I just received an email advertising a new twist on the old star naming schtick. Interestingly the company doing this ( http:// www.nameastarlive.com ) is the same company that shot Gene Roddenberry's and Timothy Leary's ashes into space. +++++ Here's what they said: Introducing the perfect holiday gift from Name a Star Live. With gift sets starting at $19.95, Name A Star Live allows you to name a real star and launch your own message into space. Only Name A Star Live offers: - Live online viewing of your Star using our robotically controlled telescope - The ability to send your star name and message to space on board a rocket - A beautiful astrophoto of your constellation and star - The Virtual Planetarium 2007 astronomy software - 400 page Astronomy 2008 Almanac eBook +++++ Happily their web site (but not the email) noted that "Naming a star is a symbolic rather than scientific gift. Our register is not used by the scientific community although it is a perfectly valid register." patrick
Do they tell their customers that their messages are launched into sub-orbital flights and burn up on re-entry? I have to assume that it's sub-orbital. We don't need any more junk in earth orbit. $299 fine for littering. (lol) Do they tell their customers that their message would go further if they just broadcast it over old fashioned radio? Schtick is a generous term. Scam is better. On Dec 20, 2007 12:09 AM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
I just received an email advertising a new twist on the old star naming schtick. Interestingly the company doing this ( http:// www.nameastarlive.com ) is the same company that shot Gene Roddenberry's and Timothy Leary's ashes into space.
On 20 Dec 2007, at 10:05, Chuck Hards wrote:
Schtick is a generous term. Scam is better.
To me this has always been a "Buyer beware" thing. As long as the purchaser knows it's just for fun and not real I don't see any harm. Kind of like a pet rock (remember those?). patrick
The trouble is, many buyers do not realize it's "just for fun". The Pet Rock is a terrible analogy. My nephew was killed in an automobile-bicycle accident a few years ago. Someone in the family gave his parents (my in-laws) one of those "name a star" certificates. They came to me and asked me to show them the star through my telescope. They genuinely thought that the star was officially named for their deceased son- that astronomers referred to it as "Ben's Star" and wondered if they could see it noted as such in an "official" catalog or star chart. I felt like the world's biggest ass trying to gently inform them that astronomers didn't use these "name a star" registers. It's someone making money off of the emotions of others. If there is an afterlife, the people behind these scams won't be taking up space there. On Dec 21, 2007 3:25 AM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
On 20 Dec 2007, at 10:05, Chuck Hards wrote:
Schtick is a generous term. Scam is better.
To me this has always been a "Buyer beware" thing. As long as the purchaser knows it's just for fun and not real I don't see any harm.
Kind of like a pet rock (remember those?).
participants (2)
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Chuck Hards -
Patrick Wiggins