for your household.

There are many conflicts we might have with people around us. Sadly, it is quite often the case that we do not talk to our parents anymore. Breaking the ice can often be very challenging and something that certain types of persons will never get over. As they say "Sorry seems to be the hardest words". If you are among those who do not talk to your mother for any reason, perhaps, this is the chance to turn it all for good. Giving a star would definitely make the heart of every woman that has ever given a birth warmer. Give it a try and name the brightest star out there in the space!

GET UP HIGH.

If you live in a city where there are bright lights even in the night time then get up as high as you can to really have a great look at the night sky, you want as much of a view of the sky as possible. Most city nowadays uses LED streetlights and those are really bad for skywatching, try avoiding them.

DON’T BUY A TELESCOPE (YET).
New star watchers are often willing to stock up on high-tech tools. After buying a telescope people often get frustrated because it is very difficult to use and the things they are seeing through the telescope does not resemble anything yet. Know the night sky first, identify a few anchor objects like planets or constellations that help you navigate the sky and then buy a telescope.

START WITH BINOCULARS INSTEAD.

They’re a good middle ground between the naked eye and the massive magnification of a telescope, and you’ll be surprised by much detail they can provide. Use your binoculars to get a close-up of the moon and its craters. They don’t have to be expensive, either.

KNOW WHEN TO LOOK.

If you are really good with handling the cold, the sky is at its best on crisp, clear winter nights when there’s no humidity in the air. Summer evenings tend to produce haze and blur the view. Generally, the best time for stargazing is when the moon is in a crescent or gibbous phase—or when it’s not present in the sky at all. When the moon is full, there’s so much light that it washes out everything else. The moon sometimes gets overlooked, but it is a great object for city dwellers who might not be able to see the more distant stars and planets through light pollution.

FIND YOUR LOCAL AMATEUR ASTRONOMER’S CLUB.

A good way to learn the skies is with other people. You likely have an amateur astronomer’s club in your area. They will probably have three things: telescopes, experts who can tell you how to use them, and access to a local observatory.

NOTICE PATTERNS AMONG THE STARS. 

Here’s how most stargazers learn constellations. They find a noticeable pattern, and then they notice another pattern nearby. They build outward, going from stars and patterns they know to new ones. Notice triangles, curves and straight lines of stars. Some of these noticeable patterns are the same ones our ancestors noticed while sitting around a campfire telling stories. Some of their stories ended up being passed down to us. Make up your own stories! Skylar is a form of folklore. It belongs to us: the folk.

BE FAITHFUL TO THE SKY

One of the great things about becoming a stargazer is that you make a lifelong friend: the sky itself. It’s a friend that lives right next door. And like any friend, the sky changes in subtle ways from day to day and year to year. So, once you start watching it, be patient. You can’t learn everything about your friend at once. Be persistent. Watch the sky a lot and watch regularly. You’ll learn by looking! And you’ll make a connection with nature that’ll last your whole life long.

Name a star for yourself or as a gift to make the skywatching experience more exciting. There is nothing more exciting than finding your own star.

Why is naming a star the perfect gift?

A friend is what the heart needs all the time. So friends need something special time to time. Naming a star after them will really show that you care and did name a star especially after them. All the time your friend or a loved family member looks up the sky they will think about their star and wonder how the star you named after them is doing and how glad they are that you went all the way and named it for them.

Let’s say your friend or the person you want to give a gift is following up and reading about constellations and what they tell about their personality based on a day they are born on. You can get a star named right in that constellation they are passionate about. How cool is to know that the star named after you is on your beloved constellation. Another way of showing that you listen and care about the person.

It is also a gift that lasts and don’t get lost in a pail of things that easily. You are getting a gift that is always there for the person wherever they are in the world - just look up. Stars are long lasting and are here for many, many years so essentially you are getting a gift for a lifetime and a gift that can’t be loosen.

Did you know that you can name two stars at once - they are called Binary stars and it’s a star system where the stars are both together. So having to think what to get for twins or close friends who are sharing a birthday together? A binary star will make those two people closer than ever knowing that they are together on land and they are together even in the sky. They both are a star.

