Cassiopeia and Andromeda — Two constellations (areas of the night sky) named after mothers from classical mythology. You can name a star in either constellation!
Naming stars for our mothers is popular today. In fact, many objects in the night sky have been named after mothers for thousands of years. And now mothers fly among the stars as astronauts!
The Name A Star Live constellations Andromeda and Cassiopeia are named after two beautiful mothers from classical mythology. Cassiopeia, the Queen of the Ethiopians and the mother of Andromeda, was a prideful woman who boasted that she was more beautiful than the female attendants to Poseidon, the god of the sea. For this transgression Poseidon punished Cassiopeia by sending a sea monster to attack Cassiopeia’s country and to kill Andromeda. But Andromeda was saved and would later have seven children of her own. Now both mothers travel together in the heavens above as the constellations we know them by today.
As you’re thinking about what to get your mother for Mother’s Day, you might be interested in some of the Mother’s Day messages Name A Star Live customers have included on their Star Certificates. Below are some of the best messages we’ve received. Of course, we’ve changed the names in the messages to protect the privacy of our customers. We hope these examples will give you some ideas about what to write for your mom.
Have a happy Mother’s Day!
Thank you for being the star of my life!
To my mommy, I love you to the moon and back.
Your wisdom and knowledge have shown us the way, and we are thankful for you as we live day by day. We don’t tell you enough how important you are, in our universe you’re a bright shining star.
Happy Mother’s Day, Alice! I love you and I can’t wait to meet our son!
The Mother’s Day star will always be in the sky for you – Happy Mother’s Day. Thanks for loving us, no matter what. The Mother’s Day star never fades
As the stars in the sky are countless, so too are the ways you’ve helped me, encouraged me, and showed me your love. Happy Mother’s Day! I love you!
For my amazing mother who loves unconditionally, and gives wholeheartedly. I love her with all of my heart, and all of my soul.
A star is like a mother’s love, bright, beautiful, warm and everlasting; your star will shine forever in the far above, for you deserve the light it will always be casting.
To the best mum in the world, you really are a star. We will always love you!
Happy Mothers Day!!! I am so proud to be your son, you are such an amazing woman and I am truly thankful for everything you are and do. You are my hero, best friend and an amazing mother.
As you’re thinking about what to get your significant other for Valentine’s Day, you might be interested in some of the Valentine’s Day messages Name A Star Live customers have included on their Star Certificates. Below are some of the best messages we’ve received so far. Of course, we’ve changed the names in the messages to protect the privacy of our customers. We hope these examples will give you some ideas about what to write for your loved one. Have a happy Valentine’s Day! Continue reading “Top Ten Valentine’s Day Messages”
There is a lot to love about astronomy, and photographer Julien Girard offers a “heartfelt” example in this image. A bright pink symbol of love appears to float ethereally against the backdrop of the night sky over the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO’s) Paranal Observatory in northern Chile. Girard drew the heart in the air by shining a tiny flashlight keychain at the camera during a 25-second exposure with a tripod.
The central region of the Milky Way appears in the middle of the heart, as the plane of our galaxy stretches across the image. The stars of the constellation of Corona Australis (The Southern Crown) form a glittering arc of jewels at the top of the heart’s left lobe. The diffuse glow to the left of the heart’s lowest point is zodiacal light, caused by the scattering of light from the Sun by dust particles in the Solar System.
On the far right horizon, the 8.2-metre telescopes of the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) facility stand out in silhouette atop Cerro Paranal. The lights of a car driving down from the observatory platform can be seen just to the left of the telescopes.
Julien Girard is an ESO astronomer based in Chile, who works at the Ver Large Telescope (VLT). He is the instrument scientist for the NACO adaptive optics instrument on the VLT’s Unit Telescope 4. He submitted this photograph to the Your ESO Pictures Flickr group, from where it was picked out as an ESO Picture of the Week.
Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration. Acknowledgement: B. Whitmore ( Space Telescope Science Institute) and James Long (ESA/Hubble).
