# Is it illegal to carve your initials on the moon with a big-ass laser(cover version)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 19, 2001, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-initials-on-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser-cover-version/69300 "2001-06-19T05:16:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-initials-on-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser-cover-version/69300/1 "2001-06-19T05:16:54Z")
Well, it’s late in the day for bumping purge material, but the original must be gone already (I can’t remember who posted the original, but much neat stuff came out of it). So, we’ve got manny new crew here, let’s reequip the TM’s knowledge base with the common wisdom and the straight dope on this issue. Question’s in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weird_AL_Einstein)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-initials-on-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser-cover-version/69300/2 "2001-06-19T05:41:52Z")
I think if you had a laser that big you would be **making** the laws 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-initials-on-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser-cover-version/69300/3 "2001-06-19T08:03:09Z")
Well, ignoring the fact that **Weird\_Al** is essentially correct - that there is no laser powerful enough to achieve such a feat - yes, it is illegal. Technically so, at least. There is an international treaty that forbids any nation or individual from laying soverign claim to extraterrestrial territory, specifically the moon, but in precedence also extending to other bodies such as Mars or Venus. Since carving your initials on the moon would be widely considered a claim of territory, yes, it would be considered illegal and therefore null and void as a claim to ownership. But they would still be there for all to see… Would your initials be [CHA](http://www.cs.rose-hulman.edu/~stinerkt/tickdocs/vlchip.html) by any chance?? ---
**Author:** ![AndYrAStar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@AndYrAStar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndYrAStar)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-initials-on-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser-cover-version/69300/4 "2001-06-19T09:07:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, it’s late in the day for bumping purge material, I’m pretty sure this thread came sometime after I registered, so i don’t think it would be purged anyway. hm… yep. [Is it illegal to carve your name in the moon with a big ass laser?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=21104) for anyone who cares to see the original cover version… haha 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-initials-on-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser-cover-version/69300/5 "2001-06-19T09:31:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bughunter \* > \*\* > > Technically so, at least. There is an international treaty that forbids any nation or individual from laying soverign claim to extraterrestrial territory, specifically the moon, but in precedence also extending to other bodies such as Mars or Venus. \*\* Unless I missed something in government class a treaty doesn’t make for criminal law in the United States. If that were the case then the Senate could bypass the House’s role in lawmaking by making a treaty with some other country. So if I wrote my name on the moon then what US law will prosecutors say I violated? I’m not a nation so I can’t possibly violate any treaty made between the United States and the rest of the world. What would an international court charge me with? > [@](#): > > \*\* > Since carving your initials on the moon would be widely considered a claim of territory, yes, it would be considered illegal and therefore null and void as a claim to ownership. \*\* Would it be anything like planting a flag on the moon? Antartica is suppose to be protected in a similiar way to the moon and other celestial bodies. But I’ve seen photos of all sorts of flags flying down there. Marc ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-initials-on-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser-cover-version/69300/6 "2001-06-19T09:35:18Z")
T’heck with the initials… I wanna carve my whole FACE on the Moon. That way, whenever any of you shmoes look up at the night sky, you’d see my ugly mug looking back at you. (Sorry… but I was going to say almost exactly what MGibson said.) Additionally, I think a case could be made against private/civilian ownership of any laser that powerful… but I’m not certain. I’m sure that a lot of people would dislike that notion, of course… ---
**Author:** ![Phoenix\_Dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Phoenix\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phoenix_Dragon)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-initials-on-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser-cover-version/69300/7 "2001-06-19T11:06:15Z")
I dunno, you might have to worry about a few other laws than just the effects on the moon… Anyone know if a huge laser like that is covered by a Class 3 licence? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-carve-your-initials-on-the-moon-with-a-big-ass-laser-cover-version/69300/8 "2001-06-19T13:45:00Z")
Would an big ass laser be methane powered?