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June 2010 Night Sky

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

Stars are located within constellations, which are just areas of the night sky. Scorpius, Aries and Taurus are examples of constellations. Your Name A Star Live Star Certificate displays the name of your constellation.

You can use our online World Constellation Guide to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight). Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope.

Star-forming galaxies like grains of sand

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

The Planets This Month

Several planets are visible with the naked eye in May, including Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter.

Venus is the bright object you’ll notice in the western sky around sunset this month: It will set in the west a couple of hours after sunset. It is in the constellation Cancer now.
Mars is in the constellation is in Leo this month: If you live in the northern hemisphere of Earth, Mars will appear toward the west-southwest after sunset. If you live in the southern hemisphere, Mars will appear toward the north-northwest at sunset.
The ringed planet Saturn will be to the east of Mars — in the constellation Virgo. If you live in the northern hemisphere of Earth, look for Saturn toward the southwest after sunset. If you live in the southern hemisphere, look for Saturn toward the northwest after sunset. Like all the other planets, Saturn gradually moves west across the night sky. In fact, Saturn will be visible through most of each night in June.
If you’re an early bird, then you might see the mighty planet Jupiter as it rises above the eastern horizon before sunrise this month. Next to Jupiter is the planet Uranus, but you’ll need a telescope to see it.

Uranus, Earth and the Moon — This illustrates the relative sizes of Uranus, Earth and Earth's Moon. The images are shown at the proper relative size, but not the correct relative distance from each other. Uranus is approximately 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) in diameter, or about four times the size of Earth. The Earth is approximately 7,900 miles (12,800 kilometers) in diameter, or about four times the diameter of the Moon, 2,100 miles (3,500 kilometers). Credit: NASA, ESA and L. Sromovsky (University of Wisconsin)

May 2010 Night Sky

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

You can use our new, online World Constellation Guide to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight). Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope.

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

Galaxy Cluster MACS J025.4-1222. Click image above to view video.
Credit: NASA, ESA, CXC, M. Bradac (University of California, Santa Barbara), and S. Allen (Stanford University)

The Planets This Month

Several planets are visible with the naked eye in May, including Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter.

Venus is the bright object you’ll notice in the western sky around sunset this month: It will set in the west a couple of hours after sunset.
Mars is in the constellation Cancer this month: If you live in the northern hemisphere of Earth, Mars will appear toward the south after sunset. If you live in the southern hemisphere, Mars will appear toward the north at sunset.
The ringed planet Saturn will be to the east of Mars — in the constellation Virgo. If you live in the northern hemisphere of Earth, look for Saturn toward the southeast after sunset. If you live in the southern hemisphere, look for Saturn toward the northeast after sunset. Like all the other planets, Saturn gradually moves west across the night sky. In fact, Saturn will be visible through most of each night in May.
If you’re an early bird, then you might see the mighty planet Jupiter as it rises above the eastern horizon shortly before sunrise this month.

Get a rare look at Mercury — Venus too!

April 2010 is a particularly good time to see the planet Mercury. Mercury is the innermost planet to the sun, and is thus difficult to observe. But you can get a good look at Mercury in early April this year, especially if you live in the northern hemisphere of Earth.

Look toward the west at sunset (being careful not to look at the sun!). You should see two bright points of light above the western horizon. The object on top is the planet Venus, and the object beneath that is the planet Mercury. Both planets are in the constellation Aries, which is a Name A Star Live constellation. So if you have a star in Aries, then if you find Venus and Mercury, you know your star is nearby!

Venus and Jupiter at Sunset — Venus and Jupiter shortly after sunset, June 2002. Credit: NASA

Mercury and Venus will appear closest together on the evenings of April 3 and 4. Again, the best views will be from the northern hemisphere of Earth. If you live in the southern hemisphere, then the two planets will appear so close to the western horizon at sunset that you may not get a good view. (Again, don’t look at the sun!)

If you observe the two planets through a telescope. you’ll notice that Venus looks like a bright, almost-full circle, while Mercury looks like a semi-circle — or even a crescent shape. This is because Mercury is so very close to the sun that we never really see the full face of the planet.

Don’t wait! Your best views of Venus and Mercury will be in the first week to 10 days of April.

April 2010 Constellations

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

You can use the World Constellation Map below to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight) in April. Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope.

DIRECTIONS: Find your approximate location in one of the horizontal bars on the map, and then note the corresponding red number (1-7). Then find your number in the list below to identify what Name A Star Live constellations you can see this month from your corner of the world.

