They actually mean nothing, the name is only used by the organization that issues the certificate chances are. In modern astronomy stars aren't given names, just numbers. (Though other astronomical objects are given names, more on this in a minute).
Some of these "star register" companies say clearly, somewhere, that the name is only used by them, e.g. say "the name will be put onto a large map in our headquarters" or whatever.
If so is legal but it verges on misleading as they are the only ones who use the name. This may be in the fine print and not spelled out so clearly, as after all, would customers really pay for a nice looking certificate to hang on their wall + to have the name engraved on a star map at the headquarters of an organization somewhere where probably only a few people will ever see it?
If they say or imply that they have approval of the IAU then it is a scam and the IAU should be notified.
This is what the IAU says
See: Buying Star Names which also has a nice and sometimes humorous FAQ about the whole subject.
With stars, then they only get catalogue numbers. Names would only confuse.
The only things that do get names in modern astronomy are places in our solar system, such as asteroids, and features on our Moons etc. Plus - now, exoplanets are getting names also.
Sometimes those are named after living people so there are a fair number of people now who have asteroids named after them. But no money changes hands. It's a kind of an honor, e.g. of their achievements or just because someone likes them - can be humerous also.
E.g. the asteroid 2309 Mr. Spock, see Boldly gone, but we can still see your asteroid, Mr. Spock
Here is a photograph of the Mr. Spock asteroid.
It is actually named after someone's pet cat, which in turn was named after the Star Trek fictional character. Since then, the IAU has adjusted their guidelines saying that naming asteroids after pets is discouraged.
And here is the Malala asteroid
An infrared image of the Malala asteroid, which appears red in infrared light because it is cooler than the hot blue stars. See An asteroid has been named after Malala Yousafzai
- these would be far too small to spot with naked eye of course.
For a bit more about this see Why Are So Many Asteroids Named For Celebrities?
Anyway that would be one way, to discover an asteroid or to if someone else discovers an asteroid and names it for you. Here is an interview with an amateur asteroid who discovered over 400 asteroids in his spare time, Roy Tucker. This is back in 2011 but he says that now he only finds known asteroids because the professional searches for them have got so good. How to discover asteroids in your spare time
Then also, researchers also name features on planets e.g. Curiosity - the researchers often name individual rocks even and other minor features. Unlike stars, then it's a situation where you can recognize them by their shape, and tge name makes sense. While for stars you just look up a catalogue number, and it wouldn't help the scientists to try to give names to the huge numbers of stars in all the astronomical catalogues.
So anyway - apart from becoming a researcher on such a team, or getting well known and liked so that someone decides to name an asteroid after you - well there is one other way to take part in the naming process.
You can also vote for your favourite names of exoplanets. Or will do from June onwards.
There was an attempt to use this as a way of earning money last year, this time not a scam, all the money went towards research and education, by space startup Uwingu. But it wasn't permitted because the IAU says the names aren't for sale.
Still, something did come out of it, with all these new exoplanets getting discovered, then there was a feeling we need names for them, for the general public. Rather in the same way that we give names to new moons of Pluto and new asteroids and other objects in our solar system.
So, now, astronomy clubs can suggest exoplanet names. So if you belong to an astronomy club you can take part in the process here: Page on nameexoworlds.org
General public can vote on the names - will be opened for voting in June 2015, and the close date is August 2015. You can register at the website to be notified when they open it to voting.
I expect they will do more of this in the future, is just 30 exoplanets or some such of the earliest discovered at present out of the thousands that have been discovered so far and continue to be discovered every year. Don't know if they will all end up having names but expect the most notable ones will be given names.
For more about it and the background: Exoplanet names will be put to public vote
Some of these "star register" companies say clearly, somewhere, that the name is only used by them, e.g. say "the name will be put onto a large map in our headquarters" or whatever.