Colliding galaxies make love, not war
This Hubble Space Telescope image of the Antennae galaxies is the sharpest yet of this merging pair of galaxies. As the two galaxies smash together, billions of stars are born, mostly in groups and clusters of stars. The brightest and most compact of these are called super star clusters.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
This picture of a heart-shaped pit on Mars was taken on February 26, 2008 by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). It is approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long and is centered near Mars’ equator. The pit is one of many adjacent to Hydaspis Chaos, a jumbled topographic depression thought to have formed by collapse of the surface due to—perhaps—catastrophic release of groundwater.
Credit: NEAR Project (JHU/APL)
Just in time for its Valentine’s Day 2000 date with 433 Eros, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft snapped this photo during its approach to the 21-mile (34 kilometer)-long space rock. Taken Feb. 11, 2000 from 1,609 miles (2,590 kilometers) away, the picture reveals a heart-shaped depression about 3 miles (5 kilometers) long. Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory – which manages the NASA mission – processed the image on Feb. 12, 2000.
October’s the month for Halloween, and Name A Star Live can help you get in the mood for trick-or-treating! Here are some spooky sights and sounds from outer space.
First, let’s set the scene with some scary space sounds! Before scrolling down this webpage any further, turn up your speakers or headphones, and start this video of some eerie sounds from Saturn:
Let’s start with a witch who resides just outside the Name A Star Live constellation Orion:
The Witch Head Nebula. Image Credit: NASA/STScI Digitized Sky Survey/Noel Carboni
As frightening as this witch may be, no need to fear: She’s about 800 light-years away, and so won’t be casting any spells on us for a long time to come! She’s actually a giant collection of dust particles that is reflecting light off of a star named “Rigel” in Orion.
The Ghost Nebula. Image Credit: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona
I ain’t afraid of no ghosts — especially when they’re 1,200 light-years away! This phantom of the night haunts the constellation Cepheus, which borders the Name A Star Live constellations Cassiopeia and Cygnus.
The Ghost of the Seven Sisters. Image Credit: NASA/ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team STScI/AURA), George Herbig and Theodore Simon (University of Hawaii)
This ghost is located a little closer to Earth, at 380 light-years away in the Name A Star Live constellation Taurus. It’s part of the Pleiades star cluster (a.k.a. “The Seven Sisters”), which many people confuse with the Little Dipper. Let’s hope this ghost doesn’t get any closer to Earth!
The Ghost Head Nebula. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Mohammad Heydari-Malayeri (Observatoire de Paris) et al.
The Ghost Head Nebula, or NGC 2080, is a star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way Galaxy visible from the southern hemisphere of Earth. The nebula spans about 50 light-years across.
The Black Widow Nebula. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Wisc.
What’s Halloween without spiders? The Black Widow Nebula hangs in her web in the southern hemisphere constellation Circinus. But arachnophobes have no fear! This spider from the depths of space is actually a stellar nursery. In this Spitzer Space Telescope image, the two opposing bubbles are being formed in opposite directions by the powerful outflows from massive groups of forming stars. The baby stars can be seen as specks of yellow where the two bubbles overlap. So upon seeing the Black Widow nebula, instead of screaming shouts of terror, we should say, “Aw, how cute!”
The Death Star from “Star Wars,” and Mimas, moon of Saturn. Image Credits: Pinterest.com and NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
Much closer to home than any of the nebulae presented above, Mimas — a moon of Saturn — appears ready to blast Earth out of existence! We better keep a close eye on this scary menace!
The jack-o’-lantern Sun. Image Credit: NASA/SDO
Finally, we wish you a Happy Halloween with this solar image showing active regions on the Sun that combined to look something like a jack-o-lantern’s face on October 8, 2014. This image blends together two sets of extreme ultraviolet wavelengths to create a particularly Halloween-like appearance.
We hope you’ve enjoyed these spooky sights and sounds!
No, there’s not an insurgency planning to take action against the planet Saturn! Rather, this month Saturn will be at what astronomers call “opposition,” which is a great time to observe the beautiful ringed planet. On June 27 (June 28 for those of you in Australia, Japan, China, India and other parts of the eastern hemisphere), Saturn will be at opposition, meaning Saturn will be on the opposite side of the sky from the sun: When the sun sets that evening in the west, Saturn will rise in the east. Really, all of June and into July is a great time to see Saturn. You can use the Moon to find Saturn (and Jupiter) in late June:
Saturn and Jupiter in relation to the Moon the evening of June 25, 2018Saturn and Jupiter in relation to the Moon the evening of June 26, 2018
On June 27, look for Saturn immediately adjacent to the Moon.
