A star for my boyfriend

Name a star for someone special on the Intergalactic Star Database.

Boyfriends tend to say they don't want anything, then look quietly pleased when they get something with thought behind it. A star is cheap enough to give without ceremony and odd enough to get talked about. And you get to decide what he is called.

Why it works when he says he doesn't want anything

"Don't get me anything" usually means "don't get me something I'll have to pretend to like". A star gets around that in three ways.

• It doesn't need to fit. There is no size to guess, no shade to get wrong and no duplicate of the thing he already bought himself.
• It takes up no room. Four documents in a flat envelope are easy to keep, and his star has its own page on this website, so he can't lose it even if he loses the paperwork, as long as someone has kept a note of the Database Number.
• It's a conversation. Being able to say that a star has been named after you is a hard thing to keep quiet about, and the star's page makes it easy to show someone.

It is also straightforward to buy. A print-at-home star is £8.99 and ready as soon as you've paid. A posted gift pack is £13.99, with UK delivery included, and is printed for you and sent in a full-colour gift envelope.

Funny, sweet or somewhere in between

We print the name exactly as you type it, up to 60 characters, so you can go in any direction you like. Decide first whether this is going on a wall or being passed round the pub, because the same name rarely does both jobs.

• Straight: his first name, or his full name for a certificate he might actually frame.
• Nickname: the one his friends use, or the one only you use.
• Mock-grand: "Sir Reginald of the Sofa", or "Lord of the Remote Control".
• For a player: "Player One", for the man who will explain why that's funny.
• For a supporter: "Still Believes This Is Our Year".
• Sweet, on purpose: "Ben and Mia, Since the Bus Stop".

Two practical points. Remember that this will be seen by other people, possibly his mum, so ask yourself whether the joke will still work in her kitchen. And if the name is rude, read our terms of sale first, because we can refuse a name that is offensive. There are more ideas in our guide to what to call your star, and you can test any of them on the certificate before paying.

Giving it without making it a big moment

If grand gestures make him squirm, don't make one. Some lower-key ways of doing this:

• The gift link. From the star's page you can send a link that opens as a message from the Database. Send it while he is at work and wait.
• The envelope on the side. Leave the pack in with the post and let him open it without an audience.
• The second present. Give the star alongside something practical that he did ask for, so the attention is spread around and he can be as pleased as he likes in his own time.
• The reveal outdoors. Suggest a walk after dark and produce the star chart when you get there. A bit of theatre, but only the two of you to see it.

It works for a birthday, an anniversary, a Valentine's present or simply when you've been meaning to do something for him. If he has passed an exam or finished a course, our page on a graduation star has names to suit.

Finding it: a night out that costs nothing

This may be the best bit. Once you have the Database Number, our star finder shows the star on a live sky map and tells you whether it is up, the best time to look that evening, how high it will be and which way to face.

Most of our stars are just beyond what the eye can see on its own, so borrow a pair of ordinary binoculars. Then:

• Get away from street lights, and give your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to adjust. Keep your phone screen dim.
• Find the constellation on the fold-out star chart. Its brighter stars are visible by eye.
• Hold up the Chart View from the co-ordinates sheet and match the patterns. His star is in the centre of the two rings.

Take something warm to drink, and don't plan to stay out long the first time. If it is cloudy, you still have the map. If the star is low this time of year, the Altitude graph tells you which months to come back in. Our step-by-step guide has the details, and a star that takes two attempts to find usually makes a better story than one that didn't.

One thing to tell him if he asks: official star names are decided by the International Astronomical Union, which doesn't recognise names from any commercial registry. His name is recorded in the Intergalactic Star Database, which has been naming stars as gifts since 2004.

Questions about giving your boyfriend a star