Can you really buy a star?
Last updated 1 November 2026
No one can buy a star, in the sense of owning it. What you can do is have a real star registered under a name, as a gift. The Intergalactic Star Database has been doing exactly that since 2004.
What "buying a star" actually means
When people talk about buying a star, they mean naming one. A star registry chooses a real star, records the name you choose against it, and gives you the documents to prove it and to find it in the sky. Nobody owns the star itself, any more than anyone owns the Moon.
With the Intergalactic Star Database, naming a star gives you:
- A real star, chosen from the Hipparcos catalogue, with its catalogue number, its position and its constellation.
- Your name for it, recorded in the Intergalactic Star Database with its own Database Number. No star is given to two names in our registry.
- A gift pack: a Certificate of Registry, a Star Area Co-ordinates Sheet, a welcome letter and a fold-out map of the night sky.
- Its own page on this website, where the star can be seen on a sky map and its documents printed again whenever you need them.
Is the name official?
No, and anyone who tells you otherwise is not being straight with you. Official star names are decided by the International Astronomical Union, which doesn't recognise names from any commercial star registry. Your star's name won't appear in scientific catalogues. It is recorded in the Intergalactic Star Database.
That is true of every star naming company. What you are giving is a real star, recorded under a name that matters to you, with a way to find it: a thoughtful gift rather than a legal title.
So why do people name stars?
Because it says something a card can't. People name stars for birthdays, anniversaries and new babies, and very often in memory of someone. A star you can look up and find, with a name that means something, is a lovely thing to give. Naming a star in memory is one of the most common reasons of all.
How to name a star with us
Our gift pack is £13.99 on Amazon. Type the name for your star when you order, and we choose a real star, register it in the Intergalactic Star Database and post the pack, usually within 24 hours. Here is exactly what happens.