Space and Astronomy Gifts

Astronomy gifts for dreamers and stargazers

A sky on the ceiling

A projector covers the ceiling with stars for an evening, in the city as well as in the country. The Planetarium Galaxy Projector ($259.99) shows more than 60,000 stars, adds shooting stars and plugs into a wall outlet. With the Galaxy Light Projector ($74.99), a full rotation sweeps Ursa Major, Orion or Sagittarius across the walls, in white, yellow or blue light. The Galaxy Star Projector ($107.99) changes scenes with its 7 films, from a starry night to planet landscapes.

Moon and planets

A lamp shaped like a heavenly body lights a room as much as it decorates it. The Levitating Moon Lamp ($169.99) shows laser-etched lunar craters and switches between white, warm white and yellow with a touch. The Galaxy Night Lamp (from $39.99), 3D printed on a wooden base, cycles through 16 colors with its remote. The Solar System Lamp ($34.99) creates a holographic illusion of the planets and runs on USB or 3 AA batteries.

Watching the real sky

To aim at the real Moon, it helps to know what each instrument can do. The Childrens Telescope ($99.99), a tabletop telescope for ages 8 and up, magnifies 20 or 32 times: the Moon is spectacular, Jupiter and Venus are clearly visible, but nebulae stay out of reach of its 40 mm lens. The Astronomical Telescope ($78.99) goes from 18 to 90 times with its two eyepieces. With every telescope, pass on one rule: never look at the Sun.

Space decor

In an adult's home, space exploration and images of the sky make good decor. The Pillars Of Creation Poster (from $16.99) reproduces the famous Hubble photo of gas towers in the Eagle Nebula, in seven sizes. The Vintage Science Fiction Poster ($19.99) shows Saturn, Neptune, Mars or Earth in a retro style, and the Moon Phases Poster (from $29.99) lines up the lunar cycle in a long, narrow format (frame not included). You'll find more among our science-themed home decor gifts.

Something for a kid

For a child's bedroom, a projector is chosen for its shape too. The Cosmonaut Robot Galaxy Projector ($104.99), an astronaut sitting on a rocket, projects 13 scenes, from the solar system to the Andromeda galaxy; its head turns and a magnetic arm points the projection. The Galaxy Night Light Projector Infinity ($114.99) goes anywhere on its battery and changes mood with its 32 films. From age 8, a telescope from the tab "The real sky" can take over.

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Projector or telescope: two ways to look at the sky

A projector and a telescope don't tell the same story. The projector decorates: it shows stars, nebulae or constellations on the ceiling, even on a cloudy night in the middle of the city. The telescope shows the real sky, but it needs a clear night and a little patience for the first adjustments; the Moon is the easiest target to start with, before the planets. A lunar eclipse or a meteor shower like the Perseids makes a great first night out together (meteors are best watched with the naked eye). The first makes them dream, the second makes them want to learn. Cosmology buffs will find more in our astronomy and astrophysics gifts. For a science fan in the broader sense, see our gifts for scientists; for a teenager, our science gifts for teenagers.