1. For those of you in far northern climes, it doesn’t really get dark till past midnight in April. But if you’re willing to go outside at around 1:00 am you can see stars in the constellations Leo, Cancer, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor.
2. Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and Virgo are visible before midnight.
3. Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and Virgo are visible.
4.r Look for Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Ursa Major and Virgo this month.
5. Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Libra and Virgo are visible this month.
6. Cancer, Leo, Libra and Virgo are visible.
7. Libra and Virgo are visible.

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

See the planet Mars!

A heart-shaped surface feature on Mars. — From Mars, With Love. This heart-shaped pit on the surface of Mars was photographed by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor.

Pull out your telescope and look to the skies above, for this is a good time to see the planet Mars as the famous “Red Planet” is near what’s called “opposition.” This means that Mars and Earth are close to one another in their orbits around the Sun. (See diagram below.)

Name A Star Live diagram of Mars at opposition — At opposition Mars and Earth are at their closest approach to one another in their orbits around the Sun. (Note that this diagram is not to scale.)

It’s called “opposition” because, when viewed from Earth, Mars and the Sun appear at opposite sides of the sky at sunset: on the day of opposition, Mars rises over the eastern horizon just as the sun sets over the western horizon. While the Mars opposition was January 29, 2010, you can get good views of Mars throughout February.

If the star you have named is in the constellation Cancer then you’re in luck, for Mars is in the constellation Cancer as well for the next few months: If you find Mars, then you’ve found the constellation Cancer! Mars appears as a rather bright, reddish-orange object in the eastern sky during the first few hours after sunset this month.

If you have any trouble finding the planet, just use your Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software, which is included in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets. Also, you can view Mars through the SLOOH online telescope — Name A Star Live is the only name-a-star company to offer SLOOH.

Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to view the Red Planet as Mars oppositions occur only about once every 26 months.

Top Ten Valentine’s Star Messages

Each Name A Star Live Gift Set includes a letter-size star certificate that displays the name of the star, astronomical information about the star, and an area where you can include a brief personal message for your gift recipient.

Here are some notable Valentine’s messages our customers wrote in January (we’ve changed the names to protect our customers’ privacy):

There are not enough stars in the sky to compare to the love that I will always have for you. Happy Valentine’s Day, my beautiful Roger.
Happy Valentine’s Day! This is to celebrate our first Valentine’s together. Remember me every time you gaze at the stars – yours will be the brightest and most beautiful of them all =) I love you.
No star could ever compare to you. I love you so much.
To the woman that means the world to me. I give you this star as a sign of my love for you. My love extends to our star and back again. I love you, always and forever yours…
To the one whom I love most in this galaxy… Forever my wife. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Kiss me and you will see Stars. Love me and I will give them to you.
For our first Valentines. Every time I am away I will look up in the night sky and see your star and think of you. Always…
You are everlasting in my heart. Every time you think of your star, remember, like the stars, my love for you endures forever.
I love you more than life. You are my world, my one true love, and my shining star.
Mi Amor, I Love you so much.

Couple — Name A Star for Valentine's Day!

Be sure to check out our Twitter and Facebook pages where we’ll keep you up-to-date on all things Name A Star Live!

February 2010 Constellations

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

You can use the World Constellation Map below to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight) in February. Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope.

1. Those of you in northern climes can see Andromeda, Aries, Cancer, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Orion, Taurus, Ursa Major (where the “Big Dipper” is) and Ursa Minor (where the “Little Dipper” and the North Star are located).
2. Andromeda, Aries, Cancer, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Leo, Orion, Taurus, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are visible.
3. Andromeda, Aries, Cancer, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Leo, Orion, Taurus, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are visible.
4. Look for Aries, Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Orion and Taurus this month.
5. Aries, Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Orion and Taurus are visible this month.
6. Cancer, Leo, Gemini and Orion are visible.
7. Orion is visible.

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

November 2009 Constellations

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

You can use the World Constellation Map below to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight) in November. Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope.

1. Those of you in northern climes can see Andromeda, Aries, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Pisces, Taurus, and Ursa Minor, where the “Little Dipper” and the North Star are located.
2. Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Orion, Pisces, Taurus and Ursa Minor are visible.
3. Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Orion, Pisces and Taurus are visible.
4. Look for Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Orion, Pisces and Taurus this month.
5. Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Orion, Pisces and Taurus are visible this month.
6. Aries, Pisces, Orion and Taurus are visible.
7. Aries, Orion, Pisces and Taurus are visible.

