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Originally Posted by aurora
They have been selling stars (various companies) for more than 20 years (I found documents that they were doing it before 1985 at least).
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My wife got mine in 1982 and I reciprocated on her b-day (for charm value only, of course).
I suppose, their success underscores our desire to connect in some permanent way to the universe, along with our love for ownership for just about everything. Yet I suspect it is some of these same feelings which drive us to want to do more. That is why I like the idea of a IAU sanctioned entity using star naming money to support special projects (e.g. save the Hubble) which might not otherwise receive support. This gives you and I a chance to contribute to a project of our own choice, and still receive the charm inherent in having our own star, though we'll know science will still utilize their superior naming system.