One thing that stands out about Naming a Star as a gift for birthday the most is that it fits perfectly as a gift for all ages young and old it doesn't matter at which stage of their life you come up with a special, meaningful and fun gift as a reminder that you care. Only imagine the little kids excitement after receiving such magnificent gift - their own star. And the look on an elderly people face's that they are remembered and that someone took time to make them a Star. All this is hearth touching and that is what we are trying to do for people introduce a gift that makes every kind of person feel special after getting this.

We all have been so busy that we just did not have enough time to think and get a great gift that the birthday girl or boy deserves. You can get an amazing and thoughtful gift within hour. Check ‘’ last minute gift ‘’ option on our website and get that perfect birthday gift always on time despite being busy at work or any other place.

The gift of Star Naming opens up more than you would have thought. It is not only great and special gift it also opens up possibly a new hobby that your gift brought to a person - Star watching. This is very relaxing process which allows you to discover more about the sky that you would have ever thought. Naming a Star as a gift could spark up an interest of this peaceful interest because everyone starts at looking for their own star and ends up looking more into constellations, planets and a lot more. Knowing that your gift began a new interest in a persons life should be very great.

Share this amazing feeling and Name a Star for a birthday to really brighten up their special day. You can never go wrong with this gift as we have heard the feedback from our customers, everyone loves it and it have made the day more special for the right people. Have a good Star Naming!

For as long as mankind has walked the Earth it is likely we have always recognized patterns formed by stars in the night sky. Some European cave paintings that date back over 10,000 years bare the marks of star formations that are familiar to us even to this day. The earliest official records of constellations were made more than 3,000 years ago by the Babylonians, an ancient civilization based in what is now modern day Iraq. The twelve signs of the zodiac are based on their observations and those of their predecessors. Many people wonder why so many of the constellations do not look like their names. This is because in most areas of the world today, light pollution from city lights hides many of the dim stars. For many of the constellations, these dim stars fill in the fine details of the patterns, making them more recognizable. It still takes some imagination to see some of these shapes, but it is much easier when all of the stars can be seen. In the past astronomers often spoke of the "fixed stars," and they stayed in the permanent positions in the sky. The markings they form look a lot the same today as they did when the constellations were first named nearly 3000 years ago. But the stars are all moving relative to the Sun, most with speeds of many kilometers per second. Because they are so very far away, it will take thousands of lifetimes to see significant changes in the star patterns. But, over time, they will change. Because of the motions of the stars within it, for example, the handle of the Big Dipper will, in about 50,000 years, appear significantly more bent than it is today. They will keep same names for the constellations, even if the stars change their positions. Constellations are, after all, products of human imagination, not natural. Most of the brighter stars in the constellations were assigned names by the German astronomer Johann Bayer in 1603, when he published his star atlas known as Uranometra. Bayer assigned a lower-case Greek letter such as alpha, beta, gamma, etc. to each star he cataloged. Each star’s name consists of a Greek latter plus the Latin name of the constellation in genitive, or possessive, form. In most cases, Bayer assigned the letters in alphabetical order based on the star’s brightness. For example, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus is Alpha Tauri. The second brightest star is Beta Tauri. The next brightest is Gamma Tauri, and so forth. These classifications are known as Bayer designations and are still used today. However, in Bayer’s day the brightness of a star could not be measured precisely. Stars were usually assigned to one of six magnitude classes. As a result, the brightest star in each constellation did not always get assigned as Alpha. This means than in some of the constellations the Bayer designations do not follow the star’s apparent magnitudes in order.

Choose your favorite constellation and name a star. It's also a great gift so let your friends know that you care and name a star in their favorite constellation also, it is good to get a thoughtful gift.

Binoculars are available in a variety of sizes and magnifications. Because of their wide field of view, they are also a necessary and popular tool for the experienced astronomer as well. Make sure you get a pair with a tripod mount. As far as magnification goes, smaller is usually better, believe it or not. Binoculars with high magnifications will be shakier when held in the hands. This can become annoying during an evening of observing.

Some astronomy suppliers carry devices that can help stabilize the binoculars by propping them up against your body. Lower magnification will also provide a wider field of view. The best advice for choosing a pair of binoculars is to get what you feel comfortable with. Remember you may want to use them for bird watching or camping as well.
Many skywatching experts swear by digital planetarium software to map out the night sky. Whether you take your laptop or tablet out with you or print out paper star charts in advance, you'll save a huge amount of time navigating to prime targets for your location and time of year.

