
was just named from
×
was just named from
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:
If you never named a star, and this question confused you, here are some examples.
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:
There are three main things you should know about free star naming:
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.
One of the websites offering this is thestarnamers.com. They say, just enter the data, print this file, and you are good to go. See what you get in the image below.
Staracle.com is another popular service provider, and it was even featured on the popular astronomic portal skyandtelescope.org. For an additional fee (obviously), you can change the visual appearance to something very similar. See what you get for Free below.
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.
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.
The only thing you will be able to do is to go to Google Sky software, enter these coordinates (if you know how to do that), and get a view like displayed below.
That's about it. You get a fixed and blurry view of how the sky looks. This means:
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.
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 NowYou 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?
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.
Find out more information on what Name a Star Gift is and what it includes on the Name a Star Gift Page.
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.
Important! Make sure paid service provider does not leave you with the same Google Sky stationary and blurry image! See the “Where to Buy a Star: An Honest Overview” article to make sure you choose the most suitable service provider.
Find out about star name pricing details in the “How much does it cost to buy a star? A SHOPPER’S GUIDE” article.
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.
You can name a star for free. You can do that with such service providers as thestarnamers.com, staracle.com, or others.
Standard Star Gift Pack
$44.90
This package allows you to name a star that is visible in your area.
Estimated delivery: May 20
Zodiac Star Gift Pack
$59.90
Personalize your gift and name a star in a constellation of your choice.
Estimated delivery: May 20
Binary Star Gift Pack
$89.90
Name a system of 2 bright stars. This is a perfect gift for couples.
Estimated delivery: May 20
Yes, it is possible to name a star after you or someone else free of charge. However, you have to consider that value of the product you are getting is also close to 0. You will not get a nicely designed gift package. Also, you will not find your star.
To name a star for free, you have to use some of the service providers that offer such service. You can use thestarnamers.com or staracle.com websites to do that, but be aware that you will not receive any gift package or the tools to be able to find your star in the sky.
If you want to dedicate a star name to someone as a gift, naming a star for free is probably not a good idea. You will not get anything that you can give to the recipient. Also, star finding will be almost impossible. That, however, can be an ok idea if you want to make some sort of joke to your closest friend and similar.