dgruss, firstly, we question the value of service. $100 is not a small amount of money to many people. They could look up in the sky, pick the brightest star and name it after their loved one or whatever. That would be just as effective and much, much cheaper. It would be easier to see it and be a greater memorial because you would be able to see this dedicated star everytime you looked up at the clear night sky. The $100 you may pay offers more and less. It does give you a pretty little certificate, possibly framed, that you can hang up on your wall. However, the star you'll get it one you won't be able to see without the help of some good equipment. The starmap wouldn't be required if the stars were brighter.
You assert the value of the registry that they send to Congress. How does this really help? The registry means nothing to the astronomical community.
The real problem we have with these companies is thing you downplay. The misleading service. If they explicitly stated that the registry is not astronomically valid, if they explicitly stated that the names they assign to the stars are not recognised by the astronomical community, if they explicitly stated that the only thing of any substance contained in their "service" is a pretty certificate and other accessories, we wouldn't have a problem. If the punter was fully aware of the limitations of the "service" and if the act of shelling out hard earned dollars for some gimic is appealing to the punter, then go ahead. No harm done.
The problem is that their advertising is misleading. They imply to the punter that the star name is legitimately recognised by the astronomical community. And thus the punter thinks that the star name is a proper name this star will have.
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Originally Posted by On page 241, BA
However, judging from stories I've heard from astronomers at planetaria and observatories, when most visitors ask to see "their" star, they don't understand that these companies are not official in any way.
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It is this misconception that is serious. It is not a minor thing that they could improve. It is a very serious act of deception.
There is only one organisation that can assign names to astronomical objects: The International Astronomical Union. They are empowered in this way because the astronomers and governments of the world have agreed, by treaties and the like, that the IAU should be given responsability for this task.