# Have you had a star named for you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 14, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195 "2004-05-14T23:14:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SallyStar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@SallyStar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SallyStar)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/1 "2004-05-14T23:14:55Z")
I just got my star registry. Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/2 "2004-05-14T23:22:43Z")
Why? [It’s basically a borderline scam.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=190618) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/3 "2004-05-15T00:23:12Z")
I sincerely doubt if any poster here has had such an honour, as i am not even sure if any living human has a star named for him. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/4 "2004-05-15T00:33:53Z")
Actually, many years ago someone very dear to me wasted his money on this scam, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him what a bogus operation it is. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/5 "2004-05-15T00:51:02Z")
Are you named after the 1960s kiddie-show host from Philadelphia, by the way? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/6 "2004-05-15T03:26:25Z")
It’s kind of a scam, but really, what difference does it make? You can name the stars anything you want and it’s not like any one organization owns them. “Heather’s Star” sure beats “HIP-25178.” ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/7 "2004-05-15T03:41:31Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It’s kind of a scam, but really, what difference does it make? You can name the stars anything you want and it’s not like any one organization owns them. “Heather’s Star” sure beats “HIP-25178.” I agree with RickJay go ahead and enjoy your star. However, the name is strictly a private name and isn’t recognized by astronomers. Here is the dope on [official star names.](http://www.r-clarke.org.uk/naming_stars1.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/8 "2004-05-15T03:42:02Z")
Six years ago I got my wife a star. I knew that it wouldn’t mean that now, officially, it would be referred to by Kathey by astronomers and scientitsts, but still, I thought it was pretty neet anyway. And at any rate, my wife checked into it and says that some of the money goes to charity. But hell, even if that turns out to be a hoax, I still have no regrets. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/9 "2004-05-15T03:59:09Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, Sally. The General Questions forum is for questions with factual answers. This is more of a survey so I’ll move it to the In My Humble Opinion forum. bibliophage moderator GQ ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/10 "2004-05-15T09:43:38Z")
Heh. My dad “gave” my mom a star for Christmas back in '79 or so. The funniest part was the dialog in the preceding weeks: “Is it bigger than a breadbox?” “Oh, yeah, yeah!” “Is it bigger than this chair?” “Oh, yeah” (getting excited) “Is it bigger than this table???” (grinning) “Mmm hmmm!” (more excited) “Is it bigger than this whole room!?!?!” (another grin and a nod) She thought she was getting a Winnebago! The 8.5"x11" envelope under the tree was the title! Her reaction to the “star” on Christmas morning was both pathetic and priceless. I don’t she’s ever forgiven him for that one. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/11 "2004-05-15T10:14:24Z")
If anyone cares, I did this for my mom in '99. I got the map, “certificate”, all that good stuff on the wall. Scam? Sure it was. But she died last year. It’s kinda cool to be able to look at the star in a telescope and think maybe she can see it, too. I suspect this is how they get half the money they make. Do I care if nobody else recognizes it for the name I gave it? Nope. It’s just kinda cool that for all liklihood, that star will outlast me, too. Well worth the $50 or so I paid. Plus it made her really, really happy. So I win in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/12 "2004-05-15T20:34:27Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I sincerely doubt if any poster here has had such an honour, as i am not even sure if any living human has a star named for him. There’s a load of planets named after various gods, not sure if that counts. No, wait, I’ve got it - Jesus. The star closest to us is called “The son” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jastu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jastu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jastu)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/13 "2004-05-15T22:47:11Z")
My SIL did this for my daughter as a fun gift one year. She also has a plot of land on the moon and another on Mars. They are always coming up with unusual, fun things to do for each other, I think it kinda nice. Enjoy your star **SallyStar**. ---
**Author:** ![AntaresJB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AntaresJB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AntaresJB)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/14 "2004-05-16T01:24:22Z")
Well, I’ve got the reverse, I was named after a star, does that count? 😃 (Yes, Antares is actually my name. Yes, I’m serious.) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/15 "2004-05-16T01:28:52Z")
Fools! [Lunar Plots](http://edition.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/11/20/lunar.land/) are the way of the future. Right up there with Franklin Mint Collectables. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/16 "2004-05-16T01:39:01Z")
I still wanna know if our new poster is named after one of my favorite childhood [TV hosts](http://www.tvacres.com/child_sallystarr.htm). ---
**Author:** ![SallyStar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@SallyStar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SallyStar)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/17 "2004-05-16T01:42:52Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > I still wanna know if our new poster is named after one of my favorite childhood [TV hosts](http://www.tvacres.com/child_sallystarr.htm). Read your link, her last name was **Starr**. Pretty interesting though. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/18 "2004-05-16T01:52:00Z")
> [@AntaresJB](#): > > (Yes, Antares is actually my name. Yes, I’m serious.) So, do you rival Mars? I think I’ve linked to this before somewhere, but I can’t resist. [buyuranus.com](http://www.buyuranus.com). ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/19 "2004-05-16T03:02:14Z")
If you realize that it’s not official and that nobody anywhere will ever recognize your star name besides you… why don’t you just pick a random star and name it yourself, and maybe even take a picture and draw an arrow pointing towards “your” star, and print up your own certificate on your own computer, and NOT send $50 to some random stranger in exchange for nothing at all? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195/20 "2004-05-16T03:13:22Z")
I can’t believe that anyone would be thrilled to be on the receiving end of this scam. Mind boggling. Consumer reporters\* that have checked into this and found that most (if not all) people get _the same star_ selected. (Presumably it’s cheaper to have the forms all printed up with the same star on it.) So it’s not named after the giftee, it’s named after hundreds+ of people. And the name don’t mean a thing. Print up your own certificate and save the $50! A scam is a scam is a scam is a scam. \*Clark Howard had several of his staff people do this. All got the same star. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-had-a-star-named-for-you/245195.md?page=2)