Star maps / 50th anniversary star map
50th anniversary star map: the sky over your parents' wedding night
Fifty years ago your parents stepped out of the church under a sky nobody photographed. We print that sky over the place, with their names and the date, for you and your siblings to give them.
Print from $39, framed from $89. Free US shipping.
Design your parents' star mapYou see the exact poster before you pay.
What is printed on it
The poster above is for a Charleston wedding on November 13, 1976, when Mirfak stood 54 degrees up in the northeast.
- The sky over the placeEvery star brighter than magnitude 5.8 from the Yale Bright Star Catalog, with constellation lines, as it stood around 9 pm local sun time.
- Their starThe brightest named star at least 45 degrees up, circled, with the line “Mirfak was shining right above us.”
- A small street mapThe street or town where they married, with a heart on the spot.
- Names, place and dateTheir names in script, then the place and the wedding date.
- PaperThick matte fine art paper, 230 gsm, acid free, pigment inks. No shine under a lamp.
Real skies over weddings from 1975 to 1977
The couples here are made up; the stars and the moon are computed for each night.
Saturday, November 13, 1976, King Street, Charleston
Say Linda and Robert married on King Street and drove off with cans tied to the bumper.
Mirfak 54 degrees up in the northeast, circled. Capella 36 degrees northeast, Aldebaran 33 east. A waning gibbous moon, 59 percent lit, was still below the horizon at nine.
Sunday, July 4, 1976, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
That was the Bicentennial. Say your parents picked it so nobody could ever forget the date.
Arcturus 61 degrees up in the southwest gets the circle. Vega 59 degrees east, Antares 23 south. A first quarter moon, 54 percent lit, hung 27 degrees up in the southwest.
Saturday, September 27, 1975, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Married in 1975 means the golden anniversary was last year. If it passed without a gift from all of you, that sky is still there to give.
Vega 58 degrees up in the west gets the circle. Deneb stood higher, 81 degrees northwest, but Vega is brighter. Polaris 41 north, Mirfak 30 northeast. A last quarter moon, 54 percent lit, had not risen.
Saturday, May 28, 1977, St. Louis, Missouri
Married in 1977 puts the 50th next spring, with months to track down the church and the exact date.
Arcturus 68 degrees up in the southeast gets the circle. Spica 40 degrees south, Vega 31 northeast. A waxing gibbous moon, 81 percent lit, stood 44 degrees up in the south.
Finding the date and the place without asking them
Asking Mom which church it was gives the game away. The answer is usually in the house or one phone call away.
- The marriage certificate or licenseIt shows the date and the county, often the church too. Look where the birth certificates are kept.
- The wedding album or the back of a photoTurn the prints over for a studio stamp or a date in pen. The album's first page may name the church.
- The church or the county records officeA parish keeps a register of its weddings, and the county clerk can usually mail you a copy of the marriage record.
- The wedding announcement in the local paperHometown papers in the 1970s printed the date, the church and often the reception hall.
- An aunt, an uncle or the best manSomeone who stood up with them will remember, and will keep quiet about why you asked.
If all you know is the town, the town works. Type it into the editor and the map centers on it.
Ordering it together with your siblings
One order, one payment
One of you places the order and pays, with PayPal or a card, and the others square up with that person afterward. The editor shows the total before anyone pays.
Keeping it a surprise
At checkout, choose “This is a gift, ship it straight to them.” It goes to their address with no prices in the box, and the receipt comes to you. A gift note of up to 300 characters is printed on a card and packed with it, signed from all of you. Or ship it to yourself and bring it to the party.
US delivery runs 4 to 8 business days, so order about two weeks ahead to be safe.
What to write and which size
The names line takes up to 40 characters: their names, “Mom & Dad”, or a short line like “50 years, Linda & Robert”. Choose 24 × 32 in for a living room wall, 18 × 24 for a hallway or bedroom. Espresso and gold, our pick, and black and gold both carry gold, a fit for a golden anniversary.
Sizes and prices
Every size comes as a print only or framed and ready to hang.
| Frame | 12 × 16 in | 18 × 24 in | 24 × 32 in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Print only | $39 | $49 | $69 |
| Espresso and gold | $139 | $179 | $279 |
| Black and gold | $139 | $179 | $259 |
| Black | $89 | $119 | $159 |
| White | $89 | $119 | $159 |
| Oak | $89 | $119 | $159 |
| Espresso | $99 | $129 | $169 |
| Driftwood gray | $129 | $169 | $269 |
| Distressed brown and gold | $109 | $149 | $229 |
Shipping is free in the US. Launch prices until Nov 30. You see the price of every size and frame in the editor before you pay.
Shipping, gifting and returns
- Made to order in California2 to 3 days in the lab, 2 to 5 with the carrier, free in the US. Tracking by email the day it ships. Shipping details
- Framed and ready to hangAssembled, clear acrylic in front, sawtooth hanger on the back. US addresses only.
- Sent as a giftStraight to their door, no prices in the box, your note on a card.
- ReturnsA poster that arrived as ordered is not taken back, since it carries their names. Damaged or printed wrong: email a photo within 30 days of delivery and we reprint or refund in full. Returns policy
Questions
Can we pick the hour of the ceremony?
No. Every poster shows the sky at about 9 in the evening, local sun time, worked out from the longitude. On the clock that is between 8:44 and 10:44 pm in the 11 US cities we checked, later in summer.
Is the moon on the poster?
No. The poster shows the stars and constellation lines; the moon is not drawn.
Can each of us pay a share at checkout?
No. There is no split payment, so one person pays for the whole order.
We spelled a name wrong. Can it be fixed?
Write to studio@meridianplate.com right away. Until it is printed we correct it.
Our parents live outside the US. Can we still send it?
Yes, as a print only, rolled in a tube. It takes 10 to 30 business days and fits any standard frame of the same size.