6 Unforgettable Christmas Gifts for Your Space-Obsessed Friend

Christmas is the perfect time to surprise your loved ones with the most amazing gifts. If you have a space-obsessed friend, you know how deep their love for the night sky is. So, this Christmas, surprise them with a nice and thoughtful space-related gift they’ll never forget.

Dobsonian Telescope

When it comes to choosing a Christmas gift for an astronomy enthusiast, the best gift is a telescope. This is a device that lets them explore the ever-expanding space. There are many telescope types on the market, and they’re all made for different purposes. However, some of the best ones for a gift are the affordable and easy-to-use Dobsonian telescopes.

The adaptability of these telescopes is one of their best features. This design is ideal whether your friend wants to scout out a far-off object or just wants to take a casual point-and-look view of the night sky. They come in several sizes and can vary in weight. Some of them weigh 2.5 kg and some can go up to 90 kg.

These models are ideal for amateur astronomers on a night of visual observation because of the simplicity of the Alt-Azimuth mount and the broad field of vision they offer. This will give your mate the opportunity to look at the stars, moon and Mars. These telescopes also feature equipment that’s great for looking at further objects like galaxies, nebulae and clusters. It takes almost no effort to find them in the sky.

Even if your buddy is a beginner in this hobby, they won’t have any trouble setting up the telescope. It takes only a few minutes to take it out of the box and start looking at the night sky. This is also a device that won’t have distorted images because it lacks chromatic aberration. So, they’ll get a clear picture of what they’re looking at.

Before deciding on the model you’ll buy, consider how much space your friend has in their house or apartment. If it’s a small space, don’t buy a very large telescope as it can become an obstacle and can get damaged by bumps and repeated hits. Light pollution is also something to consider. A bigger telescope can gather more light and show better images even though the conditions aren’t that ideal. Overall, this telescope can be a wonderful Christmas gift for any space enthusiast.

Astronomy Books

Space is a topic that’s continuously being explored, and we find out new things every day. Each of these news and new discoveries are published in magazines and books. Nowadays, there are hundreds of astronomy-related books that can help your friend learn about the basic history of space, how humanity started exploring, how far we’ve gone and what the biggest mysteries are.

Your friend can explore space through their Dobsonian telescopes while flipping through the pages of a beginner book and learning about the objects, constellations and planets they find in the night sky. If you can’t decide which book to get, here are some of the most popular ones among astronomy enthusiasts:

• The Secret World of Stargazing – Adrian West;
• The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide – Terence Dickinson, Alan Dyer;
• Star Mentor – Daniel E. Barth;
• Moongazing – Tom Kerss;
• Light in the Darkness – Heino Falcke;
• The Disordered Cosmos – Chanda Prescod-Weinstein;
• The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy – Moiya McTier;
• Brief Answers to the Big Questions – Stephen Hawking;
• Five Billion Years of Solitude: The Search for Life Among the Stars – Lee Billings.

Personalized Gifts

This is a very big gift category. Sometimes it’s difficult to decide since there are lots of options. One of the most common choices are tees with a space-related print. It can be a planet, a funny quote, a space pun, constellations and much more. If they’re not a t-shirt fan, you can always get them a custom-printed wine glass or a coffee mug with a similar print. They can sip their favourite drink while stargazing with their Dobsonian.

Another wonderful suggestion is getting them a keychain with some stars, planets, or galaxies. Contact a local artist and hire them to create a unique painting of a galaxy, a planet, or a constellation in an abstract style. Buy an autographed artefact of their favourite astronomer. Hats, caps, scarves, and socks with stars on them are also quite popular. The list is endless, and the only limit is your creativity and imagination.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Solving jigsaw puzzles is a fantastic way to relax and enjoy some alone time. People are doing it as a kind of recreational activity. Get your pal a large astronomical jigsaw puzzle if they enjoy solving puzzles, of course. There are plenty of options on the market. You can get a large, realistic moon puzzle. This circular jigsaw puzzle is an accurate depiction of the moon.

Puzzles picturing the solar system are also quite popular. There are puzzle collections that contain each planet in our solar system. Galaxy puzzles are also a wonderful Christmas gift. They have enchanting colours, and when your friend is done solving it, they can hang it as an art piece on the wall and enjoy it every single day.

Moon Lamp

Getting your mate a moon lamp can be one unforgettable Christmas present. It adds a cozy glow to the space and looks stunning on a nightstand. These lamps come in many sizes and can shine in different colours. Besides the standard white glow, they can also be red, blue, yellow, green and even purple. Every light highlights its mountains and craters in a distinctive way. Moon lamps come with stands that can be made of different materials and complement the room’s interior perfectly.

Astronomy-Related Courses

It might be a good change to give your mate an experience rather than a physical gift. Getting them an astronomy-related course is one of them. One of the most popular choices is a painting course. If your friend is creative, they can learn how to create watercolour galaxies, paint the night sky, and accentuate the beauty of every planet while learning about their history.

Furthermore, there are online courses that allow students to learn about space every day, starting with the fundamentals and working their way up to more intricate facts and details. In addition to classes, you can get a unique delivery gift box full of space-related items or a subscription to a magazine about astronomy that they will receive each month.