Originally on the web as: http://www.space.com/spacewatch/mystery_monday_030915.html |
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Name a Star? The Truth about Buying Your Place in
Heaven |
The pitch
is tempting: Name a star after yourself or a loved one. Aunt Martha will
twinkle for eternity, winging through the Milky Way on a parchment certificate
and a prayer.
Hundreds of
thousands of folks have taken the sales pitch at face value. Others know the
truth, and some still buy in. But there is a lot of confusion. One SPACE.com
reader recently asked, "Who gave them the right to name stars? And then
charge someone for the name?"
The answer is
simple: Nobody gave them the right. They just do it.
At least half
a dozen companies are offering to attach names to stars while making the
designations seem official, providing a fancy certificate and directions for
locating the newly named point of light. Their promotional strategies range
from harmlessly playful to bordering on fraudulent. Meanwhile the night sky is
being populated with unofficial names, at $49.95 a pop, one unsuspecting buyer
at a time.
What you
really get
It's not hard
to grasp the romantic or otherwise wondrous reasons someone might have for
buying a star name, especially as a gift. It's also important for potential
buyers to know what they'd actually get.
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Pretty much
nothing, beyond some very expensive paper.
Only the
International Astronomical Union (IAU) has the right to officially name
celestial objects. It does so for scientific purposes only and does not
recognize any commercial naming systems. The IAU, viewed by astronomers as the
reputable governing body, is well aware of the sea of commercial star vendors.
It has this to say:
"The IAU
dissociates itself entirely from the commercial practice of 'selling'
fictitious star names."
Some folks
wonder, understandably, why stars are not given names in lieu of boring
numbers.
The IAU does
recognize a handful of ancient star names, given to some of the brightest
stars in our sky. But with millions and millions of stars out there, it
wisely decided long ago that a numbering system is more useful for scientists.
As the IAU
puts it, "Finding Maria Gonzalez in Argentina or John Smith in Britain
just from their names is pretty hopeless, but if you know their precise address
(perhaps from their social security number) you can contact them without
knowing their name at all."
As a web site
called Name a Star admits, "Scientists will never want to deal with
finding 'Aunt Martha's Star.'" This company deserves a gold star for
forthrightness.
Others are
not so straightforward.
Your
official …
Radio ads and
Web promotions of star-naming businesses give the initial impression -- either
implicit or explicit -- of being official.
A handful
provide honest or partially honest statements as separate disclaimers (never on
their home pages) or partway down a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Even these companies, however, work hard to help you place an order without
ever learning the truth.
One company,
called StarNamer, advertises with this misleading statement:
"Our
Universal Star Catalog is comprised of a huge list of stars that includes their
telescopic coordinates along with designation numbers. The Universal Star
Catalog was created by the prestigious Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in
Cambridge, Massachusetts."
The Universal
Star Catalog was not created by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
(SAO). The SAO did develop a catalogue of bright stars, some 30 years ago, and
it is in the public domain. Star Namer may well have taken the database and
renamed it. Admittedly a minor distinction, but one that sure makes the
Universal Star Catalog sound official and could lead one to believe that the
SAO is involved in or approves of your name being added to the list.
"We are
not affiliated with any of the companies," that sell star names, said SAO
public affairs specialist Christine Lafon. There's typically no legal recourse
for the SAO to keep others from using its name, Lafon said, because of creative
wording employed in the pitches.
Let's talk
StarNamer
provides an 800 number (marked as being for orders only). I called anyway and
asked if their catalog is official.
"As far
as I know, yes sir," said the woman who answered. So I told her what I
learned about the SAO. "We're just an answering service," she said.
Asked if
there was someone available to answer questions, she said, "All the information
is on the Web site," adding that I would have to fill out the e-mail form
on the site if I had questions.
A thorough
combing of the Web site revealed no admission of the unofficial nature of
naming stars. Buried low in StarNamer's FAQ is this tiny hint at the truth:
"Naming a star is a symbolic gesture."
