Name a Star for Free: Is it Worth it?

Is it Possible to Name a star for Free?

The quick answer to this question is Yes.

Indeed, it is possible to name a star after someone for free. There are a couple of websites on the internet offering such an option. Well, at least they say they do that.

However, nothing is free in this world, not even Facebook or Youtube, because free usage of these platforms allows corporations to show you endless ads. The following must lead us to 2 further questions:

What am I getting from FREE star naming?

If you never named a star, and this question confused you, here are some examples.

• You might be dedicating a star as a gift, so you would plan to present the whole thing to someone. That means you could expect to have something visually appealing to give to someone.
• Most likely, you would expect to find or see that star somehow. Otherwise, what is the point?

The second question could be: Why would someone offer to name a star for FREE?

Again, do not be confused with this question. The fact is, you might have noticed many service providers would do this at a particular cost. That might make you question the difference between paid and free star naming services.

Probably, you already sense where this is heading. You get what you pay for.

Let us explore these questions a bit closer and find out the following:

• What you get with the free star naming
• Where and how to name a star for free
• The difference between free and paid star naming
• Is it a good idea to name a star for free at all

Free Star Naming Registries: Things You Need to Know

There are three main things you should know about free star naming:

1 What you get is CRAP

The registration certificate will look ugly like designed in Paint by six years old. The rest of the materials would be the same if you even get something on top of that. Additionally, all of that horror would be provided to you electronically, so this is very far away from giving this to someone special.

Suppose you are good with the above examples and are ready to give someone that type of gift, then good. You know that you can get this for free.

However, suppose you want nicely designed documents, a gift folder, a fitting frame for your certificate, or other gift style enhancements. In that case, you won't get these with free star naming services.

Let us then explore some other things that might interest you.

2 You will not find the star.

Most likely, you will get coordinates like RA 2h 41m 39s, Dec. +89° 15′ 51″, or similar. You might be wondering what you can do with them and how to find the star now with these.

That's about it. You get a fixed and blurry view of how the sky looks. This means:

• You have no idea whether your star is visible in your area.
• You have no idea how to find your star in the night sky
• You have no tools to help you find the star unless you have a telescope.

3 Free star naming is not entirely FREE.

As we discussed already, you get what you pay for. Or actually, what you do not pay for. That is understandable, because why would someone offer you much for free.

Even free star naming services need to invest some money to build their website, probably have some people to manage, and more. So, in most cases, you will find that you will be charged for many things as soon as you want more than what is offered for free. Let us see what that could be.

• If you want physical delivery of anything, you will have to pay for that.
• If you want a different certificate design, you will also need to pay for that even if that other design is still crappy.
• If you want a star map with the location of your star, you will have to pay.
• If you want some additional handouts, you will need to pay for them.

As you can see, you are provided with some sort of bare minimum. You are asked to pay as soon as you want to change something or improve your gift. That leads us to a further question:

How are paid Star Naming services different, and what do you get for your money?

Name a Star Now

How are Free and Paid Star Naming Services Different?

You most likely have come across various service providers that offer you to name a star for a certain fee. On the other hand, you have services that tell you to name a star for free and spend a cent. So, what do paid service providers offer, and what do you get for your money?

1 You get a Gift Package

Arguably, the most important is that you get some kind of gift package that is nicely made and ready to be presented as a gift. That might include a nice certificate, a star map, and a gift folder. It could also include a fitting frame for the certificate and other things that make giving even more special. See examples below.

2 You can find your star in the night sky

When you are naming a star and paying for that, on some occasions, service providers will give you the necessary tools to locate your star quickly. It could be an excellent interactive software or a mobile application, so you can go outside and watch your star.

3 Naming a Star for Money is AFFORDABLE

• You do not have to spend hundreds for naming a star. Prices can start at 29.90$ or even lower during Holiday sales.
• The product you get and the additional tools to find your star is good value for the money.
• If you want a star map with the location of your star, you will have to pay.
• Free Star Naming Services can still charge you for something. In such cases, the pricing difference becomes tiny. For that difference, you get a much better product and experience.

Name a Star Now

Is it Worth Naming a Star for Free?

We have studied what naming a star for free means and what you get from what. We have also examined the differences between free and paid services.

The price difference between both options is not significant because paid star naming is affordable. However, the value or the product you are getting differs a lot!

You have to decide whether what you get for free (or do not get) is sufficient as a gift for someone special.