Now that you've got your main skywatching instrument and have some idea of what's up there for you, we need to make you comfortable out there. These aren't absolutely essential, but they each can contribute a lot to your enjoyment.
If you're going with binoculars, bring a lightweight reclining lawn chair —a "lounger."Your arms will thank you. Your back will thank you. Many a meteor shower has been won or lost based upon chair comfort!Telescope-jockeying skywatchers should seriously consider a purpose-built astronomy chair, especially if you own a refractor (because the eyepiece is "down" and the tube is long). The sliding seat can get low to the ground, or as high as your eye would be when standing. The best ones have a padded backrest.

When you're observing at night, you're going to need to read a star chart or a planet finder or your telescope markings. You will need to find items like eyepieces or your coffee mug. An astronomy tool like this Celestron Astro Night Vision Flashlight goes for around $10, but there are many models to choose from and some are less expensive. It takes at least 20 minutes to become dark-adapted. Some experienced observers say their eyesight doesn't peak until after more than an hour of complete darkness. A 10-millisecond flash of white light from a cellphone or car headlight can reset your eyes back to "do over."

Your cellphone may save your life out there in an emergency. So keep its battery charged. But we hope nothing more than a great night of skywatching lies in store for you. A music player can keep you company; you'll find amazing correlations between what you hear and what you see in the sky. I sometimes take audio notes during particularly good observing. It keeps my hands free and my eye at the eyepiece. Even if you never transcribe them, you can listen later and relive the cold awesome night in your warm cozy bed.

If you are interested in starting your journey with astronomy then go ahead and just do it, it relaxes the body and the mind. Don't forget to name a star for yourself or others so you can take those new binoculars and see your star.

March is a great month to be out to watch the sky to catch these amazing earth beauties with your own eye.

We'll start of with a glory of witnessing Full moon. On March 12 the Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Worm Moon because this was the time of year when the ground would begin to soften and the earthworms would reappear. The Moon has influenced human culture for millennia, and the Full Moon phase in particular. The date for Easter Sunday, for example, is determined based on the Full Moon and the vernal equinox.
The Moon has also inspired the invention of countless deities, like the Roman goddess Luna or her Norse male counterpart Máni, who gave his name to Monday. And, even today, people use ancient Full Moon names, like Harvest Moon and Strawberry Moon.

Next thing to look forward is on March 20 and it is March Equinox. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere. Find an empty space such as a park or a parking lot where there are few tall buildings, trees or hills to obstruct the Sun. In astronomy, the March equinox is the zero point of sidereal time and, consequently, right ascension. It also serves as a reference for calendars and celebrations in many human cultures and religions. The March equinox is one point in time commonly used to determine the length of the tropical year. The mean tropical year is the average of all the tropical years measured from every point along the Earth's orbit.When tropical year measurements from several successive years are compared, many slight variations are found which are due to a variety of phenomena, including nutation and the planetary perturbations from the Sun.

And last but not least date to look forward is March 28 and we will have a chance to see a New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 02:58 UTC. During a new moon, the moon is completely dark. The moon is beginning its cycle, like becoming "new." These moons are the hardest to see, and you can barely make out the outline of it in the picture on the left. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. It’s only as the moon moves in orbit, as its lighted hemisphere begins to come into view from Earth, that we can see it in our sky. Then we see the moon in the west after sunset as a slim waxing crescent – what some call a young moon.

All these three days will be filled with magical views and we would suggest you to mark down these dates and witness it with you own eyes - there can't be anything better that see these astronomical things in real life because pictures can be beautiful and all but nothing takes away that feeling you have witnessing it yourself. Make sure you bring a friend or two to make this occasion more interesting and who knows maybe you can make this as your little adventures from time to time.

Name a star now for yourself or as a gift and enjoy March not only witnessing these great occasions but seeing your named star in the sky right beside all others.

The ancient ceremony included putting girls’ names in a box and letting the boys draw them out. Couples would then be paired off until the following year. The Christian church substituted saints’ names for girls’ names in hope that the participant would model his life after the saint whose name he drew. However, it was once again girls’ names that ended up in the box by the 16th century.

