![Starry Night](http://blog.nameastarlive.com/wp-content/uploads/Starry_Night_at_La_Silla.jpg)
Credit: ESO/H. Dahle
Why do people come to websites like NameAStarLive.com and ‘name’ stars?
Love is certainly one of the main reasons: Couples have gazed at the stars above for countless generations. Like true love, the stars are beautiful and eternal, they are a powerful source of energy and light in an otherwise lonely existence, and their sparkle brings joy to our hearts. When we view the heavens above, we join with generations – past and future – that have gazed/will gaze upon the same heavenly view in awe and wonder.
And so people name stars so as to express their love in a truly meaningful way: Unlike a bouquet of flowers, or a box of candy, a star lasts forever. Here are just a few examples of star messages — with a love theme — that our customers have included on their Star Certificates (note that we’ve changed the names that originally appeared in these messages):
- “This is to let you know that not only will you always hold a place in my heart, but you will forever have your own place in the sky. I love you.”
- “If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you’ve made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand.”
- “Happy Valentine’s Day!! To be a star you must shine your own light and not worry about the darkness for that is when a star shines brightest. You are a shining star to me and I love you.”
- “Happy Birthday, and Happy Anniversary! This is to show you that you really do mean the world, the stars above and the heavens beyond us to me. I love you with every single breath I have left within me.”
![A couple at sunset](http://blog.nameastarlive.com/wp-content/uploads/couple_sunset_250.jpg)
Credit: Orkatz Goenaga
Love takes many forms – not just romance. There is the love of a parent for a child, a child for a parent, a sibling for a sibling….
- “You are the best little brother in the whole galaxy. You are the shining star that brightens up our day. We love you to the moon and back.”
- “Happy Birthday, because your 21st birthday only comes once … I thought I’d give you something that could last a lifetime, that would remind you every time you look at the sky: you’re special.”
- “To Our Mother and Grandmother, You’ve earned your own star in the universe…. And we give it to you with much love, From Your Children and Grandchildren”
Because stars are eternal and are symbolic of heaven, many people name stars in memory of departed loved ones:
![M101](http://blog.nameastarlive.com/wp-content/uploads/m101.jpg)
- “May you always look to the heavens and think of Mary”
- “In Memory of Andrew… Always an eternal star in our lives.”
- “When I look up at the starry sky
I think of angels & how they try
To make the world a beautiful place
To share God’s wonderful grace
I know that Mom is up there too
Shining her love for me and you”
Then there are special occasions, such as our busiest time of the year for star-naming — the holidays:
- “Merry Christmas Bob, My love for you will remain bright and constant like the star now named after you. Every time you look up, you will know I am there. Mary”
- “This is for the two stars in my life!!! Happy Channukah!!!”
- “When you look up at the sky and see all the beautiful stars, there is now a very special star that is just for you! The Jenny star. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas.”
![Graduation photo](http://blog.nameastarlive.com/wp-content/uploads/graduation.jpg)
Many people name stars to mark special rites of passage in life:
- “Congratulations on your Bar Mitzvah! – What a joyous occasion that you will remember for the rest of your life.”
- “In Honor Of Your Graduation: Many dream, some try, but only a few achieve. You are an achiever. You have made us all proud, keep up the good work. May you shine brighter than the stars!”
- “Congratulations on your graduation & citizenship! I choose a star within the constellation of Scorpius in honour of your birthday!”
Naming a star is a great corporate gift for employees, clients and investors!
- “You are a very valuable asset to the company. You are a twinkle in all of our eyes. You are a fountain of knowledge. Thank you for all that you do!”
- “Janet, in honor of your hard work and dedication to our shareholders, customers and employees, we would like to dedicate this star to you!”
- “Happy Admin Day! You get a star for being a great employee :)”
Sometimes, students and their parents will honor a beloved teacher:
- “When you take a moment to look up at the stars, please remember, you created a bright and shiny future. These early years and the people I meet, set the foundation of who I am. You are a Star Teacher.”
- “Thank you for inspiring us to Reach For The Stars!”
- “Thank you so much for ALL you have done for our family! You mean so much to us and now you will be celebrated amongst the stars!”
Or teachers will recognize their students:
- “Congratulations to all of you! I have loved teaching you all! You are one of my favorite classes I have ever had in the last twelve years of teaching! I will miss you!”
- “May this star light the way for all of our students & scouts on their journeys of life-long learning, whether their classroom is a science lab or a campground under the midnight sky.”
- “To My Star Students: May you always shine bright and believe in yourself!”
Regardless of the reason you may have for ‘naming’ a star in the Milky Way, Name A Star Live provides the best star-naming service: We transform the symbolic gesture of naming a star into a real space experience by launching your star name into space! After each launch, we provide you a letter-size Launch Certificate, confirming the flight of your star name. Each of our gift sets includes a letter-size star certificate (see example below) displaying the name of the star, astronomical information about the star, and an optional personal message for the gift recipient. Name a star today!
![Star Certificate](http://blog.nameastarlive.com/wp-content/uploads/star_certificate_550.jpg)