How To 

How to Make a Custom Star Map

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What did the sky look like on the night you were born? How about on your wedding day? Or even way back before you were alive? Thanks to technology, you can find out. And with a little creativity, you can record that moment forever by creating a custom star map detailing the layout of the heavens on a special day in history. Sometimes it’s good to relive the past, if only in a small way. Here’s how to make a custom star map for yourself.

1. Decide if you want to create one online to purchase or make it yourself.
You have a few options when it comes to star maps. You can either go the DIY route, which takes a bit more work, or you can find a source online to purchase a custom map from. There are many places that offer them, so do your research if you want to go this route. If not, keep reading and you’ll learn how you can make one on your own.

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2. Use an online sky charter to customize the date and location.
Clearly, you can’t just imagine what the sky looked like on any given night in the past. That’s what databases are for! There are many resources online that will allow you to choose a date, time, and location so you can get an exact layout. This website is just one example of many: https://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Yoursky.

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3. Print out an online version, customize it in Photoshop, or draw it yourself.
When you find a website you want to use to create your custom map, you have a few options. You can either print out the web page, customize the image in Photoshop to add more and turn it into a poster, or you can use the website’s image as a reference and draw out your map yourself. This last option is more complex and time consuming, but it can be incredibly rewarding.
 

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