What to check before buying a star

A star is an easy thing to buy and a hard thing to inspect, since nobody can pick it up and look at it. Before you spend money with anyone, including us, here are the questions worth asking and how we would answer each of them ourselves.

Can you identify the star?

The first thing to find out is whether you will be told which star it is. A real star can be identified in a way that someone other than the seller can check.

• Is there a catalogue number? Look for a number from a recognised star catalogue that you can type into planetarium software or a star-chart app. If you can look it up independently, you know the star exists and exactly where it is.
• Is the constellation given? It tells you where to begin looking and at what time of year.
• Can you find it again later? Certificates end up in drawers. A way to look up the star by a number, years from now, is worth having.
• Are you told how bright it is? Magnitude tells you what you will need in order to see it. The bigger the number, the fainter the star.

Our answer. From November 2026 each new star we register comes from the Hipparcos catalogue and is listed with its HIP number, its position and its constellation. Each has a Database Number that opens its page on our star finder, with a live sky map. Most of our stars are about magnitude 6 to 9, just beyond the eye on its own and easy in ordinary binoculars. Here is what that means in practice. Stars registered before November 2026 are held in our original registry and work differently.

What does the wording promise?

The language on a website tells you a good deal. Read it slowly, and pay attention to what is implied as well as what is stated.

• "Official." Official star names are decided by the International Astronomical Union, which doesn't recognise names from any commercial registry, ours included. A name recorded by a registry stays in that registry.
• "Own" or "buy". No one can own a star. Here is what buying a star really means.
• "See it". Find out whether binoculars or a telescope will be needed, and whether the star can be seen from where the person lives.
• "Unique". Ask what is unique and where. In the Intergalactic Star Database, each star is given to one name only, and this page explains how we keep to that. A single register can only speak for its own records.

Our answer. Your star's name is recorded in the Intergalactic Star Database. It is a gift and a keepsake, not a scientific or legal title. We say so here, on our honest answer page and in our terms.

Who are you buying from?

A trustworthy seller is easy to identify. Before paying, try to find a registered company name and number, a postal address, and terms you can read in advance. Then make sure you are on the website you think you are on.

This last point matters to us in particular. Other websites use our name. The website you are reading, intergalacticstardatabase.co.uk, is the only website we run under the name Intergalactic Star Database. We also sell through Amazon UK. If you want to buy from us, check the address in your browser, or type it in yourself.

Our answer. Crowther Creative Products Limited, a UK company (number 04994959), trades as the Intergalactic Star Database, and Intergalactic Star Database is our registered UK trade mark (number UK00004415837). Our terms of sale set out who you are buying from, what you get, and returns and refunds. Our story covers the registry since 2004.

What will it cost, and what arrives?

A headline price is only useful if you know what it includes. Before you decide, look for the following.

• The total at the end. Is delivery included or added at checkout? Are there extras you only see at the last step?
• Ongoing charges. Is it a one-off payment or does anything renew?
• What is printed and what isn't. Are you getting a certificate only, or a set of documents that help you find the star?
• What happens if you mistype a name. You will want to know that before you pay.
• Timing. When will it arrive, and is there a version that doesn't rely on the post?
• A preview. Can you see the name as it will print?
• Anything else you can't find. If the answer isn't on the website, ask before you buy.

Our answer. A print-at-home star is £8.99, and a posted gift pack is £13.99 with UK delivery included. Each has four documents: a Certificate of Registry, a Star Area Co-ordinates Sheet, a welcome letter and a star chart. There is no subscription. You can order up to ten stars at once. Royal Mail usually has packs on their way within 24 hours, and print-at-home stars are ready as soon as you've paid; for Christmas, order a posted pack by 18 December. You can preview the name on the certificate before you buy. For name corrections, returns and refunds, please read the terms of sale. Our price page has the full breakdown.

Questions buyers ask