Nonprofit Adopt a Star
the unique gift that supports astronomy research
Since 2008, we have raised research funding for scientists through this nonprofit adopt a star program. Within a few minutes of your donation, you will receive an email with instructions to download your certificate and view your star in Google Sky. All proceeds support the search for Earth-like planets and characterization of the target stars by a team of astronomers ★ More about us »
Choose from five stellar options:
Adopt a target star $10Adopt a double star $15Adopt a suspected planet host $25Adopt a confirmed planet host $50Adopt a bright star $100
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Target stars are fainter, and are not available in all constellations. Double stars are popular gifts for weddings and anniversaries. Suspected planet hosts are stars that might have planets around them, while confirmed planet hosts definitely have planets. Bright stars can be seen without a telescope, and are available in every constellation in the sky.
Adopt a target star for only $10!
All target stars have been observed by NASA space telescopes as part of a search for Earth-like planets. Great last-minute gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or Christmas. Enter the name you want to appear on the certificate, then click Donate Now. You can choose a specific star by entering a star #. Use the Shopping Cart to adopt many stars with a single payment.
Two ways to choose a star:
- Select the brightest available
Just click Donate Now, you get the brightest star by default - Select by constellation / number
Search your constellation for a special number, like 0214
Adopt a double star for only $15!
All double stars are two stars in orbit around each other, which appear as a single point of light in the sky. They are perfect gifts for weddings, anniversaries, or Valentine’s Day. Enter the name you want to appear on the certificate, then click Donate Now. You can choose a specific star by entering a star #. Use the Shopping Cart to adopt many stars with a single payment.
Two ways to choose a star:
- Select the brightest available
Just click Donate Now, you get the brightest star by default - Select by constellation / number
Search your constellation for a special number, like 214
Adopt a suspected planetary system for only $25!
These are suspected planetary systems identified in the NASA Exoplanet Archive, which are still waiting to be confirmed with additional observations. Enter the name you want to appear on the certificate, then click Donate Now. You can choose a specific star by entering a star #. Use the Shopping Cart to adopt many stars with a single payment.
Two ways to choose a star:
- Select the brightest available
Just click Donate Now, you get the brightest star by default - Select by constellation / number
Search your constellation for a special number, like 214
Adopt a confirmed planetary system for only $50!
These are confirmed planetary systems identified in the NASA Exoplanet Archive. All of these stars have an official Kepler, K2 or TESS number. Enter the name you want to appear on the certificate, then click Donate Now. You can choose a specific star by entering a star #. Use the Shopping Cart to adopt many stars with a single payment.
Two ways to choose a star:
- Select the brightest available
Just click Donate Now, you get the brightest star by default - Select by constellation / number
Search your constellation for a special number, like 42
Adopt a bright star visible without a telescope for $100!
These are the brightest stars observed by NASA, visible with the unaided eye or using binoculars—no telescope is required. For birthday gifts, choose a star in their zodiac sign! Enter the name you want to appear on the certificate, then click Donate Now. You can choose a specific star by entering a star #. Use the Shopping Cart to adopt many stars with a single payment.
Two ways to choose a star:
- Select the brightest available
Just click Donate Now, you get the brightest star by default - Select by constellation / number
Search your constellation for a special number, like 214
WHO WE ARE: I’m Travis Metcalfe, an astronomer at White Dwarf Research Corporation in Golden, Colorado. I started this nonprofit adopt a star program in January 2008 to help raise research funds for the Kepler/TESS Asteroseismic Science Consortium, a large international team of scientists. Our work is central to the science goals of the Kepler and TESS missions, but NASA is not allowed to fund international organizations—that’s why we need your support!
WHAT WE DO: NASA launched the Kepler space telescope in 2009. It targeted nearly 200,000 stars in the summer Milky Way, followed by 300,000 stars all around the sky. Some of the stars have planets, and some of those planets pass directly in front of their star. We determine the sizes and ages of these planetary systems by measuring the properties of their stars. Kepler has stopped collecting new observations, but TESS launched in April 2018 to survey nearly the entire sky. We have a lot of work to do!
WHY CHOOSE US: We are professional astronomers, and this program is run by a 501c3 nonprofit organization. You can feel confident that your donation will support cutting-edge research on the stars that you adopt. So adopt a star and support our work! Who knows? Maybe an Earth-like planet will be found around the star that you adopt—how cool would that be?
HOW IT WORKS: First, select a star from our database. If you don’t choose a specific star, we will give you the brightest star available. Next, enter the name or dedication that you would like on your certificate. Finally, click the Donate Now button and complete your donation using your credit card or bank account. Within a few minutes our automated system will send you an email with links for you to download your certificate and view your adopted star in Google Sky.
WHEN TO ADOPT: Star adoptions make wonderful gifts for any occasion: anniversaries, baby showers, birthdays, Christmas, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, weddings—or adopt a star for yourself at any time! We provide personalized service if you need a larger number of stars for guests at a special event, or members of a corporate team. Please contact us for details.
WHERE IS MY CONSTELLATION?
Aquarius ★ Aries ★ Cancer ★ Capricorn ★ Gemini ★ Leo ★ Libra ★ Pisces ★ Sagittarius ★ Scorpius ★ Taurus ★ Virgo
Nonprofit Adopt a Star, as seen in:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my donation supports astronomy research?
All payments are processed by PayPal, with credit card processing fees that are typically 2.5% on a $100 payment. After subtracting these fees, the remainder of your payment supports astronomy research. There are no other charges.
Can someone else adopt a star that I already adopted?
No, all of the stars in our database are the targets of NASA space telescopes that are searching for planets. Each star is unique, and can only be adopted once. When you adopt a star, you receive a link to your individual star page that will always show the name or dedication that you provided. Stars that are already adopted can never be adopted by someone else.
Why didn't I receive the email from Nonprofit Adopt a Star?
Within a few minutes of your payment, our automated system will process your star adoption and send a message to the email address that you provided to PayPal at checkout. You should receive a receipt from PayPal immediately following a successful payment, followed by an email from Nonprofit Adopt a Star a few minutes later. If you don't receive these emails, check that your payment was actually completed and look in your junk email (spam) folder for the missing messages.
Where can I find a copy of my star adoption certificate?
A direct link to your star adoption certificate is included in the email from Nonprofit Adopt a Star that immediately follows your successful payment. It is also accessible from your individual star page in our database, just click on the name that appears next to "Adopted for" at the top. To find your star page, search our database for the name or star number on your certificate.
How can I find my individual star page in the database?
A direct link to your individual star page is included in the email from Nonprofit Adopt a Star that immediately follows your successful payment. To find your star page, search our database for the name or star number on your certificate.
How can I locate my adopted star with a telescope?
The sky coordinates of your adopted star are shown on your star page, on the right side below the Google Sky image. Point to these coordinates to find your star with a computer-controlled telescope. The constellation of your star is shown on the left side below the Google Sky image, and it links to a star chart centered on this constellation. Plot the coordinates on the star chart and refer to the Google Sky image to find your star with a manually-controlled telescope.
What if I have other questions or comments?
We are always happy to help select the right star for your needs, or answer any other questions that you may have about our Nonprofit Adopt a Star program. Please send your email directly to Travis.