How to make a star map
What a star map actually is
A star map is the night sky of one moment, drawn flat: the stars and planets in the positions they truly held for a given date, time and place. Making one is really two jobs — computing those positions, and drawing them. dostad does both: the positions come from NASA JPL ephemeris data, and the drawing is rendered at print resolution.
The four steps
1. Pick the moment. Start with the date that matters — a birthday, a wedding day, the night a couple met, a date that remembers someone. Dates from 1900 to 2100 are supported.
2. Choose the time and place. These matter as much as the date. The place decides the angle you saw the sky from, and the local time zone is applied automatically, so search the city, hospital, venue or address where the moment happened. If you don't know the exact time, an evening time on the right date works — and you can try a few and compare.
3. Preview it free. You'll see the sky immediately, with no account and no payment. The preview is watermarked; the file you buy isn't. Adjust the date, time or place until the sky is the one you want.
4. Choose a format. Two ways to take it:
- Digital download — $2 USD. A high-resolution PNG (up to 4096 px) plus a scalable SVG. Print it yourself at any size, or hand it to a print shop. Delivered instantly. - Framed print — $100 USD. 16 × 20 in (40.6 × 50.8 cm), 300 dpi on matte art stock, framed and ready to hang. Made to order and shipped within Canada and the US; includes the digital files.
Make your star map — free preview
What makes it accurate
The honest test of a star map is whether it matches the real sky. We check our positions against documented astronomical events. Our reference test reproduces the Great Conjunction of 21 December 2020, when Jupiter and Saturn passed 6.1 arcminutes apart — their closest approach since 1623. If the map reproduces a known event that closely, it's reproducing your night too.
Every map is generated in Canada. Made in Canada. Star positions from NASA JPL ephemerides.
Common questions
Do I need to know the exact minute? No. The date and place do most of the work; the exact time refines it. An evening time on the right date is a fine choice when the exact minute is unknown.
Can I order it for someone else? Yes — pick their moment, add a short message (name, date, a few words), and choose digital or framed. The star map gift page covers the gift angle.
Which occasion should I start from? Whichever fits: birth, wedding, anniversary, memorial, or the Canadian shop page, custom star map Canada.
Ordering
Every map is made to order and personalised, so all sales are final — please check your date, time and place before you pay. If we got it wrong, we'll fix it or refund you in full. See the refund policy.