Name a Star After Somebody: A Scam

Several companies - most notably, the International Star Registry - purport to allow people to name a star after a loved one as a gift. In reality, they're pulling off a massive scam.

None of these organizations has the authority to name a star. The only organization that can name a star, or any astronomical body, is the International Astronomical Union. The names they give to stars are numerical, based on the star's astronomical properties. When the IAU names a star, it becomes the official name, recognized worldwide by professional and amateur astronomers.

When you pay one of the star registry scams to name a star, you get a certificate, a star map, and the name recorded in a book in the National Library. The certificate is just paper and star maps can be purchased multiple places. As for the National Library, all books can - and often must - be sent to the National Library. It's extremely easy to obtain a copyright. Just because a book is in the National Library doesn't mean the contents are legitimate or approved of by the US government. In other words, having the star "registered" in a book means nothing. The registry can even sell the star to somebody else. Chances are, that name will sit there in that book, never looked at again, recognized by nobody.

You may think it's a romantic idea to name a star after somebody. After all, when you name a star, you feel like you have a piece of the sky, something that can be seen all over the world, something that will last eons after you're dead, etc. You don't have to given anyone loads of money for that. Buy yourself a star map at any of a number of places. Pick a star from the night sky and decide that it'll be "your" star. Tell your loved one that. All this is essentially what the "name a star" companies do.

Doing it yourself even more romantic and personal, since you selected the star yourself. You can even do some research on astronomy and decide what kind of star you want to give your loved one. Just like many couples have a song, you'll have a star.

Scam artists seem to think the cosmos truly is the final frontier for scams. You can name a star, buy territory on the moon or other planets, and who knows what else. Don't buy into it. It's nothing but an expensive piece of paper.