Or is there just some scandalous company that collects the money and lets the name sit there?
Like let's say that life was discovered on another planet.... would the scientists say "Why yes, we HAVE found Alien life forms on Bertha C. Ledbetter..."?
2007-01-01 12:05:02 · 9 answers · asked by rabble rouser 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
As far as I can tell, the International Star Registry (I think that's who you're talking about) is a private company and has no standing within the scientific community. No, it is not official.
2007-01-01 12:15:10 · answer #1 · answered by F. Frederick Skitty 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There more than dozen companies offering to name a star. None of them are scientifically recognized and/or coordinated. They are for "entertainment" purpose only.
If you read the FAQ on the websites, it will (in most occasions) tell you that they are not official. Only IAU can register official names, and they will only register numerical names.
No, astronomers will NEVER call the star by names that you purchase.
I recognize, it may be fun to buy a star and they are not asking for a lot of money for the services, but those companies are selling the right to name stars that they do not own, and will never be recognized. I won't call them a scam as most of them will tell you what I just said.... so they are not misleading anyone.
2007-01-01 20:22:23 · answer #2 · answered by tkquestion 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Personally, I think it is a wonderful idea. If the IAU were smart, they'd cash in on this. I know, I know, some may object that this cheapens science, but it would A: provide a cash infusion to astronomy science and B: get the public more interested. After all, what if they early explorers had named places like the IAU: "Honey, let's vacation on MA-21356 this summer" instead of just calling it "Hawaii". And besides, it's not like we'll ever run out of stars to name, at least for a few thousand years.
2007-01-01 21:14:41 · answer #3 · answered by Chance20_m 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As the young lady said (in an apocryphal story), "I understand how they figure out the distance to the stars, and how they know their chemical makeup, but how did they find out their names???"
The other answerers are correct. Although the star you purchase is named after you in terms of a copyright, it is not recognized by the IAU. I agree the IAU should cooperate and cash in on it...that is one good idea, with precedent (sort of): if you establish a new species (or family, or genus, and on and on) you have the right to name it and some have named them for people. And, there is no law you cannot name it for yourself.
2007-01-01 22:51:35 · answer #4 · answered by David A 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I doubt any are actually "official" but I had a star "named" after my best friend when she died of cancer three years ago. I was sent a poster of the area of the sky where the star is and the start itself was circled.
I gave the poster to her mother and she seemed to get comfort from it, so I don't think of it as a scam.
2007-01-02 06:09:40 · answer #5 · answered by Voodoid 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the Star Registry commercials on the radio, they say the names are copyrighted in book form with (can't think, US Copyright Office" I guess. No, not official in the scientific community, they don't give a hoot what the US Copyright Office says.
2007-01-01 20:58:26 · answer #6 · answered by baron_von_party 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, those names are not official. Most stars names have letters and numbers in them.
2007-01-01 21:52:17 · answer #7 · answered by bldudas 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The owner of that star can sell its name. When you find the owner, you have found the true meaning of life.
2007-01-01 21:24:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a scam
2007-01-01 20:59:59 · answer #9 · answered by Delta Charlie 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