A star map shows the real sky from a date and place that matters to someone. It’s a gift that says “I remember,” and it works because the details are theirs. This guide helps you pick the moment, the words and the person.
Make your star map · Prefer to have it made for you? See it on Etsy
How to choose the date
Start with a moment the person already tells stories about. A few rules of thumb:
- Pick a moment, not just a year. Something they’d say out loud: “the night we met,” “the day we moved.”
- Choose the moment you want to remember. The map draws stars even for a daytime moment, with the Sun included when it’s above the horizon and switched on.
- Pick a place they’d recognize. The city where it happened matters more than where they live now.
- If you don’t know the time, leave it blank. The map uses noon, local clock time (daylight saving included for that place and year), and says so.
Gifts by person
For a partner. The night you met, your first date or the day you got engaged. See anniversary star maps.
For a newlywed couple. Their wedding day, at the ceremony time. See wedding star maps.
For new parents. The sky on the day their baby was born. See new baby star maps.
For a parent or grandparent. The night they were born, or the night their first child arrived. A quiet, personal gift. See the night I was born.
For a graduate. The ceremony date and campus city. See graduation star maps.
For a friend who just moved. Their move-in date and new city. See new home star maps.
For a pet’s family. The day they brought a pet home. It works the same way, with a name and a date.
For yourself. Any date that mattered to you. Nobody else needs to know why.
A caption bank
Short beats long. Some ideas, in no particular order:
- The night we met
- Where it started
- Same sky, new chapter
- Home
- Welcome, [name]
- The day you arrived
- Class of [year]
- Done. Onward.
- First night in our place
- Year [number], still us
- Under these stars
- Our first date
- The night we said yes
- Born under this sky
- [Names] and the date
- A little sky for a big day
- The night everything changed, in a good way
- Our spot
- The day we got the keys
- The day it all began
A few seasonal ideas
- Thanksgiving weekend: a map for the couple who hosts everyone, using the date they first hosted.
- December holidays: a map of a family’s first holiday together.
- New Year: a map of the first sky of the year, or of the night a new chapter began.
- Valentine’s Day and engagement season: the night you met, or the night you got engaged.
How the map is made
The map is drawn from astronomical calculations of the real sky for the date, time and place you give. The preview is computed in your browser, and nothing you enter into it is sent or stored. If you save or share an image, it includes the details you leave on it. If you order through Etsy, you submit your personalization there so the map can be made.
Questions people ask
What if I don’t know the time? Leave it blank. The map uses noon, local clock time, and says so.
Can I make a map for a date in the past? Yes, any date from 1900 to 2100.
Does the map have anything to do with horoscopes? No. It shows the real sky as it was. There’s an optional zodiac layer that adds labels and symbols, and it doesn’t say anything about the future.
Can I add a name and a message? Yes. There’s a title, a names field and a short line of your own.
What happens to my details? The preview runs in your browser, so nothing you type into it is sent or stored. If you order through Etsy, you submit your personalization there. If you save or share an image, it includes the details you leave on it.
Make yours
Choose the moment, add a few words and see the sky.
Make your star map · Prefer to have it made for you? See it on Etsy
You’ll add your names, date, time and place in the personalization box on Etsy.
