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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!kpno!ut-sally!utastro!bill
From: bill@utastro.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: naming stars
Message-ID: <558@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 4-Sep-83 15:19:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: utastro.558
Posted: Sun Sep  4 15:19:18 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 5-Sep-83 22:03:09 EDT
References: watmath.5688
Lines: 26


Please, everyone, be warned:  The outfit that "names" stars after
you for a fee has no more right to do so than I do.  This is
a commercial business that has a copy of the Smithsonian Star
Catalog, and for a modest fee they will send you a nice
certificate that says that "star number such-and-so is now called
Barry's star";  The certificate is worthless and means nothing.
The organization, of course, keeps your money.  I consider it
a rip-off (like those "genealogy researchers" we heard about
a few months ago).

There is only one organization that has the right to name objects
in the Heavens.  It is the International Astronomical Union, and
is the organization that speaks for all the world's astronomers.
It has a Commission on Astronomical Nomenclature whose responsibility
is to name objects, features on planets and so on.

There is one good way to get your name legitimately on a heavenly
body: Discover a comet (and be one of the first to inform Dr.
Brian Marsden at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory,
Cambridge, Mass.)  This is easier said than done.

	Bill Jefferys  8-%
	Astronomy Dept, University of Texas, Austin TX 78712   (Snail)
	ihnp4!kpno!utastro!bill   (uucp)
	utastro!bill@utexas-11   (ARPA)