I heard a commercial on the radio for the International Star Registry:
They claim you can name a star after someone for $54. Do they really have any authority to name stars, in a way that would be recognized by anyone outside their company and your lucky recipient?
No, it’s a novelty only. They’ll have a record in their registry, but that’s as far as it goes. Only the [uarl=http://www.iau.org/]International Astronomical Union has the authority to name stars officially.
No they do not.
This is basically a scam, sort of 
What they do is they publish a book (The star registry) in which they print the names people bought for the stars.
But I can do the same thing for you if I had the money to publish a book or magazine
So no, no one will ever say, “And today hubble took pictures of Jackie-x210”.
Those names are picked by a group of scientist (I don’t know what the group is called or how they operate however).
As usual QED answers the question much better than I ever could
I really, really dislike these guys. When an acquaintance died, a big deal was made about purchasing a star as a memorial to him, everyone all moved and teary. What was I going to say? ‘Idiots, you’ve been scammed, and your memorial is useless?’
Here is the real straight dope on this topic:
A different take:
You are basically paying for a fancy certificate.
The star that is named is probably going to be something not even visible to the naked eye
Whay not go to an office supply store and get a fancy certificate, then name Vega, Altair or Betelgeuse after yior recipiant? It has just as much validaty.
Brian
IIRC, one of these debunker types purchased a dozen or so of these to see what they got, and got several repeats - the same star was named after several different people.
If you listen to the commercial or read their site carefully, nowhere do they say that astronomers or anyone else will officially recognize the name they register. So it’s legal, but just by a hairsbreadth. IMO, a scam, of course.
I read somewhere of someone who got their chart back with the star circled. He checked it against a standard atlas and it didn’t show a star in that position. He studied his chart closely and it turned out his “star” was just a tiny scratch on the chart.
They do, however, say that a copy of the document naming your star will be sent to the U.S. copyright office, at least on the radio ads getting lavish Christmas airplay down here.
What the U.S. copyright office might be doing with this document is up to speculation. My guess is they stick them in the shredder…
And not even the IAU names stars after people. Some stars have traditional names (Sirius, Achernar, etc). Other bright stars have letter designations (greek letter + constellation, e.g. Eta Carinae, Delta Cephei). The rest only have catalog numbers.
Comets are named after the discover himself/herself (or itself, if discovered by a satellite or automated survey telescope, hence the huge number of comets named after LINEAR.) The only way to name an astronomical object after someone else is to discover an asteroid. The finder can choose pretty much any name; many are named for the finders’ relatives and mentors.
Since the “registered names” are published in “book form,” the Copyright Office may simply file a copy of the book for filing purposes. I believe a lot of other folks submit copies of their copyright’d stuff to the USCO for the same reasons.
It’s still a scam, and I knew that the first time I ever heard their ad and noticed the weasly manner of the pitch.
They say that it will be “recorded in book form in the US Copyright office.” Of course, I could write “I hereby rename Jupiter to The Planet of Cecil the Great,” publish it in a book, and it would be just as valid. IIRC, they used to say it would be recorded in the Library of Congress, until the LoC made them quit it.
I recently saw an advert for this service, and they specifically said that the naming was not recognised by any authority and was a fun gift only. Is this a UK only thing that they have to say that now?
They of course have no authority to name stars officially and any idiot can send whatever gibberish they want to the copyright office. There’s a sucker born every minute and two to take his money.
Why spend $50 on a star you can hardly see? Send me $100,000 and I’ll name a planet after you and send it in to the copyright office.
I hearby name Io “General Questions Forum”. This name has now been published electronically and by speed-of-light data transference has been registered on computers all over the world, including (AFAIK) those in major governments , NASA and the UN.
Everyone please contribute and send me 150 pounds for your special certificate.
Apparently one amateur astronomer tried it, and was surprised to find a star he didn’t recognise ringed on a starchart and marked as ‘his.’ It was a smudge on the paper.
Someday I want to explain to people how to guess well if something is a scam or not. This seemed obviously a scam to me, though obviously I’m a long way from infallable.
The OP: 'Can I really name a star after someone?"
Sure. Go ahead.
Just look up there, pick one, and slap a name to it. Done. Then you can truthfully tell whomever that you literally named a star after them.
Just as much authenticity as anything else.
I read about these folks in an astronomy magazine. the writer really felt bad for people who fall for this scam. He said that parents will stop by an observatory and ask to see their deceased relative’s star. Then the astronomers have the break the bad news. ISR are a bunch of bastards.
Send me $1,000,000 and I’ll name a COUNTRY after you. How would you like to be able to drive around Bobland, or the People’s Republic of Bob? I’m sure the Mexicans won’t mind, it’s not as if I plan to tell them.