Certified Star Maps
You might be wondering; How can we so confidently claim that our Star Maps are accurate? How can you be absolutely sure that the star map for your special date, shows what the stars actually looked like on that date? It is natural to want to ensure that your star map is completely accurate and shows the exact position of the stars, whether you are thinking of giving a special and unique gift, or you want to immortalize your own special moments and make a star map for yourself.
Well you can rest assured. We believe in complete transparency, and in that goal, we have decided to share with our customers exactly where we find our data from.
The positions of the stars are taken from the 'Yale Bright Star Catalogue'. This star catalogue lists all stars of stellar magnitude 6.5 or brighter, which is roughly every star visible to the naked eye from Earth. This catalogue lists 9,095 stars, 11 novae or supernovas, and 4 non-stellar objects. It was released in 1930, and has been steadily enhanced since by astronomers at Yale University.
Deep sky objects, such as galaxies, star clusters and nebulas are from the Messier catalogue. This catalogue comprises of nearly all the most spectacular examples of the five types of deep-sky object – diffuse nebulae, planetary nebulae, open clusters, globular clusters, and galaxies – visible from European latitudes. The Messier Catalogue was originally compiled by French astronomer Charles Messier and his assistant in 1781. Over the years this list has been enhanced and improved on by several other astronomers, resulting in a dependable and holistic catalogue.
So don't worry about the accuracy of the Star Map! You can be certain that our designers are working hard to make sure that you get the best and most accurate star map for your special date! All you need to think about is how to design your own Star Map!