Eventually, the custom of sending anonymous cards or messages to those whom one admired became the accepted way of celebrating Valentine’s Day. There was an increase in interest in Valentine's Day, first in the United States and then in Canada, in the mid-19th century. Early versions of Valentine cards fashioned of satin and lace and ornamented with flowers, ribbons, and images of cupids or birds appeared in England in the 1880s.

Hearts, the colors red and pink, roses, images and statues of cupids, and cupids’ bows and arrows symbolize the feeling of romance and love on Valentine’s Day. Cupid is usually portrayed as a small winged figure with a bow and arrow. In mythology, he uses his arrow to strike the hearts of people. People who fall in love are sometimes said to be “struck by Cupid's arrow”. The day focuses on love, romance, appreciation, and friendship.

The Valentine’s day is coming fast. There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved. True love doesn't happen right away; it's an ever-growing process. It develops after you've gone through many ups and downs, when you've suffered together, cried together, laughed together.

We got one of the most romantic gifts to give! Naming a binary star is one of most romantic gifts. A binary star is a system of two stars where one star revolves around the other. A binary star is great for couples. This romantic gesture of having a couple of stars officially named after you and your loved one will get you even closer. Every time you will be looking at the stars you will be reminded of having stars close to each other and they are official stars named after you.

For those who try to do romantic gestures all the time, this is a perfect way. As the days go by having a star named after you it can turn out to be a romantic gesture every night as the star is a gift that stays up there for a long time. Even a late night walk with your loved one can turn out in a reminder of that one time you went all the way and actually named a star. Just one stare at the night sky and good memories appear once again. Words of love, are works of love.

Love is all around us, especially on Valentine’s day. Enjoy this day with that special someone in your life. Naming a star for this romantic holidays is perfect because it’s one of the most romantic gifts you can get to your significant other. Name a star gift is a way to go on this romantic holidays.

Stars are born inside clouds of gas and dust known as nebulas which exist throughout the galaxy. Some nebulas form from the gravitational collapse of gas in the interstellar medium while others are the result of the death throes of a massive star.

Hydrogen clumps together inside these clouds of gas growing ever larger and hotter until eventually the early stage of a star called a protostar is formed. As gravity collapses the protostar temperatures and pressure in its core become high enough to trigger nuclear fusion. The star is now fusing hydrogen atoms creating an enormous amount of energy, this stage of a star's existence is known as its main sequence and depending on its size it could remain in this state for billions or possibly even trillions of years. Together the stars light up the universe in a variety of colors and most importantly our own star also provides the energy which allows life to flourish on our planet. Like so many things in the universe, stars begin very small -- mere particles in vast clouds of dust and gas. Far from active stars, these nebulae remain cold and monotonous for ages. Then, like some sleepy little town in a biker movie, everything stirs up when a newcomer speeds through. This disturbance might take the form of a streaking comet or the shockwave from a distant supernova. As the resulting force moves through the cloud, particles collide and begin to form clumps. Individually, a clump attains more mass and therefore a stronger gravitational pull, attracting, even more, particles from the surrounding cloud.When the protostar becomes hot enough (7 million kelvins), its hydrogen atoms begin to fuse, producing helium and an outflow of energy in the process. We call this atomic reaction nuclear fusion. However, the outward push of its fusion energy is still weaker than the inward pull of gravity at this point in the star's life. Think of it like a struggling business that still costs more to operate than it makes. Material continues to flow into the protostar, providing increased mass and heat. Finally, after millions of years, some of these struggling stars reach the tipping point. If enough mass (0.1 solar mass) collapses into the protostar, a bipolar flow occurs. Two massive gas jets erupt from the protostar and blast the remaining gas and dust clear away from its fiery surface. At this point, the young star stabilizes and, like a business that finally becomes lucrative, it reaches the point where its output exceeds its intake. The outward pressure from hydrogen fusion now counteracts gravity's inward pull. It is now a main sequence star and will remain so until it burns through all its fuel. What is the life span of a star? It all depends on its mass. A star the size of our sun takes roughly 50 million years to reach the main sequence and maintains that level for approximately 10 billion years. Astronomers classify the sun as a g-type main sequence star -- the "g" indicates the sun's temperature and color.

