What would be a good birthday gift for an astrophysicist?

[henry wang]

My friend is a third year Astrophysicist doing undergrad.

 

[DoItForYourself]

My friend is a third year Astrophysicist doing undergrad.

You could get him an armillary sphere. 2 in 1: a decorative and simultaneously scientific gift.

 

[BillTre]

A space flight!

 

[henry wang]

I am a poor student , can you please suggest something more affordable! Any book recommendations?

 

[rootone]

I am a poor student , can you please suggest something more affordable! Any book recommendations?

A book is good idea, but you probably don't know which books your friend already has.or has read,
Bookstores often sell vouchers, so you could give one of those and your friend can use it get whatever book they want.

 

[nitsuj]

A deck of Tarot cards

 

[dipole]

Maybe a savings bond for when he's unemployed in six years.

 

[ISamson]

A telescope.
If book, then I love the "Calculating the Cosmos: how Mathematics Unveils the Universe". As mathematical as it might sound it is way more astrophysical though.

 

[ZapperZ]

My friend is a third year Astrophysicist doing undergrad.

I'm a physicist. The LAST thing I want my friends to buy for me for my birthday is something related to my occupation or to my field of study. And I don't want a book either, because (i) I read all the time as part of my job and (ii) if it is a book that I want, chances are, I already have it.

Pay attention to your friend. Is he/she like me and would rather not have his/her presents to always be what he/she is doing? Does he/she have a hobby or something he/she likes to do? Or does he/she likes a particular food? Take him/her out to lunch at his/her favorite place, or go and do something that he/she likes to do. He/she likes Marvel movies? Great! "Hey, why don't I treat you to see "Thor-Ragnarok" and a bucket of popcorn for your birthday?"

When you do something special that really shows that you paid attention to what a person likes or dislikes, it has more meaning than simply looking at his/her discipline of study and getting some gifts that are nothing more than a stereotypical characterization of who he/she is.

Zz.