Scam Alert -- naming a star after somebody as a gift.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

This is a scam. These people have no authority to do this. There's the New General Catalog and many others of sky objects/stars, and you can't just add a name to it.

http://www.universetoday.com/2008/04/17/name-a-star-real-or-ripoff/

[mikelgb]

1. I can name Mt. Rushmore after you and give you a certificate.

Pm me for details

[Richardo]

2. Well, yeah. That's why it's "registered in book form in the US Copyright Office"

...it just means it's in a book. :shrug:

[Canuckistanian]

8. But for an additional $20, they'll put it in a mayonnaise jar

On the front porch of Funk & Wagnall's

[tridim]

3. I'm going to make the same offer with grains of sand on earth

A number equal to the amount of stars in the known Universe.

[Xithras]

4. It's not a scam. It's entertainment.

Like those singing fish that everyone bought about a decade ago. Nobody claims that your name will become the official IAU designation for the object.

[Puzzler]

5. Perhaps not...

... but very few people will be aware of what an official IAU designation means. I'm sure that most people actually believe that a star is officially named after them (or a loved one).

[msongs]

6. its all the same star that has 3 million middle names LOL nt

[merh]

7. You mean the picture I got when my star was born

was given to others? :(

























:hide:




:freak: :crazy: :silly:

[Xithras]

11. Sure, but my dog's official designation is canis lupus familiaris.

That didn't stop my kids from officially naming him Bark. To them, he's Bark. To me, he's Barkley. To the scientific community, he's a breed of canis lupus familiaris. To the average passing person, he's a lovable yellow lab.

Names are just names, and each name is as valid as the credibility we grant to them.

[annabanana]

9. They send a very pretty package... (I see no harm in the pretense)

Unless people are actually believing that that the records exist anywhere besides the business papers of the company that sells it.

[DangerousRhythm]

10. It's true. I had to sell these stars at my old retail job.

What a scam. If I recall, I think it was at LEAST $50 for a piece of paper saying your star is such and such and at a certain point in the sky. Oy.

[MilesColtrane]

12. For a nominal fee...

I will name a black hole after someone you hate, and register it with the U.S. Copyright Office.

A couple of these light-sucking monsters have already been taken.

GCIRS 13E has been renamed Coulter 13E. And, appropriately, the supermassive Sagittarius A* is now Limbaugh A*.

[hvn_nbr_2]

16. That's a great idea. But...

Are there enough known black holes to accommodate all the people who'll want to name another one after Limbloat?

[TheCowsCameHome]

13. What about my Jesus on a grilled cheese? $50 a share to DU'ers

Limited time offer, though, in case I get hungry.

[maseman]

14. So that star I named Dick-Cheese Butt-Floss isn't real???

[The Straight Story]

15. They should name grains of sand on the beach for people

After all, people bought pet rocks back in my day :)

[Stevenmarc]

17. You mean that's not my star.....Damn

[onethatcares]

18. I still have a couple of square inches of the moon

laying around somewhere. I've just been waiting for someone to start developing my section, then I'll sue them.

[Cirque du So-What]

20. Yep, I've got a deed for a sweet patch o'moon

courtesy of Sgt. Preston of the Yukon and Quaker Oats.

[onethatcares]

21. that's who it was, I couldn't remember

didn't Black Oak Arkansas also have a few square inches of Arkansas they gave away on an album cover? I haven't sold an album yet, I wonder if I can find them.

[emilyg]

19. Years ago - I got one for my parents

they were thrilled. It didn't hurt anything.

[Berry Cool]

22. That's not the point. The point is, some people really believe the star is then named for the person

and that astrologers will really and truly have to refer to that particular star forever after by the name of the person THEY named it for. Which just isn't true.

To me, it's just a big and rather clever racket for selling gifts. I could claim I was selling real estate on the moon and make just as much money. In fact, I'm sure they actually resell naming rights to the same exact star over and over, despite the huge number available to them to sell "naming rights" to.

If all you want to do is give someone a cute gift, fine, but don't kid yourself that it's anything other than a pretty scroll and a book that you are buying.

What kills me is that people will do this for their favorite celebrity as a way of trying to get that celebrity a completely unique gift that no fan has ever given that celebrity before, as a means of "standing out" from all the other fans the celebrity has met. "So from now on, when astronomers refer to THESE stars, they'll have to refer to them by the names of the Jonas Brothers! Boy, they sure won't forget ME for giving them THIS gift!"

I bet there isn't a celebrity on the planet that doesn't have a closet full of maps of the stars allegedly named for them by their devoted fans.

[Belial]

23. Well.. if you are buying something for a celebrity.. you deserve

to get ripped off.. More people can tell you the final group on American Idol.. but they cannot name anyone in Washington.. nice

[Incitatus]

24. real estate on the moon

guess what

http://www.lunarregistry.com/

[Canuckistanian]

25. That's "astronomers", not "astrologers"

Big difference.

[sendero]

26. They tell you right there in their ad...

... that the "registration" is submitted in book form to be copyrighted.

Anyone who thinks that is some kind of official name is not too bright.