In collaboration with DTT, the popular Online Star Register (OSR) has launched a new app that allows users to locate and follow the star named after them using their mobile phone. With this Star Finder App, OSR aims to make the special and original gift of a personal star more visible and tangible.
People who have received a star as a gift via OSR can enter their registration code in the app to search for their star in the virtual night sky. They will then receive additional information and can navigate through space towards their star on-screen. Thanks to the augmented reality feature, users can even point their iPhone at the sky and see arrows indicating the star’s position in the firmament. This works both during the day and at night. "Stars with a magnitude of up to 5 or 6 are still visible to the naked eye. With this app, we can truly make your registered star visible," says Sarah West of OSR.
The app’s ‘pick the best’ feature enables users to determine the best visible star for a particular date based on their global location – for example, in America or Australia. This is particularly useful when the star is given as a wedding or birthday gift and needs to be visible to the recipient on a specific date. The app is available for download via the OSR website or the App Store. Even those who haven’t registered a star can use the app to explore constellations. They also have the option to register a star via the app.
The Dutch company offers people across the globe the opportunity to gift a star to someone special — for a birth, wedding, birthday, Christmas, bereavement, or any other memorable occasion. The star is then registered and named after the recipient. The gift package includes a certificate and a star map indicating the star’s position. A Facebook-style star page is also created, which the person who named the star can personalise, and where friends and family can leave messages. The star can also be viewed via Google Sky on this page.
"Since the beginning of this millennium, OSR has been registering stars for people around the world. Gifting a star is increasingly becoming a meaningful experience with great symbolic and emotional value. The app offers a unique new way to locate and view stars," says West.
