Coming up with gift ideas for someone who loves astronomy isn’t easy, especially if they are deep enough in the hobby that they already own a lot of things related to it. If you’re struggling to think of a gift for just such a person, these ideas might help you out.
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Take Them On a Special Trip
Objects aren’t the only things that make for great gifts. Experiences can be just as good, if not better. If that astronomer in your life already has a bunch of astronomy gear, or they’ve simply never had the chance to go somewhere special, then consider paying for a trip to just such a place. There are lots of locations here on Earth an astronomer would love to visit, and you don’t even have to pay for all of them.
For example, you could take them to a dark sky park, which are special national parks with very little light pollution. Finding places with as little light as possible is one of the most important tips to follow for stargazing, so these parks are some of the best possible places to go stargazing, not including places that would be much more difficult to travel to.
NASA Goddard
You could also consider a relevant museum focusing on aerospace exploration, like the United States National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. Planetariums are a great pick too: there are some wonders of the cosmos you can see much more clearly in such a place. There are planetariums in almost every state, so do some research and figure out which one might be the coolest—or the one your budding astronomer just hasn’t been to yet.
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Buy Them a Membership or Subscription
If you own a telescope, you own a telescope, and you don’t have to buy it again. This goes for all gadgets that an astronomer might have in their arsenal, which can impact your gift options. Probably not an issue if you’re buying for a new hobbyist, but even so, you can always rely on a membership or a subscription to something relevant. For example, there are many astronomical magazines and publications you can subscribe to, such as Astronomy Magazine or Space News.
This is a great way to give value to that astronomer in your life, especially if they are the type to enjoy physical media (though these days you can get digital magazine subscriptions too in most cases). You could also pay for them to get into a local astronomical society or club, which will allow them to meet with other like-minded individuals with the same passion. Being able to find people who love the same things you do is a fantastic gift!
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Buy Them the Instrument They’re Missing
Astronomy can be both a cheap and expensive hobby depending on how dedicated you are to it. A lot of astronomy lovers would like to have a particular gadget to elevate their hobby to the next level, but they might not be able to afford it. If you really want to give them something they’ll love, you can’t do any better than gifting them the instrument they’ve had their eye on, whether it’s a telescope, binoculars, eyepieces for instruments they already have, or something else.
That said, this might not work for a surprise gift, because you’ll probably want to ask the recipient what they want or need. You wouldn’t want to buy them an instrument they already have, or one that’s not as good as something they already have and will never get used. There’s nothing wrong with asking someone what kind of gift they would like, or even to be very specific about it. Everyone is happier when they get exactly what they wanted!
That said, you may be surprised what items can make a big difference for a budding astronomer. Some items should be in every astronomer’s toolkit, but they don’t get mentioned often!
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Buy Them Some Helpful Gadget Accessories
While that astronomer in your life might already have most or all of the instruments and gadgets they want, that doesn’t mean they have everything that goes along with them. A lot of astronomy instruments have many accessories that can alter how they perform, make them more convenient, or provide some other helpful function. If you can find out what accessories the gift recipient is missing, they’d definitely appreciate this.
Bertel King / How-To Geek
For instance, something as simple as a padded carrier for telescope eyepieces would be super nice, as it keeps all of those fragile pieces safe from damage and makes them easier to carry around. You could also consider something like a telrad, a special type of viewfinder that can be used to locate certain objects in the night sky. Almost every astronomical instrument had some sort of accessory that makes it even better.
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Buy Them Things That Make Their Hobby More Convenient
When you really get into astronomy, you end up doing some things that can be their own special type of hassle. Driving out into the middle of nowhere for a perfect night sky, trying to locate one star among dozens, trying to avoid ruining your night vision with a flashlight, so you’re fumbling around with your gear in the dark… there are plenty of minor nuisances in the field of astronomy, but there are convenient solutions to them as well.
If you want to buy an astronomer a gift, you might need to broaden your horizons a bit: there are lots of components to the hobby outside of telescopes. For example, you could get them an astronomy chair, which is a specially designed, adjustable seat that lets an astronomer stay comfortable while using their telescope instead of having to bend down all the time. You could also consider something like a headband light with a red light setting, which helps someone see without impacting their night vision as much.
You could even get them actual night-vision goggles. It might not help them see the stars, but anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors in the dead of night will probably find some use and enjoyment out of them.
Finding the perfect gift for someone in your life can be tough. It all depends on what they have, what they want, and how passionate they are about their hobbies. Ultimately, it’s probably a good idea to just ask someone what they want instead of trying to guess, especially if they already have some equipment. But if you are getting something for a beginner who has nothing yet, you can’t go wrong with a good beginner telescope.
