Tip Center Category: Notable Stars in the Sky

Polaris: North Today, Not Tomorrow

The North Star has been used for centuries as a navigational tool. Its existence has long been a point of fascination for mankind taking a place of prominence in the mythology of past civilizations.

In truth, “North Star” is just a title—many astronomers refer to it as Polaris. And one surprising fact about Polaris is that it won’t always be the North Star. Due to the gradual change in direction of the Earth’s axis, we can only expect Polaris to align with true north for about another 5,000 years. After that, the rightful title of North Star will transfer to Alpha Cephei, followed by Vega after 7,000 years, and Thuban after another 9,000.

By the time Polaris has retired its northward reign, it’s possible the human race may have already traveled to distances beyond the North Star (after all, at 430 light years distant, it’s only a hop away in interstellar terms). By then the notion of actually purchasing a star may be commonplace, or at least feasible. Until such time, the permanently earthbound can take a symbolic slice of the celestial pie by using name-a-star services to pay tribute to loved ones.

The Big Dipper: Map to Freedom

The Big Dipper is not a constellation, but an asterism—which means that it’s a smaller group of distinctive stars within a much larger constellation. In this case, the Big Dipper stars are a part of the constellation of Ursa Major, also known as the Big Bear.

Constellation or not, the Big Dipper is one of the most visible and recognizable star patterns in our sky. Its history is compelling—during the turbulent era of America’s Civil War, escaped slaves fleeing northward would use the Big Dipper’s “pointer stars” (the two stars that make up the end of the dipper’s bowl and form a direct line to the North Star) to help navigate their way. Directions were coded into a folk song titled “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”

That people of different cultures all imagined the shape of a dipper in the stars, and the outline of a bear in the greater interconnected constellation, speaks volumes to our inherent desire to assign earthly significance to the stars. Today, name-a-star companies do a small part in keeping that spirit alive. When you buy someone a star and dedicate it in that person’s name, you’re partaking in a tradition as old as man.

The Pleiades Star System: Not Just a New Age Myth

Perhaps no other group of stars is as steeped in mythology as the Pleiades star cluster—and not just due to recent myths that have grown around claims of extraterrestrial visitation. The star system, which in relative terms is considered a new neighbor (scientists estimate their distance at 425 light years, and their age at about 100 million years) has a long history embedded within the folklore of many cultures.

The Lakota Tribe of North America called the Pleiades “Cmaamc,” weaving a legend that linked them to the creation of Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. The Aztecs called them “Tianquiztli,” which means “gathering place.” In Swahili they’re called “kilimia,” which translates to "digging stars”—their appearance always coinciding with the onset of the rainy season.

But the Pleiades are probably best known for their place in Greek mythology, where the seven brightest stars are named for the mythical Seven Sisters, daughters of Atlas and Pleione, whom Zeus immortalized by turning into stars.

Nowadays, you don’t have to wield the power of Zeus in order to give someone a taste of immortality—symbolically purchasing a star and naming it for a loved one can accomplish the same, with a decidedly less dramatic outcome.

Vega: A Star for All Seasons

Vega is one of the most studied stars in our sky. A recent article in Science Daily states that scientists have detected the existence of a magnetic field on Vega — giving further indication that it may have a planetary system.

Although new discoveries about Vega continue to feed the public’s interest in one of the closest and brightest stars in our sky (Vega is a mere 25 light years away, practically next door), that interest is certainly not new.

In Polynesian culture, Vega was called “Whetu a Fe Tau” (The Year Star) and served to mark the beginning of their new year, as its setting below the horizon was used in ancient Rome to mark the beginning of autumn. And in Chinese mythology, Vega played a large part in a stellar love story that cast Altair and Vega as separated lovers that came briefly back together in the night sky every seven years.

The history of the stars is filled with a rich romanticism that carries on to this day. Purchasing a star for a loved one is a symbolic act made possible by name-a-star companies, whose work helps keep that spirit of romance alive.

Orion the Hunter: Star of the Heavens

In terms of popularity and recognition, only one other group of stars rivals the Big Dipper: the constellation of Orion. Few other constellations have been so documented or discussed.

Egyptian culture viewed the constellation as a celestial light show, part of a greater tribute to Osiris, the god of the afterlife. However, the constellation gets its Western name from its roots in ancient Greek mythology, which imagines the figure of a hunter named Orion, complete with belt, sword, and two hunting dog companions named Canis Major and Canis Minor.

The fascination with Orion persists to this day, where scientists continue to discover new and exciting facts about our universe’s most famous constellation. According to Professor James B. Kaler, one of the minor stars in Orion, HR 1988, has two enormous planets orbiting it—one of them almost the size of Jupiter, the other about 12 times bigger.

Names like HR 1988 are common among stars because creative names are impractical for scientific purposes. However, it’s possible to rename a star, albeit not officially. With the help of name-a-star companies, you can symbolically buy someone a star, and give it a truly memorable name.