For the best view, wait until at least two hours after sunset to look at Saturn through a telescope. (Before then, you’ll be looking at Saturn through the thicker layers of Earth’s atmosphere near the eastern horizon.) So get out your telescope and take a look at the beautiful ringed planet this summer!
“Solar System Update,” which provides fascinating info about Saturn and other planets, is part of Name A Star Live’s Virtual Planetarium astronomy software. Virtual Planetarium is seven great programs in one! With interactive sky maps, a library of stunning imagery, and updates on the latest space events, space weather, auroras, and more, you’ll navigate the night sky with ease.
Look for Jupiter too!
In addition to Saturn, you can see the giant planet Jupiter in the Name A Star Live constellation Libra this month. Viewed through a telescope, you may see up to four of Jupiter’s largest moons. And did you know that 11 Earth’s could fit across the width of Jupiter?
Jupiter viewed from the northern hemisphere…
In June Jupiter will be in the constellation Libra (outlined in yellow here), over the southern horizon.
Viewed from the southern hemisphere…
Viewing Jupiter from Sydney, Australia in June, shortly after sunset. Jupiter will appear above the northern horizon in the constellation Libra.
Get our Moon Tweets!
Our Moon Tweets let you know what constellation the Moon is in each night.
Our Moon Tweets let you know when the Moon is in a Name A Star Live constellation.
Did you know you can use the Moon to identify where your star’s constellation is in the night sky? Follow us on Twitter where we let you know when the Moon appears in a Name A Star constellation (area of the night sky).
The dark red appearance of a full lunar eclipse is something special: Don’t miss this month’s eclipse! Photo Credit: Collin Von Son
If you’ve been online lately, you’ve probably heard about the “Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse” coming up on January 31, 2018. What’s this all about?
Well, there are three lunar events happening during the pre-dawn hours that day:
The 2nd full Moon of the month will occur. When there are two full Moons in a month, the 2nd one is called a “Blue Moon.” The first full Moon of January occurred on New Year’s Day.
This full Moon is a so-called “supermoon” because it will appear a bit larger and a bit brighter than a normal full Moon. This is because this Blue Moon occurs when the Moon is close to “perigee” — the Moon’s closest approach to Earth.
A lunar eclipse will occur early that morning, making the Moon appear to be reddish (like blood) in color.
Put all three together, and you get the “Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse.”
What’s more, this is the first Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse visible from the western hemisphere in 150 years.
Here’s a NASA video about the Super Blue Blood Moon:
Name A Star for the New Year and name a second star for free! Regardless of where you live in the world, you can order one of our Instant Gifts, which are provided via the Internet so that you can download, print and give right away! What a nice gift idea for the host of your New Year’s party!
And remember: Name A Star Live is the only star naming service that launches your star name into space! Name a star with us and join us in person to watch the launch of your star name. We’ll be hosting a star party too where you can view the stars and planets through telescopes. If you can’t join us in person, you watch via webcast.
See the stars and planets at our star party in New Mexico.
It’s all happening in April 2018 at a place called “Spaceport America” in New Mexico — about a two-hour drive north of El Paso. This 21st century spaceflight facility will be used by Sir Richard Branson to fly space tourists into the Final Frontier. Spaceport America is also one of the launch locations we use to fly our customers’ star names. Watching a launch occur over the majestic landscape of New Mexico — the “Land of Enchantment” — is simply breathtaking! Plus, you can tour Mission Control and view the rocket on the launch pad. Name A Star Live makes you a part of real space missions, and you get the full experience at Spaceport America.
Touring the launch pad at Spaceport America
After we launch your star name, you get a letter-size, Digital Launch Certificate confirming that your star name was part of a real space mission. If you can’t join us for liftoff, you can even watch the launch online. What a wonderful Christmas gift! So name a star today!
We offer 2 types of gifts:
Our Instant Gifts are provided to you via the Internet: Download, Print and Give right away, 24/7!
Our Keepsake Gifts are printed and shipped to you or to your gift recipient. We offer free Priority Mail shipping to U.S. addresses.