I filled out
the e-mail form, checked the "emergency" box they provide for
important queries, selected "sales department" for its routing, and
requesting an explanation within 24 hours. They did not write back. A second
e-mail to the "Misc. Service Request" heading, letting them know the
deadline for this story was fast approaching, also received no response other
than an auto-reply noting the request had been received.
When
pressed …
Another seller,
called Star Deed, also makes virtually no effort on its Web site to clarify
that it is not official, other than noting that you would be buying a "a
singular and exclusive novelty gift." It lists no phone number.
So I e-mailed
and asked this: "Your web site does not say if the star name would be
official. Would it be? Does the International Astronomical Union recognize the
names you issue?"
Elizabeth
from Star Deed client relations wrote back. She did not answer my question. She
did say, amid a sales pitch, that "Star Deed, and any other star naming
service, is a novelty item."
The customer,
it seems, is charged with understanding that "novelty" means
"unofficial."
I wrote back
to Elizabeth and made it clear that I was writing a story about this and that I
needed some answers. Her response:
"As
mentioned in my previous email, Star Deed is a novelty gift; the IAU does not
recognize the names. None of the companies that name stars are 'official,'
because the IAU doesn't recognize such star names. We are the only company that
I know of that actually admits that it is a novelty gift."
Some truth,
finally, except Elizabeth is totally wrong in that last statement. Many of the
companies use "novelty" as a crutch. And some of them rely on
customers who don't make their livings by writing multiple pesky e-mails.
The recurring
scheme sounds a bit like selling a chunk of petrified wood made of plastic, and
covering your tracks by calling it a novelty item. If you like that sort of
thing, then go ahead and fuel the economy. If you just can't resist the
romanticism, or if you think it might encourage the gift's recipient to go out,
look up and explore the night sky, then who am I to argue?
And even if
it's not official, at least Aunt Martha's star will be unique, right? Wrong.
Other companies are free to apply someone else's name to your star.
Coming
clean
Not all the
star namers work so hard at hiding reality.
The
International Star Registry's Web site is among the most forthright. It does,
however, advertise that "Because these star names are copyrighted with
their telescopic coordinates in the book, 'Your Place in the Cosmos,' future
generations may identify the star name in the directory and, using a telescope,
locate the actual star in the sky."
The latest
edition of 'Your Place in the Cosmos' (Volume VI) will shortly be registered in
the U.S. Copyright Office, the company notes. It will set your admiring
descendents back $44.95, not counting inflation. It's doubtful they'll get a
deal on Amazon, which does not list the title.
As for the
copyright issue, what book isn't copyrighted? The story you're reading
is copyrighted. Anyone who knows how to generate the © character from a
keyboard can copyright something. And anyway, it's not often Judge Judy hears
someone say, "Hey pal, that's my wife's star!"
Nonetheless,
the promotional effort has worked more than 500,000 times at just this one
company.
The
International Star Registry has an 800 number, too, so I called. Jessica
answered the phone and was polite, helpful and made no effort to sell. I told
her I was thinking about naming a star for my son and asked if the star would
be recognized by some official body.
"No,"
Jessica said. "We're just a private company. It's just a novelty
gift."
Refreshingly
honest, and clear as the stars in the sky. A gold star for Jessica, too.
In this
spirit of disclosure, I should mention that some companies provide star charts
or other potentially useful guides as part of the package. Prices at some
outfits are as low as $25. Consider that for this much money, though, you could
buy a comprehensive star chart and a great astronomy book loaded with real,
official star names.
Nonetheless,
the prospect of shining for infinity is attractive. Even to stars.
The
International Star Registry counts among its clients Nicole Kidman (a gift for
Tom Cruise), Martin Short and Brooke Shields. Citizens of Daytona Beach named
stars for each of the astronauts killed in the space shuttle Challenger
explosion in 1986, the company says.
For $54, plus
shipping and handling, the company will send out a parchment certificate, an
"informative booklet" explaining constellations, plus a chart with
the newly named star circled in red. For $139 you can get some of these things
framed and they'll send a letter of congratulations to the recipient.
Alternately,
from another star-naming vendor, you can chose to immortalize your loved one in
stellar fashion on embossed on wood. Not petrified or plastic, but real wood.
Further
reading