6 Birthday Gift Ideas for the Astronomy Enthusiasts in Your Life

If you’re looking for a gift for the astronomy lover in your life, there are a few ways you can get inspired. A long walk in the night and some star gazing can help you figure out a gift. There are plenty of choices on the market, from smart telescopes for sale to personalised gifts as well as fun and educational books and magazine subscriptions. The opportunities are endless because there are so many astronomy-related gifts.

High-Tech Telescopes

The night sky is filled with bright stars, mysterious planets, and faraway galaxies, and one way to explore them is through a telescope. If your friend is a true astronomy enthusiast, they must already have a telescope in their house. However, you can surprise your buddy on their birthday and buy them one of the high-tech compact smart telescopes to provide them with an enjoyable experience of watching the sky in HD.

These types of telescopes have automatic tracking, image capturing, and one unit that’s app-based, easy to control and user-friendly. The old-school telescopes require manual handling and adjusting, but the smart ones do everything on their own. Your friend will love the amazing features they have.

Automated tracking is one of them. It allows the telescope to follow the celestial objects automatically without any intervention from your friend. They also have image capture which allows them to take beautiful, clear photos of the object they observe. These smart devices can be easily controlled through an app on a tablet or a smartphone. This means your friend can sit inside the house or in the tent and control the telescope outdoors.

When choosing the telescope, there are a few things to consider. The technical specifications are very important. The camera’s quality is crucial for these devices so your friend gets the best image and pictures possible. The resolution is measured in MP or megapixels. The higher the MP, the better the image quality. They can vary from 8MP to 32MP and even more.

The auto-tracking and alignment technology will make sure the celestial object they follow remains in sight. The star databases, GPS and automated calibration will make everything more accurate. Of course, make sure the telescope’s software is compatible with your friend’s device (Android, iOS, Windows). Choose a lightweight telescope your buddy can carry around and enjoy the benefits of owning a telescope and the sight of the sky anywhere.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are an amazing way to spend some free time. It’s something people do for fun and relaxation. If your friend is a puzzle fan, get them a big astronomy jigsaw puzzle. There are so many choices on the market. You can buy them a big, realistic puzzle of the moon. This round-shaped jigsaw is a detailer representation of the moon as we know it.

Solar system puzzles are also a big hit. You can buy them a collection with a puzzle for each planet in our solar system. Galaxy jigsaws can be found in some of the most beautiful images you can find. They’re colourful and enchanting once they’re put together. This is a great gift because once they’re done, they can frame it and the puzzle will act as a work of art on their walls.

Personalised Gifts

The personalised gift category is one of the largest ones to choose from. There are so many options that sometimes it’s hard to make a decision. You can buy a tee with a fun print. Order a tee with their favourite planet, a funny quote, or a space pun they find adorable. You can also order custom-printed mugs and glasses with their name on them.

A keychain with some stars, planets or galaxies is also a good idea. Find local artists and commission an original painting of a galaxy or an abstract version of a planet or a constellation. Find an autographed item or a replica of their favourite astronomer. Star-adorned socks, scarves, hats, and caps are also a big hit. The list goes on and on, the only limit is your imagination.

Astronomy Books

Space is one big and not completely explored subject. There are so many new things we as humans learn about it every day. There are hundreds of astronomy books available. Some are filled with facts and some are basic space history. Your friend can explore space through their smart telescopes and read about it in a book. A book is always a good gift, especially if your friend is just beginning to explore this hobby. These books were an inspiration for some of the most popular space movies. Here is some of the most-read astronomy literature in the world:

• The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide – Terence Dickinson, Alan Dyer;
• The Secret World of Stargazing – Adrian West;
• Moongazing – Tom Kerss;
• Star Mentor – Daniel E. Barth;
• The Disordered Cosmos – Chanda Prescod-Weinstein;
• Light in the Darkness – Heino Falcke;
• Brief Answers to the Big Questions – Stephen Hawking;
• The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy – Moiya McTier;
• Five Billion Years of Solitude: The Search for Life Among the Stars – Lee Billings.

Astronomy-Related Courses

Gifting your friend an experience instead of an actual physical object can be a nice change. There are many courses you can choose from. One of the most popular is a painting course. Buy your friend a ticket to a class where they’ll learn how to paint the night sky and all of its beauty, create watercolour galaxies and simple ways to draw constellations.

There are also online courses where they can take a lesson about space every day, starting from the basic things and advancing to more complex information and facts. Besides courses, you can buy them a subscription to an astronomy-related magazine they’ll receive every month, or a special delivery gift box filled with space-related goodies.

Moon Lamp

Moon lamps are one of the most popular gifts for astronomy enthusiasts. They look amazing on a nightstand while casting a warm light into the room. They come in many sizes and can have different levels of glow. They can also shine in several colours, white, yellow, green, blue, red and violet. Every light accentuates its craters and mountains differently. These lamps come with a stand on their own which can also vary in size, shape and material.