Is it worth the paper its written on?
2007-10-16 06:47:37 · 5 answers · asked by Bluebird 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Well, not really. All known stars are named already (RPK12345 - that kind of thing), but it's still a nice thing to do.
Have been thinking about doing one for my son. Boots have a gift pack for it this year.
2007-10-16 06:51:37 · answer #1 · answered by Ms Minger 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Maybe it's worth the paper it's written on, but not any more than that. If you're thinking of doing this, don't think it's going to be official. It's only a piece of paper, and it doesn't really mean anything. You might as well write it up yourself. It'll be just as good.
Your new star name is sometimes published in a book, but you shouldn't really expect that anyone will read that book, and the book itself will have no special or official status.
Celestial objects are typically named by the International Astronomical Union. This is the group that scientists and the press pay attention to with regards to naming conventions. They have a FAQ on star naming set up here: http://www.iau.org/BUYING_STAR_NAMES.244.0.html .
Some people are aware of all the disclaimers about star naming and would still like to have their own star, if only unofficially, just for the novelty of it. While I can understand that, I can't really understand why anyone would shell out a hundred dollars or more for a novelty certificate. But to each his own, so if you still want to buy a certificate, I will recommend the International Star Registry: http://www.starregistry.com/ . You can be assured that they will sell you a star that actually exists, and they won't sell a star to more than one person.
2007-10-16 13:53:17 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The only group that can officially name stars is the International Astronomical Union (IAU)
http://www.iau.org/
They don't sell stars, nor names nor anything else.
When you are buying a 'star' from anybody else, your money is specifically for the piece of paper they give you with a name and a description of a star.
If you have always wanted such a piece of paper to put on your wall and if you think that $35. (or whatever) is worth paying for that framable memorabilia, then go ahead. However, accept the fact that nobody else will recognize that star as 'yours' or named after you (or whoever else you write in on the dotted line).
There are NO organisations looking over these 'star sellers'; the same star can be sold to many people by various sellers (and, in fact, by the same seller).
In the end, YOU decide how much is worth "the paper it's written on" 'cause that's all you get.
2007-10-16 13:59:33 · answer #3 · answered by Raymond 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Don't bother. You will end up paying a lot for a piece of paper that looks fancy. There is no gaurentee that it is for real. The "certificate" you recieve is not even an offical goverment document! The idea of it seems really nice-but there are better things to spend your money on! Good luck!
2007-10-16 13:52:53 · answer #4 · answered by Sherbert 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is not officially recognized by any organization in the world. No astronomer will use a name you buy.
2007-10-16 13:55:33 · answer #5 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