astronomy law question

[BigDrawMan]

i heard a commercial for the international star registry, where one can name a star after someone for a fee.

if another planet in another galaxy also has a deal like this, and some being has paid to name the sun, will we have to abide by that?

[VAdame]

Why? Even astronomers here on Earth don't have to abide by that crap!

You do know that thing's a scam, right?

http://www.iau.org/public_press/themes/ ... tar_names/

Sometimes people come to a star party all happy & excited about "Naming a star for their child/mom/sweetheart/whatever...." And they want to see it (usually pretty difficult.)

We try to be nice to such folks; there's no point in making them feel foolish. But we do try to explain (gently!) why this is not encouraged.

BTW, if someone offers to sell you a plot of land on the Moon, that's a scam too!

[littlebeast13]

Why? Even astronomers here on Earth don't have to abide by that crap!

You do know that thing's a scam, right?

http://www.iau.org/public_press/themes/ ... tar_names/

Sometimes people come to a star party all happy & excited about "Naming a star for their child/mom/sweetheart/whatever...." And they want to see it (usually pretty difficult.)

We try to be nice to such folks; there's no point in making them feel foolish. But we do try to explain (gently!) why this is not encouraged.

BTW, if someone offers to sell you a plot of land on the Moon, that's a scam too!

Don't tell me that 100 acres I bought on Uranus isn't really mine.....

lb13

[BackInTex]

Why? Even astronomers here on Earth don't have to abide by that crap!

You do know that thing's a scam, right?

http://www.iau.org/public_press/themes/ ... tar_names/

Sometimes people come to a star party all happy & excited about "Naming a star for their child/mom/sweetheart/whatever...." And they want to see it (usually pretty difficult.)

We try to be nice to such folks; there's no point in making them feel foolish. But we do try to explain (gently!) why this is not encouraged.

BTW, if someone offers to sell you a plot of land on the Moon, that's a scam too!

But..but...but...they say "recorded in book form in the US Copyright Office". That sounds soooo official.

I'm sure they do that. You can write anything on a piece of paper and get it copyrighted, as long as you are the first to write it. Even Gore had his book copyrighted.

[sunflower]

The Nigerians should have just started selling stars, it's a lot less complicated!

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

I bought some sort of stuffed animal for Emma called a Shining Star Bear when she was little. The stuffed bear came with the paperwork to name a star with the International Star Registry.

[TheConfessor]

BTW, if someone offers to sell you a plot of land on the Moon, that's a scam too!

Many, many years ago, there was some sort of a deal on the back of a cereal box where if you mailed in a few boxtops, they would send you a deed to land on the moon. I think it was one square inch. Does anyone else remember this? Or maybe it was land in Alaska. When I was five years old, they were both about the same.

[silverscreenselect]

BTW, if someone offers to sell you a plot of land on the Moon, that's a scam too!

Many, many years ago, there was some sort of a deal on the back of a cereal box where if you mailed in a few boxtops, they would send you a deed to land on the moon. I think it was one square inch. Does anyone else remember this? Or maybe it was land in Alaska. When I was five years old, they were both about the same.

It was land in the Yukon Territory of Canada, and the offer was legitimate, but the deeds aren't valid because they were never properly registered and the property was repossessed in the 1960s for failure to pay property tax. Unfortunately for any of the current "deedholders," the statute of limitations on bringing any sort of lawsuit has long since expired.

http://www.yukoninfo.com/klondikebiginch.htm

[peacock2121]

I named one after Dr Dick. He proudly displayed it in his office.

the end

[VAdame]

OK -- I posed this as a semi-serious (well, not really serious) question to members of my Astronomy club. I got 2 semi-serious replies.

One: It depends on whether they have the energy (weapons!) to enforce it.

Two: Our continent was named for a European cartographer, by European explorers -- not by the people who were already here. They had the energy (gunpowder!) to enforce it.

[tlynn78]

No. It is the International Star Registry. Now if you go through the Intergalactic Star Registry, that's different. Although neither one will accept "SpongeBob." Now go prepare a FT2N


t.

[VAdame]

No. It is the International Star Registry. Now if you go through the Intergalactic Star Registry, that's different. Although neither one will accept "SpongeBob." Now go prepare a FT2N


t.

Well, Beedums' question was about whether the denizens of other planets, outside our own Solar System, might have a similar Star Ripoff, er, "Registry", and whether some being could arbitrarily name our Sun after him/her/its dear old Ma/Pa/Primordial Ooze/Whatever....

I know he said "galaxy" -- but he meant "star system" -- I won't call it a "Solar System" since "Sol" refers to our local star. People (for want of a more accurate term!) in another galaxy are unlikely to notice our rather smallish yellow local star unless it goes Supernova -- in which case, hey, we ain't gonna be around to object! (Or if they have some sort of far more advanced observing technology that we humans can't even conceive of -- in which case, they're surely much to intelligent to throw away their money on stupid scams!)

BTW, we generally call planets orbiting a star other than our gool old Sol "Extrasolar Planets."

Anyhow, if some native of the recently observed extrasolar planet orbiting the star Fomalhaut, f'rinstance, happens to be observing our Sun & decides to stick a name on it (such as "Beer*") -- or even pay some con artist in his/her/its own world to do so -- would we be obligated to change its name from "Sol" to "Beer*"? Well, that depends on whether the Fomalhautians have the communications technology to tell us about it, and the energy (weapons!) to enforce it!

*This would be in payback for naming their local star "Fomalhaut" -- aka The Beer Star (Foam-a-lot!)

[frogman042]

I'm generally a relatively easy-going bloke, but that Star Registry scam really gets to me. Maybe it is because it not only preys on peoples ignorance, but they use my beloved Astronomy to do it.

Several years ago I became a big fan of the comic strip 'Pearls Before Swine' on the sole basis that it ran a week long series on someone selling the right to name a grain of sand after someone - it was a great spoof of the star registery scam and it endeared me to the strip forever.

Unfortunately, several years ago my oldest daughters boyfriend (at the time) wanted to buy it for her birthday and I tried to explain to her why it was such a scam. She thought it was romanitic and that I was being a heartless killjoy. I know it gives people pseudo-value, and like astrology I think those who partake/enjoy it really don't care if it is a scam or not - its the thought that counts.

But I must admit, it does make my blood boil.

---Jay

PS - Another Comic Strip that endered itself to me was Foxtrot when it ran the following (paraphrased) 3 panel strip:

Panel 1:
(Kid 1 with a football ready to pass): 'Go deep'
(Kid 2): 'How do you reconcile an omniscient God with the concept of Free Will?'

Panel 2:
(Kid 1 looking puzzled)

Panel 3:
(Kid 1): 'Too deep'
(Kid 2): 'Would Batman being killed make the Joker happy?'

[AlphaDummy]

Aww, mannnn...I was expecting a subject of more gravity than this...



But, back to the matter at hand...here is more on the subject:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/rea ... -after-you

[VAdame]

Now's the perfect time to promote the ICR: The International Cowchip Registry!

http://www.piovere.com/CowChipRegistry.htm



Get your very own personalized cow patty today, before they're all gone!

[frogman042]

Now's the perfect time to promote the ICR: The International Cowchip Registry!

http://www.piovere.com/CowChipRegistry.htm



Get your very own personalized cow patty today, before they're all gone!

When I saw your reference to 'ICR' in your post I thought you were referring to the 'Institute for Creation Research'. But when I read on and saw the picture....

Spoiler

Then I knew my suspicion was confirmed!


Hopefully no one is offended by my comment but the ICR is another group who I feel unconciousably prey on the lack of knowledge of others.

---Jay