The "name your star" scam...

[ToSeek]

In the comics. (http://www.ucomics.com/overboard/2003/05/13/)

I think the dog is the smartest character in the strip. ;)

[Edited to provide clearer title and to correct bad URL.]

[Pinemarten]

I looked at the link and received a login page?

[ToSeek]

Sorry about that.

Try this. (http://www.ucomics.com/overboard/2003/05/13/)

[g99]

lol, i like that one. :-) funny comic.

[tracer]

*Sigh* ... One of my relatives got conned into this scam, too, just like that guy in the comics.

The funny thing about it was, the identifier they gave for the star was something like "Hydrus RA 16h4m DEC -45deg50'." (I'm making up those RA and DEC figures; I don't remember the exact ones right now, but I did at the time.) No Bayer, Flamsteed, or catalog number, just a constellation name and some approximate celestial coordinates. The star chart showed the dot as being of a pretty decent size, implying that the star had a magnitude bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. The closest naked-eye star I found to those coordinates was 19 Hydri, but even that wasn't quite at the coordinates they gave. I'm sure those charts they were using were out-of-date.

[Jim]

The Star Registry people were out in force last week. "Show Mom how much you love her. Name a star after her for Mother's Day." To give it "legitimacy" they said it would be "recorded in the Library of Congress."

[dgruss23]

Some of my astronomy students came across this one today. I almost hesitate to post it because of the double meanings peppered on the site, but they keep it clean:

http://www.buyuranus.com/

Apparently the latest in the line of buying celestial real estate scams.

[SollyLama]

The local AM radio station here (KVOR) runs Star Registry commercials all the time. I even called them to let them know it was a sham, but got the brush off. Money talks, the truth...well there's just no place for it in this world.

[Wingnut Ninja]

http://www.buyuranus.com/


I have great respect for the people running that site. :D

[kilopi]

That is a good oen dgruss23, I'll pass it on! :)

[Pinemarten]

I just had an interesting thought.
Can we actually legitimize this scam?
All those who have receipts/evidence from the scam companies would have first rights to the name, based on the time of monetary transfer?

[kilopi]

Can we actually legitimize this scam?
No. :)

[Pinemarten]

You are right. Hyphenated names like Bob-Tuttle, meaning name of sponsor-discoverer, would be a headache.

[QuagmaPhage]

From the buyuranus site:

Once you own this packet you'll never stop talking about Uranus.

And:

A fact sheet, so you know what you're talking about when you discuss Uranus with friends.

:P :lol:

[David Hall]

http://www.buyuranus.com/

Let's see, the joke is exceedingly juvenile and as old as the hills...so it fits in perfectly with the topic at hand. I love it. It had me laughing out loud. :lol:

[dgruss23]

I'm glad that site is worth a good laugh. I think this was my favorite line:

Grab a piece of Uranus before someone else gets a hold of it?

[jizlobber]

I don't know if any of you heard this, but when Pathfinder landed on Mars 3 Yemenese guys sued NASA because thier ancestors bequeathed Mars to them in ancient texts. Apparently mind-numbing stupidity is an international phenomenon.

[dgruss23]

I don't know if any of you heard this, but when Pathfinder landed on Mars 3 Yemenese guys sued NASA because thier ancestors bequeathed Mars to them in ancient texts. Apparently mind-numbing stupidity is an international phenomenon.

Apparently they've never heard of the Viking mission. Too bad for them. NASA must have squatters rights by now! :D

[tracer]

I'm glad that site is worth a good laugh. I think this was my favorite line:

Grab a piece of Uranus before someone else gets a hold of it?
Have you taken a look at what they call their registry?
http://www.buyuranus.com/registry.php4