If so is legal but it verges on misleading as they are the only ones who use the name. This may be in the fine print and not spelled out so clearly, as after all, would customers really pay for a nice looking certificate to hang on their wall + to have the name engraved on a star map at the headquarters of an organization somewhere where probably only a few people will ever see it?
If they say or imply that they have approval of the IAU then it is a scam and the IAU should be notified.
This is what the IAU says
The IAU frequently receives requests from individuals who want to buy stars or name stars after other persons. Some commercial enterprises purport to offer such services for a fee. However, such "names" have no formal or official validity whatever: A few bright stars have ancient, traditional Arabic names, but otherwise stars have just catalogue numbers and positions on the sky. Similar rules on "buying" names apply to star clusters and galaxies as well. For bodies in the Solar System , special procedures for assigning official names apply (see the IAU theme "Naming Astronomical Objects"), but in no case are commercial transactions involved
...
Thus, like true love and many other of the best things in human life, the beauty of the night sky is not for sale, but is free for all to enjoy. True, the 'gift' of a star may open someone's eyes to the beauty of the night sky. This is indeed a worthy goal, but it does not justify deceiving people into believing that real star names can be bought like any other commodity. Despite some misleading hype several companies compete in this business, both nationally and internationally. And already in our own Milky Way there may be millions of stars with planets whose inhabitants have equal or better rights than we to name 'their' star, just as humans have done with the Sun (which of course itself has different names in different languages).
See: Buying Star Names which also has a nice and sometimes humorous FAQ about the whole subject.
With stars, then they only get catalogue numbers. Names would only confuse.
The only things that do get names in modern astronomy are places in our solar system, such as asteroids, and features on our Moons etc. Plus - now, exoplanets are getting names also.
Sometimes those are named after living people so there are a fair number of people now who have asteroids named after them. But no money changes hands. It's a kind of an honor, e.g. of their achievements or just because someone likes them - can be humerous also.
E.g. the asteroid 2309 Mr. Spock, see Boldly gone, but we can still see your asteroid, Mr. Spock
Here is a photograph of the Mr. Spock asteroid.
And here is the Malala asteroid
- these would be far too small to spot with naked eye of course.
For a bit more about this see Why Are So Many Asteroids Named For Celebrities?
Anyway that would be one way, to discover an asteroid or to if someone else discovers an asteroid and names it for you. Here is an interview with an amateur asteroid who discovered over 400 asteroids in his spare time, Roy Tucker. This is back in 2011 but he says that now he only finds known asteroids because the professional searches for them have got so good. How to discover asteroids in your spare time
Then also, researchers also name features on planets e.g. Curiosity - the researchers often name individual rocks even and other minor features. Unlike stars, then it's a situation where you can recognize them by their shape, and tge name makes sense. While for stars you just look up a catalogue number, and it wouldn't help the scientists to try to give names to the huge numbers of stars in all the astronomical catalogues.
So anyway - apart from becoming a researcher on such a team, or getting well known and liked so that someone decides to name an asteroid after you - well there is one other way to take part in the naming process.
You can also vote for your favourite names of exoplanets. Or will do from June onwards.
There was an attempt to use this as a way of earning money last year, this time not a scam, all the money went towards research and education, by space startup Uwingu. But it wasn't permitted because the IAU says the names aren't for sale.
Still, something did come out of it, with all these new exoplanets getting discovered, then there was a feeling we need names for them, for the general public. Rather in the same way that we give names to new moons of Pluto and new asteroids and other objects in our solar system.
So, now, astronomy clubs can suggest exoplanet names. So if you belong to an astronomy club you can take part in the process here: Page on nameexoworlds.org
General public can vote on the names - will be opened for voting in June 2015, and the close date is August 2015. You can register at the website to be notified when they open it to voting.
I expect they will do more of this in the future, is just 30 exoplanets or some such of the earliest discovered at present out of the thousands that have been discovered so far and continue to be discovered every year. Don't know if they will all end up having names but expect the most notable ones will be given names.
For more about it and the background: Exoplanet names will be put to public vote
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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