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

Here’s a neat image from the Hubble Space Telescope of a beautiful object that can be seen from just about anywhere in the world at this time of the year:

: M45, The Pleiades Star Cluster

Located in the constellation Taurus, the Pleiades Star Cluster (designated “M45” by astronomers) is one of the most famous and beautiful objects in the night sky. The Pleiades, which can be seen without the aid of a telescope, are often confused with the Little Dipper due to the arrangement of the Pleiades’ brightest stars in a ladle-like formation. While, using the naked eye, we can distinguish anywhere from six to nine stars in the Pleiades (depending on local observing conditions and one’s eyesight), in reality M45 has approximately 500 stars located about 400 light-years from Earth.

The Pleiades are also known as “The Seven Sisters” that represent the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione from classical mythology. The story goes that when Orion attempted to burst into the private sanctuary of the sisters’ home, Venus turned them into a flock of doves so they could fly away to safety.

The Aborigines also interpreted this group of stars as a cluster of young girls. These girls were seen as musicians who played for a group of boys, which are represented by the stars that are seen in the Belt of Orion.

The Zuni people of North America called the Pleiadies “seeds” because the first appearance of the Pleiades helped the Zuni decide when to plant their crops. The Zuni also knew that when the Pleiades moved directly overhead in the early morning it was time to harvest what they had planted, because the winter was coming soon.

The Japanese word for this set of stars is “Subaru,” after which the famous Japanese car company is named. In fact the Subaru corporation’s logo is patterned after M45.

November’s Planets

Jupiter still dominates the evening skies this month: For those of you in the northern hemisphere of Earth, look for the bright, steady light towards the south shortly after sunset. For those of you in the southern hemisphere, look for Jupiter towards the north shortly after sunset.

You earlybirds in the northern hemisphere will see Mars almost due south (almost due north for those of you in the southern hemisphere) shortly before sunrise this month. Regardless of where you live, Saturn will be above the eastern horizon before sunrise in November.

New Zealand launch coming up!

One of the ways Name A Star Live makes star-naming real is by launching your star name into space: You become part of a real space mission! Our last launch was in May 2009 from Spaceport America, New Mexico. Our next launch will occur on board Rocket Lab’s new Ātea-1 rocket — the first rocket to launch into space from New Zealand.

The Ātea-1 is a two-stage vehicle capable of carrying payloads of 4.4 lbs (2 kg) up to 75 miles (120 km) altitude. The rocket is a sub-orbital vehicle, meaning it carries its payload into space and then returns to Earth. The picture at left is of a recent engine test.

Rocket Lab Ltd. is designing its rockets to be environmentally-friendly. An average car produces approximately 2,000 kg of C02 per year, (based on 5,000 miles of traveling). A single Ātea rocket produces under 14 kg of C02 per launch.

All Name A Star Live customers who have purchased before November 16, 2009 will have their star names and Star Certificate personal messages on board this launch. After the launch occurs we will provide you a Launch Certificate via e-mail, certifying your participation in this historic space mission!

Launch is projected to occur the week beginning Nov. 30 (New Zealand time), which is Nov. 29 in the United States. The exact date and time is weather dependent. Please see our Launch Schedule Web page for the latest launch news.

Top Ten Star Messages

Here are some notable messages our customers wrote in October:

Because you are a star to us and you deserve your place in the constellation! Happy Birthday and may you have many more years of good health, happiness, and peace.
You are a “star” in many ways. Thank you for your caring and professional support.
God has given you a future as bright and limitless as the stars. Love, Mom and Dad
Merry Christmas Baby. Now when you look up at the stars you can know that one of them is yours. No matter how bad your day is, you can always look up and know I am there for you.
Happy one year anniversary! I wanted to name this star after you so that you always think of me when you look up at the night’s sky. I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you.
“I love thee, I love but thee with a love that shall not die till the sun grows cold and the stars grow old.” – William Shakespeare
Sis, “When twilight drops her curtain down and pins it with a star, remember that you have a friend though she may wander far.” Sisters forever.
This is one of your early Hannuka presents as you wished. Don’t lose sight of your star for it will look over you and keep you safe forever
You are not only one of Grandma’s very loved stars, but now you are a shining star in the entire universe. Love forever, Texas Grandma
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! My love for you will last as long as the stars shine in the heavens. Love, Jane

Be sure to check out our Twitter and Facebook pages where we’ll keep you up-to-date on all things Name A Star Live!

Happy one year anniversary! I wanted to name this star after you so that you always think of me when you look up at the night’s sky. I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you.