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From: ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: Re: Name your own star
Message-ID: <416@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 24-Feb-86 09:34:55 EST
Article-I.D.: utastro.416
Posted: Mon Feb 24 09:34:55 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Feb-86 20:04:43 EST
References: <693@well.UUCP>
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 23
Summary: disagreeing and disapproving

In article <693@well.UUCP>, wvucenic@well.UUCP (Wayne Vucenic) writes:
> 
> My friend is trying to locate an organization which he's heard about that's
> in the business of, for a fee, naming a star for you.  (The organization
> might be on the west coast.)  He's contacted a few of the local
> astronomical societies, and they know of this organization, but they
> disagree with the whole idea, so they won't provide a pointer to the
> organization.
> 
I can't help you, but someone should clarify this point every few months.
Objections are not that the idea is hokey, or that it`s terrible to name stars
after people.  It`s just that the only organization with the legal right
to name astronomical objects is the International Astronomical Union.
Any other organization claiming to do so is defrauding people.
I should mention that some astronomical organizations do similar things
to raise money, but it is made clear at the time that the certificate they
send you has no legal standing.
-- 
"Ma, I've been to another      Ethan Vishniac
 planet!"                      {charm,ut-sally,ut-ngp,noao}!utastro!ethan
                               ethan@astro.UTEXAS.EDU
                               Department of Astronomy
                               University of Texas