Amidst this fight, was also the race for space exploration, with USSR spearheading the race by sending artificial satellites into the orbit, as well as sending the first human being, Yuri Gagarin, into space in 1961. America was not to be left behind, as they sent Alan Shepherd soon after. After these events, research intensified as to the viability of man’s travel to the lunar surface.

It was not until 1969, that plans to send man to the moon became actualized.  Three men comprised of Neil Armstrong, Collins, and Buzz Aldrin, boarded the Apollo 11 on a successful mission to become the first human beings to land on the moon. The accomplishment managed to fulfill the then President’s mandate (Kennedy) to have an American as the first individual in space.

The Mission was only possible through years of research and studies into the moon’s atmosphere, and studies on craters and volcanoes to determine the level of safety for exploration.

Additionally, there were numerous collaborations with various scientists and geologists to gain a heightened understanding of the moon’s landscape before the journey could be sanctioned.  The voyage took almost four days, and it allowed the astronauts to collect various rock samples that facilitated an in-depth look into the moon’s topography.  The exploration paved the way for the future of space exploration with many more individuals attempting and successfully participating in a broad range of space discovery programs.

 In the 1970s, space exploration was a fairly new field of study that fascinated space enthusiasts and astronauts alike based on the infinite possibilities that lied ahead. Was there extraterrestrial life? Were other planets habitable? Can human beings travel to space and back safely? These were some of the questions regular people asked. Amidst the Saturday Night Fever that enveloped very corner of the globe, NASA launched two spacecrafts, Voyager 1 and 2, with the aim of exploring the elusive and fascinating solar system.  Voyager 1’s principal mission was to collect adequate information on planets Jupiter and Saturn, going in as far as weather conditions, moons, and information on magnetic fields that might surround the planets which are concerned. Additionally, the Voyager was to offer insight into planet Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. It did so quite beautifully gettting as close as 4,000 miles to the surface of the moon.  Voyager 1 successfully managed to supply diverse images of the two planets, while making intriguing discoveries of new moons, volcanic and planetary activity that was quite impossible before its launch. Ideally, the Voyager was designed to move from planet to planet, taking advantage of the planetary pull to propel it forward. After completing its mission successfully, Voyager 1 continued its exploration of space, travelling out the solar system into a new unchartered world to become the furthest man-made apparatus sent into space. Today, the Voyager 1 continues to wander into the heliopause, which refers to the outermost part of the solar system yet to be accessed by any other craft. The information generated by the exploration will allow astronomers to gain a better understanding of the interstellar medium. Additionally, discoveries from the voyage will allow for proper measurements of various interstellar waves and particles. The Voyager 1 is estimated to continue its journey for another few years, discerning interstellar conditions and making new discoveries that were unfathomable at its launch in September of 1977.

The updates which we recieve from Voyager 1 are certainly thought-provoking. Along with Voyager 2, it moves up there in empty space, flying high, representing our curious nature and our quest to seek more knowledge about the origins of our universe.  As it now enters a whole new area that hasn't been discovered, we can only expect the surge of information from Voyager 1, which is going to enhance the understadning of our universe. 

Naming a Star gives an amazing opportunity to start and see these amazing places. Name it as a gift and give your friend or loved one an opportunity for them to start their Star Gazers hobby.

May be that’s what life is… a wink of the eye and winking stars
– Jack Kerouac

Star gazing is one of the most enthralling and rewarding experiences- one filled with quietude and solace, being in awe of the inconceivable vast cosmic universe. To put simply, just look up and get lost in the darkness of the beautiful skies.

While it is extremely captivating to watch a sky filled with thousands and more stars on a clear moonless night, getting started in astronomy can be intimidating reaching to dead ends and frustration. So, where should you begin from?

1) Your eyes are your binoculars- The most satisfying way to begin star gazing is to observe the stars with unaided eyes. Make yourself aware of the starry names, use star chart to understand patterns, go on your terrace and understand basic cardinal directions- North-South-East-West. Basically, observe and soak in its beauty.

