When I was young, back in the 60's, I often thought about naming stars after relatives and friends. But, my mom said it couldn't be done, because no one owns the stars. So how does the National Star Registry get away with it?
And have you, or anyone you know, had a star named by that organization?
2007-07-16 09:15:40 · 10 answers · asked by Hickemtwiddle 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Well, I assumed it was a scam, but, why are so many taken in by this crap?
2007-07-16 09:28:37 · update #1
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. SCAM, SCAM, SCAM.
2007-07-16 13:53:11 · answer #1 · answered by butterscotch 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Naming Stars After People
2016-12-12 10:01:50 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not exactly a scam. A scam implies they are doing something duplicitous.
Their advertisements don't claim that the star's name will officially be recognized by the scientific community. In fact, there is a disclaimer on thier site to this effect, that it is not. The disclaimer is small and tucked away at the bottom of the page, sure, and the business really is kind of shady because they certainly don't mind people believing their "named star" is official, but it's not a scam. I can go ahead and publish a book naming all the stars whatever names I want to give them if I want. It's not illegal.
2007-07-16 19:37:00 · answer #3 · answered by Arkalius 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
(1) Nobody owns the stars. You need to have some kind of control over a thing before you can even start to own it.
(2) What's not legal about it? It's a free country, you (or anybody else) can call a star by any name you want. Of course, nobody else (except maybe your parents and bf/gf) will recognize the name, but that's a separate thing. Send me some money, and perhaps I'll name a star after you. I might even write the name down in a book somewhere, or I might not.
2007-07-16 09:50:21 · answer #4 · answered by morningfoxnorth 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
There is no real estate in space and the cowboys who try to sell you a slice of the Moon or name a star after you are in breach of the international treaties by which space is to be developed for the good of all mankind and not for any narrow commercial or nationalistic purpose, and in breach of the role of the International Astronomical Union, which as the world body, has the sole right to name celestial bodies on discovery. It has not delegated that right to anybody, whatever the cowboys may tell their victims.
The problem with this practice in naming stars for money is that the gullible who have bought a name naively believing that they now own the name, and possibly own the star as well, turn up at observatories and at planetaria and ask to be able to see "their" star! And the staff there have to then tell them the truth, that they have a worthless piece of paper and have parted with their money foolishly.
This can get embarrassing eg if it is Auntie Maud who is 92 and wants to see "her" star before she dies, or Mary Jane aged 6 who was given her star as a birthday present and is all excited about seeing it. What do you say to them? Show them any old star, they won't know the difference will they? Tell them a white lie and keep them in the dark as it would seem unkind to disillusion them?
You can understand that professional astronomers get really cheesed off with having to disillusion these victims of fraud ad the emotional upset that scales falling from their eyes will cause them. The problem is not of their making and they are not trained to be counsellors.
But as long as there are fools, and sadly one is born every minute, fraudsters will crawl out of a hole, with an oily smile and a welcoming handshake to part them from their money!
Caveat emptor!
2007-07-16 17:26:22 · answer #5 · answered by Mint_Julip 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
The National Star Registry is a scam. The names that they generate are not recognized by the IAU, which is the international body responsible for astronomical naming.
2007-07-16 09:21:14 · answer #6 · answered by JLynes 5 · 8⤊ 0⤋
It's not legal, it's for 'entertainment value only'. No one owns the stars, and only the International Astronomical Union names them, and they don't name them after people or sell the names. There are multiple companies out there all selling names to the same stars, and none of them are legal.
2007-07-16 09:24:49 · answer #7 · answered by eri 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
A fool and his money are soon parted. That is the unknow moto of the nationat star registery. I think its a big scam, and if you want to send them your money they will gladly take it and send you some paper with a star chart on it and point out your new star. It mean nothing, I am really surprised that anyone would send them a dime.
2007-07-16 09:23:23 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 0⤋
I have a star named after me! It is just for fun. If you look closely at their website all it really says is that your name will be recorded in a book (their book) next to a specific star.
2007-07-16 09:26:07 · answer #9 · answered by rscanner 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I'm not so sure it's legal, since science does most of the naming, but I named a star for my daughter Patti. They sent a map and coordinates, a certificate, a star map. She loved it.
2007-07-16 09:24:15 · answer #10 · answered by dark bubble 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