When you take advantage of our Buy One, Get One sale you:
Get one of our Instant Gifts that’s called simply the “Instant Gift Set” — a $19.95 value, absolutely free!
How to Make Your Buy One Get One Purchase:
1. Visit our site and add any Gift Set to your cart. 2. Enter your special offer code at checkout. 3. Complete your purchase. 4. Name both of your stars and gift them to friends & family!
One of our most popular Instant Gifts is the Instant Gift Set Plus, which starts at $29.90. Provided to you via the Internet, it includes everything you’ll need to make the stars come alive. It’s a great name-a-star gift for Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, a birthday, graduation or any special occasion.
The Name A Star Live Instant Gift Set Plus includes:
A letter-size Digital Star Certificate that displays the name of your star, your star’s astronomical coordinates, and a personal message you write for your gift recipient.
A letter-size Digital Star Chart that shows the position of your star within its constellation (area of the night sky, such as Aries or Taurus).
You get a Digital Launch Certificate each time we launch your star name into space — with Name A Star Live, you’re made part of real space missions!
Name A Star Live is the only star naming service that launches your star name into space! Name a star with us and join us in person to watch the launch of your star name. We’ll be hosting a star party too where you can view the stars and planets through telescopes. If you can’t join us in person, you watch via webcast.
See the stars and planets at our star party in New Mexico.
It’s all happening in April 2018 at a place called “Spaceport America” in New Mexico — about a two-hour drive north of El Paso. This 21st century spaceflight facility will be used by Sir Richard Branson to fly space tourists into the Final Frontier. Spaceport America is also one of the launch locations we use to fly our customers’ star names. Watching a launch occur over the majestic landscape of New Mexico — the “Land of Enchantment” — is simply breathtaking! Plus, you can tour Mission Control and view the rocket on the launch pad. Name A Star Live makes you a part of real space missions, and you get the full experience at Spaceport America.
Touring the launch pad at Spaceport America
After we launch your star name, you get a letter-size, Digital Launch Certificate confirming that your star name was part of a real space mission. If you can’t join us for liftoff, you can even watch the launch online. What a wonderful Christmas gift! So name a star today!
We offer 2 types of gifts:
Our Instant Gifts are provided to you via the Internet: Download, Print and Give right away, 24/7!
Our Keepsake Gifts are printed and shipped to you or to your gift recipient. We offer free Priority Mail shipping to U.S. addresses.
When you take advantage of our Buy One, Get One sale you:
Get one of our Instant Gifts that’s called simply the “Instant Gift Set” — a $19.95 value, absolutely free!
How to Make Your Buy One Get One Purchase:
1. Visit our site and add any Gift Set to your cart. 2. Enter your special offer code at checkout. 3. Complete your purchase. 4. Name both of your stars and gift them to friends & family!
One of our most popular Keepsake Gifts is the Deluxe Gift Set, which starts at $54.95. Shipped to you or your gift recipient, it includes everything you’ll need to make the stars come alive. It’s a great name-a-star gift for Christmas, New Years, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, a birthday, graduation or any special occasion.
The Deluxe Gift Set includes:
A letter-size, Printed Star Certificate showing the name of your star, your star’s astronomical coordinates, and a personal message you can write for your gift recipient.
A Star Chart showing the location of your star within its constellation (area of the night sky, such as Aries or Taurus). You get to choose the constellation for your star.
Our award-winning Virtual Planetarium astronomy software that brings astronomy to life with seven great programs in one. Explore the Universe with interactive games, breathtaking NASA imagery, and the latest updates from exciting space missions. Plus see a display of which constellations and planets are visible from your home each night. Suitable for all ages.
A Digital Launch Certificate provided to you each time we launch your star name into space!
You get a Digital Launch Certificate each time we launch your star name into space — with Name A Star Live, you’re made part of real space missions!
As you’re thinking about what to get your significant other for Valentine’s Day, you might be interested in some of the Valentine’s Day messages 
In addition to Saturn, you can see the giant planet Jupiter in the Name A Star Live constellation Libra this month. Viewed through a telescope, you may see up to four of Jupiter’s largest moons. And did you know that 11 Earth’s could fit across the width of Jupiter?
