Can
I arrange for a personalized anniversary, graduation,
birthday or memorial gift?
Yes: Many of our customers
name stars as unique anniversary, graduation,
birthday, memorial, Bar Mitzvah, or employee
recognition gifts. You personalize the gift
by naming the star and by including a brief
personal message on the Star Certificate.
Do people
name stars for Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mother's
Day or Father's Day?
Yes: Name A Star Live is a popular
holiday gift.
Can
I really name a star after a person? Can I buy a
star? Will my star name be officially recognized?
Clearly, you cannot buy a star.
The stars belong to all of us or none of us, whichever
you prefer, and they are not for sale. Naming a
star is a symbolic gift idea which obviously does
not involve any legal title/ownership. Our register
is not used by the scientific community although
it is a perfectly valid register. Scientists refer
to stars only by their astronomical coordinates,
catalog number, or in few cases by commonly-used
names, such as "Polaris," the North Star.
In referring to and listing stars by name —
the name you choose — we have created a symbolic
and personal rather than astronomically significant
listing.
What
is a gift set?
A "Gift Set" is the
mechanism you use to name a star. We have several
different gift sets to choose from that fit your
interests and budget. We offer free delivery via
Priority Mail within the United States. Our Instant
Gift Set is delivered by e-mail immediately
upon purchase. We also offer express delivery (for
an additional fee).
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Can
you provide an example of a star name and message?
When you buy a star through our
on-line shopping cart you will be asked to provide
a name for your star, to designate for whom the
star is named, to write a message, etc. People usually
name stars using the gift recipient's first name,
full name, or nickname -- how you name the star
is completely up to you. For example, you might
name a star "William," "William Smith,"
or "Bill." Here's a full example:
Star Name Registration
Choose Star Name: (max 25 char.):
Alice
Registration Date: (m/d/yyyy): 3/2/2010
In Honor Of: (max 30 char.): Our 25th Anniversary
Constellation: Andromeda
Message to recipient
To: Alice
Message: (max 200 char. including spaces): No matter
what, we will always be under one sky together.
Thanks for the best 25 years of my life. I look
forward to many more. Happy Silver Anniversary.
I love you ALWAYS and FOREVER.
From: Tom
Click here
for some more examples of star messages.
What
are constellations? Can I choose the constellation
for my star?
Just as a state or province
clearly specifiies a particular area of a nation,
a constellation clearly specifies a particular area
of the night sky. You can choose which constellation
in which your star is located from the following
list: Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn,
Cassiopeia, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Orion, Pisces, Sagittarius,
Scorpius, Taurus, Ursa Major and Virgo.
What
constellations can I see from my location on Earth?
Our World
Constellation Guide shows which Name A Star
Live constellations you can see and what time of
the year you can see them.
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How
can I find my star in the night sky?
With your Star Chart, Virtual
Planetarium™ astronomy software, and/or a
planisphere constellation finder (all available
from Name A Star Live), you can easily find the
general location of your star in the night sky.
First, using Virtual Planetarium and/or a planisphere,
find your star's constellation in the night sky.
(Note that different constellations are visible
at different times of the year, and that some constellations
are visible from some parts of the world, but not
from others: See our World
Constellation Guide.) Once you locate your constellation,
use your Star Chart to find your star's position
relative to the very brightest stars in your constellation.
Only a relative handful of stars
are visible to the naked eye. The stars in our register
are outside naked eye visibility. Therefore, to
view the star you will need a telescope. This is
one of the reasons we offer the
SLOOH online telescope service with our Deluxe
and Ultimate Gift Sets (only). Your Star Certificate
and Star Chart display the star's astronomical coordinates
that can be used with SLOOH or with automated ("go
to") telescopes to find your star. Also, you
might consider approaching a local planetarium or
astronomy club to ask for their expert assistance.
How
can I find my star in Google Earth?
Follow these steps to find your
star in Google Earth:
- Download
the Google Earth software to your computer.
- Once you open the software you'll see a row
of icons in the toolbar at the top of the screen.
Click on the icon that looks like the planet Saturn.
- From the drop-down menu, choose "Sky."
- You should see some stars and constellation
names appear on your computer screen.
- Toward the upper, left-hand corner of your screen
you should see two tabs under the word "Search."
Choose the "Location Search" tab.
- Now you'll need to enter the astronomical coordinates
of your star, specifically, the star's "Right
Ascension" and "Declination," which
you'll find on your Name A Star Live Star Certificate.
- You'll need to convert the Right Ascension (RA)
and Declination (DEC) values from your Star Certificate
into a format Google Earth can understand. This
is really easy to do! Here's an example:
- Suppose your star has Right Ascension 5h
8m 39s and Declination 3° 48' 33".
- Then convert that format into 5:8:39,3:48:33
- Note that there are no spaces between any
of the numbers or other characters.
- Also note that you must list the Right Ascension
value first, followed by the Declination value.
