The International Star Registry (ISR), founded in 1979, is a company which sells products related to entries in the Your Place in the Cosmos book published by the company every 2 - 3 years. As of 2009, the company has produced 8 volumes of the book which includes customers from August 2004 through July 2007.
The company was founded by Ivor Downie in Toronto in 1979. Downie sold the company to Phylis Mosele. It moved its headquarters to Ingleside, Illinois where it grew dramatically through heavy advertising -- particularly on the radio.
Products
Products and services are often marketed as gifts or memorials. Packages sold by the company include framed and unframed certificates, personalized jewelry, plush toys and pet rocks identifying "naming" of a star as described in the book. Naming services are limited to an entry in the book and carries no scientific or official authenticity according to professional astronomers as well as the company's list of frequently asked questions. The only recognition outside of the ISR and customer is the copyright registration of the book itself available to any "original works of authorship".
Criticisms
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the internationally recognized authority which designates stars, planets, asteroids, comets, and other heavenly bodies according to internationally accepted rules. The IAU does not sell naming rights nor does it authorize any other company or organization to do so. The IAU cautions consumers that products and services marketed ISR and other companies have no formal or official validity whatever. In fact with a few exceptions of ancient or Arabic names, nearly all stars are designated by catalog numbers rather than names.
The IAU has called the ISR's star-naming business "a deplorable commercial trick." However, the ISR does not claim to officially name a star, saying:
No. We do not own the star, so we cannot sell it to you. This is like adopting the star. This star is associated with that special someone. It is something you can point at to know that there is something special out there for you.The ISR has been criticized for their lack of astronomical knowledge. Their FAQ incorrectly states that "Only 2873 stars are visible to the naked eye" (while over a million have been sold). In reality the number of visible stars is closer to 10,000, depending on sky conditions. Astronomer Phil Plait suggested this may be a case of using an overly precise figure to make the ISR seem more scientific than they actually are. At one time, the FAQ also responded to the question "What happens if my star falls out of the sky?" with " name a new star for that person at our expense", without explaining that meteors (shooting stars) are not the same thing as stars.
The ISR threatened Perkins Observatory at Ohio Wesleyan University with legal action when assistant director Robert Martino put up a website criticizing star-naming companies, despite it being factually correct. Even after Martino removed any direct reference to ISR, he was warned that he should not talk about star-naming at all. Eventually Martino was forced to host his criticisms privately and on newsgroups.
See also
- Star designation
References
- ^ "Your Place in the Cosmos". Product Catalog . International Star Registry . http://www.starregistry.com/catalog/dspProduct.cfm?prod=book . Retrieved 2009-10-30 .
- ^ a b Strange Universe: The Weird and Wild Science of Everyday Life--on Earth and Beyond - Bob Berman - Times Books; 1st edition (January 6, 2004) ISBN 0805073280
- ^ "Product Catalog". International Star Registry . http://www.starregistry.com/catalog/ . Retrieved 2009-10-30 .
- ^ "FAQ". International Star Registry . http://www.starregistry.com/faq.cfm . Retrieved 2009-10-30 .
- ^ a b Cecil Adams, "Can you pay $35 to get a star named after you?" from The Straight Dope, 1 Apr 1988.
- ^ a b ISR FAQ, "Am I buying the Star?" from International Star Registry
- ^ a b Di Justo, Patrick (12). "Buy a Star, But It's Not Yours". Wired Magazine . http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2001/12/49345 . Retrieved 07 October 2009 . "
Robert Naeye, editor of Mercury Magazine , a publication of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, puts it in no uncertain terms:
"The star names sold by the International Star Registry are not recognized by any professional astronomical organization.".- ^ a b c d Philip C. Plait. Bad Astronomy . John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0471409766.
- ^ a b "The OFFICIAL Star Naming FAQ" is archived at web.archive.org
- ^ "Copyright Basics". United States Copyright Office . http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.pdf . Retrieved 2009-10-30 .
- ^ "Buying Stars and Star Names". IAU buying star names: International Astronomical Union . http://www.iau.org/public_press/themes/buying_star_names/ . Retrieved 2009-10-30 .
- ^ "International Star Registry - Frequently Asked Questions"" . http://www.starregistry.com.au/faq.html . Retrieved 2009-05-14 .
External links
- The International Star Registry's website
- Buy a Star, But It's Not Yours (from Wired magazine)
- The Official Star Naming FAQ
- The International Astronomical Union's statement on star registries
- SPACE.com:
Name a star, buy a star
Name a star. The International Star Registry is the world's first and foremost star naming service. Name a shining star in the heavens is a unique and inspirational gift that will ...
Canadian International Star Registry - Betelgeuse: Home
StarRegistrry,star,stars,shop ... Welcome to the International Star Registry – Canada. We will be happy to help you name a star for your loved one!
International Star Registry: Name a Star | A Unique Gift for All ...
Name a Star - International Star Registry (R) Pick star name of your choice. Naming stars since 1979, our list of satisfied customers include celebrities, dignitaries, and ...
International Star Registry - Who we are
Name-a-Star, name a star, buy a star, purchase a star name as a unique gift, unique gift, star naming, star registry, buying a star, international star registry, how to buy a star ...
Canadian International Star Registry - Betelgeuse: Star Offices ...
StarRegistrry,star,stars,shop ... OUR OFFICES WORLDWIDE . Argentina International Star Registry Valeria Coutoure
International Star Registry
Name-a-Star, name a star, buy a star, purchase a star name as a unique gift, unique gift, star naming, star registry, buying a star, international star registry, how to buy a star ...
The first star naming service - over a million stars named
The International Star Registry is the world's first and foremost star naming service. Naming a shining star in the heavens is a unique and inspirational gift that will perfectly ...
International Star Registry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The International Star Registry (ISR), founded in 1979, is a company which sells products related to entries in the Your Place in the Cosmos book published by the company every 2 ...
UK2 | Domain Names, Web Hosting, E-commerce and Dedicated Servers
UK2 offers affordable domain name registration and hosting, web hosting, e-commerce, reseller hosting and dedicated servers.
International Star Registry: Name a Star
Name a Star - International Star Registry (R) Pick name of your choice. Buy a star name an ideal gift for: Birthdays, Christmas and Mothers Day