2) Self-learn- Astronomy is not just about owning fancy gears, it is more about your passion, skills and knowledge. With information and resources available online and offline (google, beginner’s books, guidebooks, websites for beginners), immerse yourself in understanding astronomy basics, read up on stars and constellations and changes in the movement of stars through seasons. Lay your hands on guidebooks to know what you should look out for in the sky, beginner level books to have an organised and comprehensive way of dealing with the subject.

3) Take up courses- If you are a serious learner, there are certified basic/ advanced courses available on astronomy that will vastly broaden your horizon.

4) Star gazing workshops/camping- Several travel companies today provide a unique experience of night camping and star gazing sessions guided by professional experts with top notch telescopes. Return home with wealth of knowledge. Make sure you make a note of your experiences and learnings.

5) Your first gear- If you remain passionate enough to take it a notch ahead, invest in a binocular instead of a costly telescope. Though binoculars are cheap, they are a great way to feed in to the enthusiasm of a beginner. Diving into your maps and guidebooks will become useful more than ever.

6) Connect with like-minded- There is a huge community of amateurs and beginners like you waiting to share their experience and knowledge and ask questions. Check out for such clubs, online community, FB groups and there is nothing more joyous than connecting over common interest.

7) Have fun and keep exploring- At the end of the day, what really matters is the joy you derive in learning and appreciating the beauty and mystery of this wonderful universe. '

8) Keep an astronomy diary - This is the one for you. It is not obligatory thing to do but it helps you a lot. Writing an astronomy diary concentrates the mind - it can be just the date of the day, what binoculars you used or was it a windy night or not, how bright were the stars that night, did you notice something magnificent like a faint glow. It is good that you are able to look back on your early experiences and sightings in years to come as it gives better meaning to your astronomy for beginners activities now. As we mentioned at the beginning that this might work for some people and for some it wont so it is not a big mistake to not keep your own diary.

9) Lose your ego - Astronomy and star gazing teaches patience and humility - and you better be prepared to learn them. You can't expect everything to go smooth at the first times but you have to remember that it's not the end of the world. But as your astronomy adventures go on you will increase the knowledge and then you will succeed.

10) Relax and have fun - Part of losing your ego is not getting upset at your telescope because it is less than perfect. Thing like perfection really doesn't exist, no matter what you ended up paying. Learn to take pleasure in whatever your instrument can indeed show you. The more you look and examine, the more you will see — and the more you'll become at home in the night sky. Set your own pace, and delight in the beauty and mystery of our amazing universe.

It is estimated that in our observable universe, there are more than a billion trillion stars, scattered across millions of galaxies. To put things into perspective for you, try writing one followed by 25 zeros. That is the approximate number of stars which exist in the cosmos.

Out of these many, it is only a few thousands which are visible to the naked eye. Of course with the help of a powerful telescope, you can spot even the farthest of the stars lying millions and millions of miles away.

Now, here is the best part – there are more than enough stars for everybody to name them whatever they please. Yes, you have read it right. You can name a celestial object out there to your heart’s desire!

Sounds pretty exciting, doesn’t it? Just imagine, naming a star after your better half. These celestial objects have been the center of poetry and beauty the whole time. Great writers like William Shakespeare and Victor Hugo have often remarked about the splendor of these radiating pearls. Even today, many popular bands and artists have written songs which relate to the stars and their magnificence. As John Lennon once said, “We all shine on...like the moon and the stars and the sun...we all shine on...come on and on and on...” 

These tiny pearls have always represented eternal love and brightness, spreading their radiance and joy to the others. Humans have found solace while looking at the infinite sky up there, embedded with the tiny spectacles of sheer glitter. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to christen them after your loved one, to signify the eternal love you share?

And that is where we come in. We allow possibility for people to pick the unnamed stars which they like and allow them to name it to their liking. You can browse through our database, which has more than 50,000 stars already named! We have helped many lovers in securing this beautiful present for their significant others, and even their relatives! Be it a wedding present or a surprise gift for your love, naming a star is certainly the way.

name-a-star.co.uk is one of our many partner sites, which has helped people in naming the stars in the region of United Kingdom and Ireland. We are currently expanding our horizons and venturing into different regions as well.

With our high quality images and database, you can be rest assured that you can find that perfect star to name. We are excellent at what we do, and our services will help you find that perfect present.