- Now, just enter 5:8:39,3:48:33 into the
box for "Location Search" and click
on the magnifying glass icon (or just hit
"Enter" on your keyboard).
- Google Earth will then zero in on your star.
- Note that some stars are not visible in Google
Earth. In this case, Google Earth will zero in
on a black area of space.
Can I
pick a particular star, or otherwise have my star
meet some special astronomical requirement?
Yes, you can pick a particular
star or specify that your star meet some special
astronomical requirement (such as stellar magnitude),
but customization fees or other surcharge fees will
apply. Please contact
us for details and to make arrangements.
What
if I live in the southern hemisphere?
We ship all around the world,
including the southern hemisphere. We have a
special Web page for our friends in Australia and
New Zealand. If you live elsewhere in the southern
hemisphere, be sure to check out our world
constellation guide to pick a constellation
(area of the night sky) that you can see from your
location.
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What
are star catalogs?
Star catalogs are lists of stars.
Over the centuries, astronomers have devised various
different star catalogs/listings. They refer to
stars by catalog numbers, astronomical coordinates,
or in a few cases by commonly-used names, such as
"Polaris" -- the North Star. Our register
refers to stars by your chosen name, and is thus
personal rather than scientific.
Are
stars named more than once in your database?
A star is named only once in our
database. The name that you have chosen will be
included in our database and launched into space
as part of our Earth-orbiting "Celestial Archive."
Click here to
see the schedule for our next launch.
Can the star I've
named be named in another company's database?
No one (or everyone) owns the
stars — choose your viewpoint. There are over
a hundred different scientific registers that catalog
stars. Each refers to stars independently. A non-scientific
database of star names is no different. Even though
there are millions of stars, a star in any company's
register/database could be referred to by another
name in another company's register/database.
What
is SLOOH?
 |
| SLOOH Observatory,
Canary Islands |
SLOOH
is an online telescope service that allows anyone
with Internet access to view stars, planets and
other celestial objects through world-class telescopes
located in observatories around the world. Name
A Star Live is the only name-a-star company to offer
SLOOH.
Which of your gift
sets include SLOOH?
SLOOH is included in all
of our Deluxe, Framed, and Ultimate Gift Sets. SLOOH
is not included in our Instant or Star Bear Gift
Sets.
How do I find my star
with SLOOH? Do I have to be an experienced astronomer
to use SLOOH?
For those who purchase a
Deluxe, Framed or Ultimate Gift Set, we include
detailed instructions on using SLOOH to view one's
star. It's easy to do, and no astronomical experience
is required.
Is my star visible
through SLOOH now?
Different constellations are visible
at different times of the year. Click here
to see when each of our constellations is visible
through SLOOH.
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If I can see
my star through SLOOH now, can I also see my star
through my own telescope now?
Maybe: When (or even if)
you can see a particular star with your own telescope
depends not just on the time of year and the optical
characteristics of your telescope, but also on your
location on Earth. A star visible from one of the
SLOOH telescopes may not be visible in your part
of the world at the same time -- or at all. To find
out what Name A Star Live constellations are visible
from your part of the world, visit our
blog for a guide to this month's starry skies.
Have
any other star-naming companies launched their star
names? Do any of them offer SLOOH?
No, we are the only star-naming
company that launches star names into space and
offers SLOOH.
What do you launch,
and how do you launch it?
Were an aerospace company that
got into the name-a-star business: We take the star
names and the personal messages on our customers'
Star Certificates, save that data onto a computer
chip, and launch the chip into space. We fly our
"Celestial Archive" on board rockets launched
from a variety of locations around the world.
Where do the spacecraft
go?
The spacecraft are launched
on orbital and suborbital missions. Orbital missions
fly around the Earth. Suborbital missions fly briefly
into space and return to Earth. We also have plans
to fly to the Moon and into deep space.
When and where
is the next launch?
Click here
for information on upcoming launches.
Do your spacecraft
create orbital debris pollution?
Space Services' spacecraft are
carefully designed so as not to create orbital debris.
Our Earth-orbiting spacecraft stay permanently attached
to rocket stages that orbit until they harmlessly
re-enter and are completely consumed by Earth’s
atmosphere. Of course, suborbital flights are designed
to fly briefly in space and return to Earth intact.
For missions which are launched
aboard a commercially purchased launcher, the Office
of Commercial Space Transportation, Federal Aviation
Administration issues a license which verifies that
the Space Services payload does not contribute to
orbital debris. For missions not subject to FAA
approval, Space Services voluntarily follows the
same guidelines which prevent orbital pollution
from its missions.
How long will Earth-orbiting
Space Services spacecraft stay in Earth orbit?
The length of orbital stay depends
on the final altitude of the primary satellite launched
on the mission. Space Services' spacecraft is a
“secondary payload” aboard each mission.
For previous spaceflights conducted by the Space
Services team the orbital life span ranged from
two years to several hundred years.
How often do you
launch?
We launch about once or twice
a year, although we expect to launch more frequently
in the near future.
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