Star-naming kits are a popular gift for anniversaries, birthdays, and memorials — a certificate promising that a star somewhere in the sky now bears your loved one’s name. But before you spend money on one, it helps to know exactly what you’re paying for, because it isn’t what most of the marketing implies.
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This guide explains how these services actually work, what the International Astronomical Union (the real authority on star names) has to say about them, and what you get for your money — plus a few alternatives if you want something with more scientific weight behind it.
Quick Answer
No — you cannot buy an official star name. Companies like International Star Registry, Star Registration, and similar services will sell you a certificate and paperwork listing a name of your choice next to a star’s coordinates, but that name is not recognized by astronomers, the IAU, NASA, or any scientific body. It’s a novelty keepsake, not a real designation.
Who Actually Names Stars
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the only organization with recognized authority over astronomical nomenclature. Its Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) maintains the official catalog of proper star names — things like Sirius, Betelgeuse, and Proxima Centauri — and that list covers only a few hundred stars total, almost all chosen for historical or cultural reasons rather than personal requests.
The IAU does not sell names, does not accept requests to name a star after a person, and has stated publicly that it ‘dissociates itself entirely from the commercial practice of selling fictitious star names.’ It has also warned that any company implying IAU approval or partnership is making a false claim.
Most stars visible to the naked eye — and the overwhelming majority of the billions cataloged by telescopes — have no proper name at all. They’re identified only by catalog numbers (like HD or HIP designations). That’s the pool commercial services draw from when they assign your star a set of coordinates.
What You’re Actually Paying For
When you buy a star-naming package, you typically get a certificate with the chosen name and the star’s celestial coordinates, an entry in the company’s own private registry (not any scientific database), and sometimes extras like a star chart, a night-sky app, or a keepsake box. Packages commonly range from roughly $20 for a basic digital certificate up to $100 or more for deluxe printed kits with framing and gifts.
The star itself is real — these companies pick an actual, already-cataloged star and record your chosen name alongside its existing catalog designation in their own private book or database. What’s not real is any claim that astronomers, textbooks, planetariums, or star-mapping software will ever recognize or display that name. They won’t, because the IAU catalog is what all of those tools use.
International Star Registry, founded in 1979, is generally considered the first company in this space and is still the best known; several competitors have copied the same model since. In 1998, the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs cited the company for deceptive advertising over how clearly it disclosed that the name has no official standing — a reminder to read the fine print on any of these services before buying.
Tips and Common Mistakes
Read the disclaimer before you buy. Legitimate star-naming companies do state, usually in smaller print, that the name isn’t officially recognized — look for that language rather than taking headline claims like ‘name a star after someone’ at face value.
Don’t buy it expecting scientific recognition. If the gift is for someone who cares about astronomy specifically, a novelty certificate can actually be a letdown once they realize it won’t show up in any star atlas or planetarium software.
Consider what the gift is really for. These kits work best as a sentimental keepsake or memorial gesture, similar to a dedicated park bench plaque — the meaning is symbolic, not astronomical.
Look at what you get for the price. Compare the physical package (certificate quality, star map, gift box) across companies rather than assuming a higher price means a more ‘official’ result — none of them are more official than any other.
If you want a genuine connection to a real astronomical designation, look into the IAU’s NameExoWorlds public contests, which periodically let astronomy clubs and the public propose and vote on real, officially adopted names for exoplanets and their host stars — a free, legitimate alternative with actual scientific recognition.
Explore more: More space guides.
Star-naming services FAQs
Is it possible to legally and officially name a star after someone?
Not through any purchase. The IAU is the only body that assigns official star names, and it does not accept commercial requests or naming stars after private individuals. The closest legitimate option is participating in an IAU public naming contest like NameExoWorlds, when one is running.
Is buying a star a scam?
It depends on disclosure. If the company clearly states the name isn’t scientifically recognized and you’re buying it as a symbolic keepsake, it’s a novelty product, not a scam. It becomes deceptive if a seller implies the name will be officially recognized by astronomers or NASA.
Will my named star show up in NASA databases or star map apps?
No. Star map apps, planetarium software, and NASA/IAU databases use official catalog names and numbers only. A commercially assigned name exists solely in that company’s private registry.
What’s a good alternative if I want something more official?
Watch for IAU public naming campaigns such as NameExoWorlds, which let the public and astronomy organizations propose and vote on real names for exoplanets and stars that the IAU then formally adopts.
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