Gifts for Stargazers
With the festive season quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to start thinking about what to buy the budding astronomer in your life. There’s never been a more extensive choice of valuable and thoughtful items to enhance someone’s stargazing sessions, and in this blog, we’ll take a look at some of the best gift ideas available right now.
In the last few years, astronomy has seen something of a boom. An increase in spare time courtesy of the pandemic saw more people looking for new hobbies than ever before. And with recent celestial events, including the visit of Comet NEOWISE and the launch of the impressive James Webb Space Telescope, astronomy has captured the imaginations of a whole new audience. So if you’re looking for inspiration for the perfect present, here’s our list of the top gifts for stargazers.
Name a Star
A star-naming gift pack could be the ideal present to spark an interest in the stars. The OSR Online Star Gift includes a fully personalised digital certificate of registration and everything you need to find your newly named star. You’ll also receive a factsheet with information on your star’s constellation. And for that extra special touch, you can even include your own personal message.
Stellarscope
A stellarscope offers a quick and easy way to identify the stars above you. Simply set the date and time, and as you look through the scope, you’ll see the stars and constellations labelled on the star finder’s display. With its simple and lightweight design, a stellarscope is worthy of a place in any stargazer’s tool bag.
Planisphere
Similar to a Stellarscope, a planisphere is a vital tool for charting the night sky on any given day. By manually rotating the date and time disc, you’ll see a chart containing the stars, constellations and deep-space objects visible at that exact time.
H. Raab (User:Vesta), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
H. Raab (User:Vesta), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Moon Globe
Our nearest celestial neighbour has captivated humanity for millennia. Indeed who hasn’t spent time staring at the craters and seas of our only natural satellite? With a Moon globe, you can familiarise yourself with all of the Moon’s most notable features, ready to put into practice on your next stargazing outing.
Space Shuttle Model
While NASA has now moved on to the next generation of spacecraft, the Space Shuttle will forever be remembered as an iconic marvel of human engineering. In addition, it played a huge role in some of astronomy’s greatest and most tragic moments. With incredible replicas of all five Space Shuttles available in various sizes and configurations, these models are a great ornamental option for anyone interested in space exploration.
Space Artwork
The night sky is a work of art all by itself. So why not bring some of that beauty indoors with a piece of space-related artwork? There are thousands of choices available to suit the tastes of any stargazer. Whether opting for diagram-style artwork, artistic impressions or photographs displaying the highlights of the cosmos, you’re sure to find something to please your gift receiver.
Super Star Gift
Why not consider the OSR’s Super Star Gift for an extra special present? In addition to all of the digital benefits of the Online Star Gift, you’ll also receive a selection of luxury extras, including a telescope, a star globe and a fabulous star map poster.
Our Top Pick
There’s a vast choice of gifts for stargazers out there, but our absolute favourite is the Super Star Gift. Its mix of fascinating information, useful tools and heart-warming sentimentality make it the perfect present for any astronomy fan.
