How to make a star map, from a date to a piece of art
No design skills needed. If you can pick a date and a place, you can make something beautiful in about three minutes, and see all of it before you pay.
A star map is a chart of the night sky as it stood over one place at one moment. Ours are computed from a real star catalog for the exact date, time and coordinates you enter, then set into a design with your own words beneath the sky. The designer does all of this live in your browser: every change you make redraws the poster in front of you, and the same render is used for the files and the framed print, so what you see is exactly what you receive.
Here is the whole process, screen by screen.
- 01
Choose a design
Open the designer and pick one of the fourteen designs: Galaxy, Moon, Eclipse, Heart, Heart White, Valentine, Anatomical, Crimson, Navy, Noir, Paper, Navy Disc, Duotone or Black Disc. The poster on the left updates as you click. Nothing you choose here is final; you can switch designs at any step and everything else you have entered stays.
If you have your own photo, the "Your photo" card places it behind the map, with the stars drawn inside a circle, a moon, a heart or an anatomical heart over it, for $19 on top of any format. Under the designs, Map options switch the constellation lines, the Milky Way, the horizon ring and the grid on or off.
- 02
Enter the moment
Type the place and choose it from the list; we resolve the exact latitude, longitude and time zone, and show the zone under the fields so you can confirm it. Then enter the date and, if you know it, the time. The map redraws within a second: a different date or place is a different sky.
If you are not sure of the time, leave the default evening hour. The date and place decide which sky it is; the hour rotates it slightly. Dates from 1900 to 2100 are supported.
- 03
Write your words
Give the map a title, a subtitle and, if you like, a short third line. Pick a suggested line or write your own, and choose whether to show the place name, the date and the coordinates beneath the map. Every change appears on the poster as you type.
Short works best. A name or a phrase for the title, and the date or the place for the subtitle. The occasion pages have wording ideas for anniversaries, births, weddings and more.
- 04
Download it or have it framed
Pick what you want: the digital files ($25), which arrive by email within minutes as 300 DPI PNG and PDF in 12×16, 18×24 and 24×36 inches, or a framed print in one of those three sizes ($69, $109 or $179), printed to order and shipped free to the US and 40+ countries, usually within 7 to 12 business days.
Before you pay, you can download a free watermarked preview of your exact map to look at, share, or check against a planetarium app. Payment is by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe. No account is created; your files and your order updates come to your email.
What happens after you order
Digital orders: the files are rendered at 300 DPI and emailed within minutes, with a link to download them again any time. Framed orders: the map is rendered at its exact print size, printed on semi-gloss paper, mounted in a black wood frame with an acrylic front, and shipped with tracking. Free shipping to the US and 40+ countries.
Before you pay, check three things
The date, the time zone shown under the fields, and the spelling of every name. The files and the print are rendered from exactly what the preview shows. Use the free watermarked preview to look at it on a bigger screen or send it to someone for a second opinion.
If something is wrong
Every order has a 14-day money-back guarantee, from purchase for files and from delivery for prints. A typo in the digital files is re-rendered free within 14 days. A print that arrives damaged is reprinted and reshipped free; send a photo.
Astronomically accurate, and you can check it
Around 9,000 stars from the HYG catalog and all 88 constellations, computed for your coordinates and minute. The accuracy page explains the method, the limits, and how to verify a map in free planetarium software before you buy.
See the science →Questions about the process
How long does it take to make a star map?
Most people finish in about three minutes: a design, a place, a date and a few words. There is nothing to install and no account to create.
Is it really free to design?
Yes. Designing, previewing at full size and downloading a watermarked preview cost nothing and need no card. You pay only if you want the print-ready files ($25) or a framed print (from $69).
Can I see the whole map before I pay?
Yes. The preview on the left of the designer is the full map with your date, place, words and design applied. What you see is what the files and the framed print will look like.
What if I make a mistake after ordering?
For digital files, tell us within 14 days and we re-render them free. For framed prints, contact us as soon as you can; production starts quickly, but we will always try to catch it before printing.
How do I get my files again later?
Open the Resend page and enter the email you ordered with. The download links are sent again. There is no account and no expiry on re-downloads.
Do I need to know the exact time?
No. If you know it, enter it and the map is exact to the minute. If not, leave the default; the date and place decide which sky it is.
More on the help page, the printing guide and the gift guide.
Updated September 21, 2026
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