It is quite unlawful to rename or sell star names, unless it is approved officially by the International Astronomical Union (I.A.U.), under international agreement.* Some of these what can only be described as charlatans have dared to have “sold” stars, usually naming them after the individual who bought it.
Typically, the brighter the star the higher the price. These capitalistic tricksters play on the human emotions regarding immortality, presumably because your name will be eternally emblazed in the sky forever after your dead and buried. I feel quite passionate about this disreputable subject as I have been approached a number of times to find stars that have been designated to silly individuals. The advertising is usually targeted at new relationships or lovers to; “:…lets you express your feelings in a romantic, meaningful way by naming a star for a loved one.”: Of course the most popular stars are within the zodiac constellation because of the astrology link or the stars seem to be double or binary systems forever attaching the couple in an all eternity embrace.†
Some of the circumstances can be very sad and heart-wrenching. One recent example is of a boy who sadly was instantly killed in an avoidable and senseless traffic accident. So to help his family with their personal grief they bought some star from one of these companies, just so he could be always respectfully be remembered.
For me it is funny how people generally view their little world. Those with religious or spiritual beliefs, for example, often think that the sky beyond the Earth is ‘Heaven’ when in reality the presumed world after death is actually just some metaphysical idea based on some adopted religious dogma. The stars, in this thinking, are much like us, being far and distant just like this imagined metaphysical world, where God or the gods are all manifest in their personal distant realities - doing heavenly errands we do not understand or even comprehend. Furthermore, most still cling to the old notions that the stars are also eternal, when in fact they are just as moral like the rest of us. No doubt these same stars will be there long after the human race has disappeared from Earth - either by its own self-destructiveness or by the Sun making the surface of the Earth uninhabitable for life to survive in several billions years that is to come. The stars being eternal is an Aristotelean idea when the world and Universe was this grand mystery. Where and how starlight was produced was not even remotely understood at all.
More often than not, the selected stars are quite faint and require sizeable telescopes to see them. Once purchased the customer then wants to look at the star in the sky - often disappointing them in the difficulty to find and how faint the star really is. The star which they have sort for comfort so much reflects the insignificance of themselves or of their departed loved one(s) which no doubt exacerbates and magnifies their own feelings of remorse or grief. Such feelings are made far more morbid in seeing these decent people exploited in this lousy way - especially in such tragic circumstances - but I am willing to help in silence of my own views, if only to perhaps give those left behind deal with their grief and real sadness. At least it is a human thing to do.
In recent times, however, the trend is that astronomical institutions have instead joined this common practices as well. This follows the practice; “If you can’t beat’em join ’em!” In my own opinion I really am passionately against this practice. All it does is legitimise this invalid process instead of stamping it out all together. But it seems that even the astronomical observatories and museums are now getting in on the act. No only is it inane and simply stupid, in has no real meaning for an individual - except exploitation. In my opinion these legitimate bodies are far worst than the dodgy ones because they should actually know better!
Of course, the explanation for the costs incurred is to produce the documentation. Often you get an ‘official’ certificate with your own star which cost only several cents which is boosted after you shelling-out anything between $10 up to $200; so that the stinking proprietor makes an exorbitantly outrageous huge profit. Often it names the star catalogue number and some details such as brightness and even spectral type (colour) and some small map of the region - mostly from commonly available astronomical computer software. What people should realise is that they could easily do this themselves without any expense. Simply pick some star and what you do with it is then up to you! Do so quite F R E E L Y!
* In the real world of the I.A.U. controls of astronomy, this also does not mean that star names cannot be added or changed. The I.A.U. is seemingly (and fortunately) highly democratic and non-profit body. If many responses to some particularly favoured name is suggested and they become commonly used, they could be submitted for ratification and changed. The official position of the IAU appears in a statement on the following link; “Buying Star Names”
† With the current rate of divorce in the Western world, binary stars are not that easy to split up, meaning one you do this, forever you are bound together. Sounding a bit like the Catholic Church version of divorce, meaning once it is done you cannot be married in the Church again unless you can prove the conditions of religious annulments under the Tribunal of the Catholic Church. Else the vow continues for ever more — on both earth and heaven.
• The following reference in pdf format is the current official position of the professional Australian Astronomical Society ASA Information Sheet No.10 : ‘Purchasing’ Star Names
