Did you know you can view your star using the free Google Earth software?

Just 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 those numbers into the following format: 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.

Also, consider ordering an Astrophoto of your star!  This is a beautiful, letter-size photo of the constellation (the area of the night sky) in which your star is located.  We highlight the area of the constellation where your star is, and include an inset showing your star and its neighboring stars.  Finally, we personalize the Astrophoto with your star’s name and astronomical coordinates.   You can have the Astrophoto e-mailed to you in a PDF format for easy downloading and printing.  Or we can ship a Printed or Framed Astrophoto to you in the mail.  Contact us today to order your Astrophoto!