The Night Sky vs Under Lucky Stars

Side-by-side comparison

"Not stated" means we could not find the fact on the cited pages. It does not mean the company lacks it.

Which is more accurate?

Both companies calculate each map from astronomical data rather than drawing a generic sky. The Night Sky uses the European Space Agency's Hipparcos catalog. Under Lucky Stars uses the Yale Bright Star Catalog alongside other databases, and publishes an audit by an astrophysicist it names as Dr Tom Barclay.

For the stars you can see with the naked eye, both catalogs agree on position. Differences between two maps of the same moment usually come from the time, time zone or projection used. They rarely come from the catalog.

You can check any star map yourself:

1. Open the Sky & Telescope Interactive Sky Chart or the free Stellarium app.
2. Enter the same place, date and local time shown on your map. The Night Sky uses 10pm local time unless you choose another time.
3. Compare two or three bright constellations near the center and the edge of the circle.

The Night Sky renders stars down to magnitude six, which covers what the naked eye can see under dark skies. It draws constellations as lines and shows the Moon's phase and position when the Moon was up. It does not draw planets or print constellation names; the Constellation Legend eBook included with every order names and explains the constellations on your map. Read how the maps are calculated in the science behind our maps.

Which has better print quality?

Both publish their paper weight, so you can compare like for like.

• The Night Sky: 200gsm enhanced matte fine art paper, giclée printed with archival pigment inks backed by a 100+ year color guarantee.
• Under Lucky Stars: 200 GSM smooth fine art paper printed at 300 DPI. Its cited pages do not give a lightfastness or color guarantee figure.

The Night Sky's other formats use different materials:

• Foil prints: 350gsm with a non-woven polyester backing.
• Glow-in-the-dark prints: 300gsm fine art paper.
• Canvas: 400gsm, 38mm deep, stretched on kiln-dried pine.

Which offers more than a poster?

The Night Sky sells these formats beyond the standard print:

• A gold or silver foil print
• A glow-in-the-dark print that glows for up to two hours after charging in sunlight
• A fine art canvas
• A Planets Aligned print of the solar system on your date
• A digital download
• Jewelry

The jewelry comes in five collections: Star Map, Zodiac, Handwriting (Love Notes), Paw Prints and Moon Phase. It is made in recycled sterling silver, recycled 18k gold vermeil and 9k solid gold.

Under Lucky Stars sells prints in several designs, including a design that uses your own photo, with optional framing. Its site does not list jewelry, canvas, foil or glow products.

Which should you choose?

Under Lucky Stars fits if you want:

• A 24x36 inch print
• A map with your own photo in the design
• To read a published third-party accuracy audit

The Night Sky fits if you want:

• Jewelry, foil, glow-in-the-dark or canvas
• Archival pigment inks backed by a 100+ year color guarantee
• A Constellation Legend eBook with every order, to name the constellations on your map
• Free standard shipping on every product
• A 30-day return window that covers orders you are not happy with, not only damaged ones

To start a design, see custom star maps from The Night Sky. For a wider comparison of six services, read how to choose a custom star map company.