Give your friends and family the gift of the night sky this holiday season. Give them a reason to put down their devices and connect with nature.
TACTICAL GREEN LASER POINTER
It’s a pretty cool gadget for any stargazer. The powerful laser beam helps you point exactly at a single star or planet for great naked-eye stargazing adventures. This is one of my favorite stargazing tools, but it’s not a gift for children.
RED FLASHLIGHT
Unlike white flashlights that blow out your night vision, making it difficult to see the smaller stars, red flashlights do a better job of protecting your night vision.
TELESCOPE
Take stargazing to a new level by giving a telescope as a gift. Avoid the cheap ones that are found in big box stores. They are inferior and will frustrate stargazers. I chat with NASA Solar System Ambassador Ted Blank on the Night Sky Tourist podcast about how to choose the right telescope for your needs. Listen HERE.
PORTABLE STARGAZING LOUNGE CHAIR
Get comfortable under the night sky with a zero-gravity lounge chair. Get ones that fold flat so they can be easily transported to a favorite dark sky location.
STARGAZING FIELD JOURNAL
A stargazing journal is a fun way to track your observations of celestial objects. It also encourages more awareness of the night sky.
THE END OF NIGHT by Paul Bogard
For people who like to read, they’ll enjoy the storytelling style of The End of Night by Paul Bogard. This book is well-researched, but it reads as if it were great fiction. It’s also available as an audiobook on Audible, read by the author. Check out my chat with Paul Bogard HERE.
SEEING THE STARS by Sara Gillingham
This is a fun book for learning about different stars and constellations. It even includes some of the ancient star stories that go along with various constellations. The illustrations are beautiful and the book is great for beginners, too.
CELESTIAL GLOBE
A great celestial globe is a beautiful decorative piece while being educational at the same time.
PERSONALIZED STAR MAP
Commemorate a special date, such as a birthday or anniversary, with a personalized star map. The map will show what the sky looked like on that date and it’s a beautiful piece of art.
SPACE ROCKS
Holding a piece of rock that traveled across the solar system and survived its entry through our atmosphere is awe-inspiring. A meteorite makes a great gift for people who love rocks and space. I highly recommend Aerolite Meteorites, a reputable company that I trust. You can listen to my conversation with their CEO Geoff Notkin HERE and HERE.
NIGHT SKY-THEMED CLOTHES OR JEWELRY
Both kids and adults will enjoy a really cool piece of night sky-themed clothing or jewelry. Emily Rice and her friend started a really fun online store filled with space-themed clothes, jewelry, playing cards, puzzles, toys, and more. Check it out HERE. You can listen to my conversation with Emily HERE.
