Star Registry: How It Works, What It Records, and How to Search It
A star registry is a database that pairs real stars with personal dedications. When you name a star, the registry records the star's catalog designation and sky coordinates alongside the name you chose, the date, and a personal message - and issues a certificate documenting the entry. The AstraName Star Registry is one such registry: private, permanent, and searchable, built on stars from the public HR and HD astronomical catalogs.
One thing before anything else: no star registry - ours included - assigns official scientific names. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the only body that names stars in scientific catalogs, and it does not sell names. Every registry entry is a symbolic dedication. We explain exactly what that means in Is Naming a Star Real?
What Is a Star Registry?
In practice, "star registry" means a privately maintained record of star dedications. Each entry ties a documented, real star to a person: someone's name, a meaningful date, and a short message become part of the record, and the star's real astronomical identity (catalog number, RA/Dec coordinates) makes the entry verifiable. Registries differ in what they record, whether entries are publicly searchable, and - most importantly - how honest they are about the symbolic nature of the dedication.
What the AstraName Star Registry Records
Every registration in the AstraName Star Registry contains:
- The star - a real star from the HR (Bright Star Catalog) or HD (Henry Draper) public catalogs, with its catalog designation preserved
- Coordinates - the star's actual RA/Dec position, printed on the certificate and usable in any astronomy app
- The dedication name - up to 40 characters, exactly as you enter it
- The registration date - the date you choose: a birthday, wedding, memorial date, or the day of the gift
- A personal message - up to 200 characters, shown on the certificate and the star page
- A registration number - the unique ID used to look the entry up
- A personal star page - a permanent page at its own URL showing the dedication, shareable with anyone
Entries are permanent. The personal star page stays online, and the registration number remains valid for lookups.
How Do You Search the Star Registry?
The registry is publicly searchable in the AstraName Star Database. You can look up a registration by its registration number - from a certificate you received, for example - or browse registered stars with their names, dedication dates, constellations, and coordinates. Each entry links to its personal star page.
If someone gave you a star certificate from AstraName and you want to verify it: enter the registration number from the certificate into the star database search. The entry will show the star, the dedication, and the coordinates that match your certificate.
Is There an Official Star Registry?
No private star registry is "official" in a scientific sense, no matter what its name says. The IAU is the only authority that names stars in scientific catalogs - it maintains roughly 450 approved proper names (as of 2024) out of billions of cataloged stars, adopts them through scientific committees and public contests, and does not sell names at any price. Services with "official", "international", or "global" in their branding operate private databases, exactly like everyone else in this market.
What separates registries is honesty, not officialness. A trustworthy registry tells you the dedication is symbolic, shows you the real star behind the entry, and prices the product as the personalized keepsake it is. The full breakdown - including what to check before buying from any star registry - is in our honest guide, and the astronomy side of the story is in How Stars Actually Get Their Names.
How Do You Register a Star?
Registration takes under five minutes on the Name a Star page: choose a package, pick a constellation (the recipient's zodiac sign is the common choice), enter the name, set the date, write the message, and pick a certificate design - the preview updates live before you pay. Digital registrations are delivered by email within minutes; printed packages ship free within the U.S. The step-by-step details are in the How to Name a Star guide.