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Originally Posted by gethen
So we could all just pick a star and name it, for free, couldn't we? It would have the same import as going through one of those star registry things, unless, of course, you want to see it in print in a big "star registry."
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Both of my kids are intensely interested in space (can't imagine where they get that from!
) and both love being outside looking at the starry night sky. To my family, Venus is Jessie's star after my serenely beautiful 6-year old daughter. Sirius is Nicky's star after my bright, colourful, cheerful 4-year old.
Makes them feel special, didn't cost a cent, and has exactly the same validity as StarRegistry. And everyone is free to use exactly the same ones.
Incidentally, at the small observatory where I work, we often come across the problem of people wanting to 'see' the stars that have purchased for their loved ones. Normally, we just smile and nod and train the telescope on the appropriate co-ordinates & hazard a guess at the right star.
However, a few weeks back, a dear old lady came to us who had 'bought' a star for her recently deceased husband of many years. It was 13th magnitude in the starfields of Sagittarius - like looking for a grain of sand on a beach. I trained the telescope onto the jewel that is Canopus and made a mental note that if ever I found one of these shysters, that they would not make another such sale while in possession of their own teeth......
