A star for a graduate
Last updated 9 November 2026
Name a star for someone special on the Intergalactic Star Database.
Graduation presents have an awkward job. They need to mark years of work, travel well to wherever the graduate goes next, and not take up room in a car already full of saucepans. A star registered under their name weighs next to nothing and goes wherever they go.
Why it suits someone about to move on
People leaving university, school or a long course are often about to change address, sometimes more than once. Most keepsakes get left at a parent's house. A star doesn't have that problem.
- It is light. It adds nothing to the removal van. The posted gift pack is four documents in a full-colour gift envelope: a Certificate of Registry, a Star Area Co-ordinates Sheet, a welcome letter and a fold-out star chart.
- It can be printed again. From November 2026 each star has a page of its own on this website. Enter the Database Number on our star finder and the certificate and sheet can be printed again as often as they like, in UK or US paper sizes, so a new flat or a new country needn't mean losing it.
- It works wherever they end up. The star's page shows whether it is up and which way to face for London, or for wherever they are if they share their location.
- It suits every kind of finish. A degree, a doctorate, A-levels, an apprenticeship or a nursing qualification all deserve marking, and the name can say exactly which one you mean.
The star itself is real. From November 2026 each new star is chosen from the Hipparcos catalogue and listed with its catalogue number, position and constellation.
Names for a new graduate
You have up to 60 characters, printed exactly as you type them. A certificate that looks good beside a degree scroll tends to be simple and formal. One that makes them laugh on results day can be anything.
- Formal, with letters: "Amara Okafor BSc (Hons)", or "Dr Thomas Reid" for the one who has waited a long time to use it. Do check the exact qualification before you print letters after anybody's name.
- With the year: "Emma Walsh, Class of 2027".
- From the family: "Our Graduate, With Love from Mum and Dad".
- The relieved one: "Finally Finished".
- The subject joke: "Bachelor of Very Late Nights".
- The first in the family: "The First Graduate of the Brennan Family".
Preview the wording on the certificate to see how a longer name looks, and read our guide to what to call your star if you want more to choose from.
Timing it around the ceremony
If you are giving it on the day, aim to have it in your hands the week before. Posted packs are usually sent within 24 hours by Royal Mail, but allow a few working days, and a little longer around bank holidays. Orders placed on a Friday evening or at the weekend go out on the next working day. If you discover the ceremony is tomorrow, a print-at-home star is ready the moment you've paid, and our page on the last-minute star gift tells you what to do next.
Many UK ceremonies take place in summer, which has one catch worth knowing. Summer nights are short, and in Scotland and the north of England the sky barely gets dark around midsummer. A graduate who wants to look for their star in June may need to stay up into the small hours, or wait for August. The Altitude graph on the co-ordinates sheet shows which months suit their star best. Most of our stars need binoculars, and this guide to the seasons explains what to expect.
A housemates' or course-mates' present
A group leaving together can do something a single present cannot. Up to ten stars can go in one order on this website, at £8.99 each to print at home or £13.99 each as a posted pack, and they are registered side by side in the same small patch of sky, usually close enough to hide behind the full Moon.
That makes a good parting gift for a house of friends about to scatter across the country. Each person gets their own name, Database Number and certificate, and each star's page shows the rest of the group. Stars this close together are too faint to see by eye, and a telescope will show them, so treat it as a keepsake and a shared map more than a binocular project.
A word on what the name is, for the sake of accuracy. Your star's name is recorded in the Intergalactic Star Database, which has been naming stars as gifts since 2004. Official star names are decided by the International Astronomical Union, which doesn't recognise names from any commercial registry. For anybody who has just finished three years of checking their sources, it is better that we say so here. A teacher who made a difference could have a star too: see our page on a star for a teacher or a class.
Questions about giving a star for graduation
Can I put letters after their name, like BSc?
Yes. We print the name exactly as you type it, up to 60 characters, so you can include a title or qualification. Do check it is correct before you order.
What happens if they move or lose the certificate?
For stars registered from November 2026, entering the Database Number on our star finder brings up the star's page, and the certificate and co-ordinates sheet can be printed again whenever they like. Ask them to keep a note of the number.
Will it be dark enough to see the star in summer?
Summer nights are short, and most of our stars need binoculars and a properly dark sky. The Altitude graph on the co-ordinates sheet shows the best months for each star. In the north of the UK, August onwards is often a better time to look.
Ordering: print it at home tonight for £8.99, or have the gift pack posted for £13.99. Type the name exactly as you want it printed when you order.