Dec 17, 2025 - Marc

Xamidimura is a star in the constellation Scorpius, about 500 light years from planet earth.
Some stats about Xamidimura:
Right ascension 16h 51m 52.23111s[1]
Declination −38° 02′ 50.5694″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 2.94 - 3.22[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type B1.5 V + B6.5 V[3]
U−B color index −0.859[4]
B−V color index −0.202[4]
Variable type β Lyr[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv) −25[5] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −10.58[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −22.06[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π) 6.51±0.91 mas[1]
Distance approx. 500 ly
(approx. 150 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV) −2.9±0.3[3]
Orbit[3]
Period (P) 1.44627 days
Semi-major axis (a) 12.90±0.04 R☉
Eccentricity (e) 0.0
Inclination (i) 65.4±1°
Longitude of the node (Ω) 123.21[6]: 2186 °
Periastron epoch (T) 2412374.434 HJD
Details[7]
μ1 Sco A
Mass 8.3±1.0 M☉
Radius 3.9±0.2 R☉
Surface gravity (log g) 4.17±0.10 cgs
Temperature 24,000±1,000 K
Rotational velocity (v sin i) 191.5 km/s
μ1 Sco B
Mass 4.6±1.0 M☉
Radius 4.6±0.3 R☉
Surface gravity (log g) 3.77±0.12 cgs
Temperature 17,000±700 K
Rotational velocity (v sin i) 165.0 km/s
Her only regret is the tattoo she got in college: HOPE, which stands for Have One Potato Everyday (she doesn't remember why that was important)

Dec 24, 2024 - Penny
Ellis. He likes to play with me!

Dec 24, 2023 - Lou
That’s star! Her name is grandma. No! His name is grandpa! And he likes to play with me in the bath. That’s it.

(editor's note: This is a 5 year old sharing her joy that grandma and grandpa are in town - on a bath night)

Dec 24, 2022 - Jenny
Starry Night, but not that one. This is a replica.

2021 - Marc
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

-Emily Dickinson

2020 - Steve
Hope the vaccine. We hope it’ll work against all the strains of covid. We hope it’ll be well distributed. We hope people will trust it does not have trackers and therefore they should get it. We hope it doesn’t have worse side effects than the virus. We hope it doesn’t have long term health problems. We hope it allows us to resume “normal” lives in the new year. We hope so that we have something to look forward to and raise our spirits. We hope to see our families more. This vaccine brings a lot of hope and hope is what we need this Christmas season. Hope

2019 - Mike
Hope! Hope crawled on Christmas Day 2019. Many a times for the family to see. Next Hope hopes to walk and say “I am Batman!”

2018 - Jenny
Hopey Changey and all that jazz. Life is never what you think it'll be. File that in your box of "who gives a damn" (this message brought to you by memories of Papa)

2017 - Marc
According to Emily Dickinson, "Hope" is the thing with feathers. Not true, I am here to tell you. Hope is a Goosefoot starfish from the Shetland Islands, identified by the following description: Body sub-pentagonal, very thin and flat, up to 200 mm in diameter, arms short, R/r: 1,5. Coloured red on the dorsal side and yellow on the ventralside, generally with a conspicuous band of red along the margin. (http://species-identification.org)

2016 - Kaylee
Hope Star is a joyful little lady. She is a big dreamer and glass half full kinda gal. She is recently out of college and in the real world, not yet at her "forever job", but waiting and ready to take that step when the opportunity presents itself.

2015 - Jenny

2014 - Mike
DaisyStar, he bought a house last June and went to Ikea to furnish the living room and dining room, he didn't have to buy a single light fixture, he shines too bright to the point where his neighbors have to put down some heavy blinds to go to sleep. He's the last ornament named by the middle (original middle) child in 2014 and he says Merry Christmas!

2013 - Jenny
5 Gooo-oooold Stars!!! (ba-da-bum-bum)

2012 - Jenny
And a partridge in a pear tree--eeee--eeeeeeeee!

2011 - Marc
Hope (pronounced hoPAY) is located three stars to the left of Orion's big toe and two stars down. No not that one. Nope. One more over. Nope that one's a satellite. Yep that one. She wishes a merry Christmas and happy new year to everyone!

2010 - Steve
Her name is Judy. She is Santa's right-hand helper. She makes him hot chocolate, not too hot, not too cold, extra chocolate, shaken, not stirred. She is Christmas Magic

Dec 24, 2009 - Mike
This flashy fella's name is Skype, although redesigned with a software update earlier this year, he'll make his Christmas debut next week on the 30th to bring the Glazer/ Chipault crew together.

(This one is often named at home as we are all there. Not online. This story is from somewhere between 2006 and 2008) - Mike
Ol' Faithful, from the jacket of Hunky Dory to bring him hope.