2006-10-19 11:02:22 · 23 answers · asked by qrund 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Here's the deal/scam:
You pay some company 50 dollars or whatever and give them a name. They send you a fancy-looking certificate and a star chart with some random star circled (the star may or may not exist - they have been known to draw in a dot on real star chart). They will also write that name down in some "registry" that they MADE UP along with the coordinates of the star. Even if the star they picked for you actually exists, it will be a very faint star that you cannot see with the naked eye. And there is NOTHING to prevent any other company from taking someone elses money and naming that SAME star after someone else!
By international treaty, the only group allowed to name celestial objects is the International Astronomical Union. They do NOT name stars at all. All the stars that have names (Polaris, Sirius, etc.) were given those names thousands of years ago - today stars are just given numerical designations based on their location in the sky. Here's their official statement about "buying" star names: http://www.iau.org/BUYING_STAR_NAMES.244.0.html
2006-10-19 13:20:21 · answer #1 · answered by kris 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes and no. You can pay some company to name a star...and they will, but NO ONE else will ever refer to that star by the name you've chosen.
Scientists will not talk to each other about "Goosey Bear" or whatever name you use.
Bottom line.\Save your money
2006-10-19 18:11:12 · answer #2 · answered by Grundoon 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
yes mate, about £20 for a star, you get a certificate with the stars co-ordinates and get to name it!
you just gave me a great idea to add to my proposal in doing to my girlfriend in a few weeks, nice one
2006-10-20 03:58:54 · answer #3 · answered by Mr Gravy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, through the International Star Registry. They let you name a star, then give you a map of where in the sky it is located.
www.starregistry.com
2006-10-19 18:05:45 · answer #4 · answered by Mike C 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
well.. in a way. Private companies will register your named star for a fee and claim that its registered in the US Copyright Office. That just means that it is registered in the company's book that they copyrighted.
No international association of astronomers will recognize any such namings as scientifically valid.
2006-10-19 18:25:57 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It certainly is possible. Naming the star is the easy part. The hard part is you have to discover it first.
2006-10-19 18:46:37 · answer #6 · answered by Robere 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes, there are several programs that will "sell" you the naming rights to a star. You can spend from 10 bucks to almost a hundred depending on what kind of packaging---certificate, star map, etc - you choose.
2006-10-19 18:04:42 · answer #7 · answered by Jenyfer C 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Astronomer Johann Elert Bode, named the Planet Uranus, is there any relation of the planet name to his name?
2006-10-19 18:21:58 · answer #8 · answered by antonioavilakiss 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
YES you can I did it for my husband! Not sure of website but just type in buy/name a star or something, you should get through!
It's very romantic, she's a lucky girl! :-D
2006-10-19 18:12:09 · answer #9 · answered by DestinyAngel_1 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
yes they is i think it called pick a star it on the web just put name a star or pick a star and click
2006-10-19 18:05:54 · answer #10 · answered by JANET F 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