Looking for a gift for someone who is excited about the night sky? Or looking for inspiration for a treat for yourself? Waddensky lists the most original and surprising astronomy gifts. There are options for every budget and all ages!
Books
What could be better than diving into a book on a cloudy evening to get inspired for your next observing session? Books on astronomy and stargazing come in all shapes and sizes, below are my personal favorites for both the novice and advanced observer.
Waddensky’s choice
- Stargazing for Beginners
This richly illustrated book teaches you the basics of stargazing. You will become acquainted with the various celestial objects and get tips on how to observe them. You will also learn about different types of telescopes and get an introduction to astrophotography. A fantastic book for anyone who would like to take their first steps under the stars! - Turn Left at Orion
The standard work for both the novice and the advanced observer. The book is full of tips for observing the moon, planets, nebulae, galaxies and other beautiful objects. With clear overviews of what can be seen in the night sky in every season. - Sky & Telescope Binocular Highlights
This is a nice gift for someone who doesn’t have a telescope yet! With help from this beautiful book you can explore the night sky with a simple pair binoculars. A great discovery! - Deep-Sky Companions: The Messier Objects
The well-known writer and astronomy enthusiast Stephen James O’Meara wrote a beautiful book about the nebulae, star clusters and galaxies of the Messier catalog. This famous catalog consists of objects that every observer must see! The book is packed with information and tips to observe each object.
Atlases
A star atlas is a great gift! To take outside while stargazing, to plan your next observing session or to browse through in a free moment.
Waddensky’s choice
- Duplex Moon Atlas
The moon is a fantastic observing target! With this beautiful atlas you will get to know the lunar surface in 38 maps. Discover craters, lunar mountains, and nearly 1,300 other named terrain details, including lunar mission landing sites! - Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas (Normal Edition, Jumbo Edition)
The standard for the novice and advanced stargazer. Well-arranged maps with a large number of objects to see with small to medium-sized telescopes. The Jumbo Edition is 25% larger than the regular edition and contains six extra detailed cards. - Cambridge Double Star Atlas
Double stars are stars that are very close together. A challenge for every stargazer! This standard work contains information about 2,500 binary stars, beautiful maps by Wil Tirion and an extensive introduction to observing binary stars. - Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas (Desk Edition, Field Edition)
This is the best available atlas for advanced observers. Large overview maps of the sky on which you can see at a glance whether an object is within reach of your telescope. Each type of object has its own color for rapid recognition. The Field Edition is moisture resistant and can therefore be taken outside without any problems. My personal favourite!
Globes
You come across them in every study: globes. Usually they are scale models of the Earth, but you can also surprise star lovers with a globe on which the night sky is depicted. Or how about a globe of the Moon, or another planet from our solar system? Below are some fantastic suggestions.
Waddensky’s choice
- National Geographic Celestial Globe (30 cm)
Large globe of the night sky on an aluminum stand. Features constellations, stars, deep-sky objects and the Milky Way. Including lamp for an illuminated display in the dark! - Columbus Jupiter Globe (40 cm)
A huge globe of Jupiter, featuring hand-applied images. On the globe plenty of details in true-to-life colors of the cloud cover of the giant planet can be seen. With of course the famous Great Red Spot and countless other fascinating details. - AstroReality Moon Relief Globe (12 cm)
Phenomenal relief globe of the Moon: you can feel the mountains, craters and lava fields with your fingertips! Highly detailed, three-dimensional view of the lunar surface, based on data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. With the LUNAR’s Augmented Reality app you can explore the Moon with your smartphone.
Posters
A wall decoration with an astronomy theme will make every star lover happy! To enjoy photos of the universe or to gain new knowledge: there is a choice for everyone.
Waddensky’s choice
- Poster of the Solar System (84×59 cm)
Superb overview poster of our solar system, with information and images about planets, comets and other objects that orbit the Sun. - National Geographic Night Sky Poster (79×59 cm)
Beautiful, detailed night sky poster from both the northern and southern hemispheres. With constellations, deep-sky objects and the Milky Way. - National Geographic Poster of Mars (79×57 cm)
Beautiful poster of the surface of Mars, with named terrain details. Extensive and richly illustrated information about the red planet on the back. - Oklop Poster of the Orion Nebula (50×75 cm)
Colourful poster of the Orion Nebula, the star-forming region closest to us. - Oklop Poster of the Andromeda Galaxy (75×50 cm)
Nice large poster of the nearest major galaxy: the Andromeda Galaxy. Marvel at this fantastic object with billions of stars in great detail.
Meteorites
A piece of space rock in your hands! A meteorite is perhaps the most tangible piece of the universe that you can see and hold here on Earth. Meteorites are chunks of rock from space that have fallen to the Earth’s surface. Large meteorites are expensive, but smaller fragments are surprisingly affordable and make a fantastic and original gift for anyone who is excited about the universe!
Waddensky’s choice
- Campo del Cielo Iron Meteorite (Separate fragment, with silver chain)
The meteorite fragments from Campo del Cielo (“Sky Field”) in Argentina come from an impact of an approximately 4 meter large space rock between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago. They are iron meteorites. These are rare: only a few percent of the observed meteors consist of iron. A special gift! - Lunar Meteorite NWA 10203 (Small fragment, larger fragment)
A lunar meteorite is a piece of lunar rock that was once thrown into space by an impact on the Moon and then ended up on Earth as a meteorite. Because of its composition, researchers know for sure that the rock originated from the Moon. They are among the rarest meteorites and it is the only way to have a guaranteed authentic piece of the Moon in your home! - Mars Meteorite NWA 6162
In the same way that lunar rock can end up on Earth, so can rock from the planet Mars. But because Mars is much further away than the Moon, Martian meteorites are even rarer. Grab your chance and buy an authentic piece from another planet!
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