International Star Registry

The International Star Registry (ISR) is an organization founded in 1979, which sells the right to unofficially name stars.

International Star Registry
TypePrivate
IndustryNovelty item, memorabilia
Founded1979 (1979)
FoundersIvor Downie
ProductsCertificates, kits
ServicesUnofficial star naming and registration
Websitewww.starregistry.com

Overview

The company sells the right to unofficially name a star, often as a gift or memorial. These names are recorded in the book Your Place in the Cosmos,[1] and are not recognized by the scientific or astronomical community as the International Astronomical Union is the only internationally recognized authority for naming celestial bodies.[2][3] Some astronomers have criticized the registry for not conforming to the IAU's designations while others, like Edward Bowell, approved of it.[4] The company's director of marketing Elaine Stolpe stated that "the service is not intended for scientific research; it is intended as a lasting gift."[5]

Since its founding, the International Star Registry has catalogued individual stars using coordinate data. It previously used data from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Star Catalog, before switching to using data from the NASA Star Guide, which allowed them to locate stars down to the 16th magnitude.[6] The stars are catalogued on charts stored at the International Star Registry headquarters,[7] and a catalogue of named stars is stored in a vault in Switzerland.[8]

Customers are given a signed certificate, a booklet of star charts, and a chart identifying the named star.[9] Packages sold by the company include framed certificates and personalized jewelry. The text of the certificates, with its blank spaces filled in by hand, is:

Know ye herewith that the International Star Registry doth hereby redesignate star number _____ to the name _____. Know ye further that this star will henceforth be known by this name. This name is permanently filed in The Registry's vault in Switzerland and recorded in a book which will be registered in the copyright office of the United States of America.

History

International Star Registry of Illinois was started in Toronto in 1979 by Ivor Downie, and is thought to be the earliest commercial star naming company. That year, the Toronto International Film Festival announced that it had purchased the naming rights to stars in the Andromeda Galaxy from the company, and would be naming them after festival patrons.[10] In 1980, John and Phyllis Mosele bought an American franchise of the company. Phyllis had first learned of the company when she named a star for her husband as a gift.[11]

The American company quickly grew in popularity, appearing on AM Chicago and Wally Phillips' WGN Morning Show.[11] The Moseles purchased sole ownership in 1981 after Downie's death.[12] The present owner of the company is Rocky Mosele, one of John and Phyllis Mosele's twelve children.[11][13] The company has published nine large volumes of the copyrighted book named Your Place in the Cosmos.[14][15]

After the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the city of Daytona Beach named a star after each of the seven astronauts who died in the accident through the ISR.[16][17]

In 1998, the International Star Registry was issued a complaint by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs for deceptive advertising for claiming "official" naming rights.[18][19] The Illinois Attorney General later found that the company had done no wrongdoing.[9] The International Star Registry's FAQ states that only the International Astronomical Union has the right to name stars.[20]

In 1999, the Delaware Museum of Natural History held a contest to name the star TYC 3429-697-1 in the Ursa Major constellation, after the museum purchased naming rights from the International Star Registry. The star was named the "Delaware Diamond", derived from Delaware's nickname "The Diamond State".[5] Despite the nickname not having any scientific validity, a bill recognizing it as the official star of the State of Delaware was passed unanimously by the Delaware General Assembly in 2000.[21][22]

The International Star Registry named a star after each victim of the September 11 attacks as a memorial.[23]

John Smith's Brewery named stars in a pint glass-shaped constellation after fans who won a competition in 2015.[24] As of 2017, the company had reportedly registered over 2 million stars names.[25]

Jack in the Box partnered with the company to nickname a constellation, shaped like the fast food chain's mascot, after various food items offered by the franchise. The promotion was intended to celebrate the dual occurrence of Star Wars Day and National Space Day in May 2018.[26] That same year, the company ran a promotion with the Sprint Corporation for customers who purchased a Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+.[27]

In 2019, as the series The Big Bang Theory neared its finale, Warner Bros. Television Studios announced that the ISR had nicknamed the Big Dipper constellation "The Big Bang Dipper" in honor of the show.[28]Disney+ commemorated the launch of the Star content hub in February 2021 by naming several stars in the International Star Registry.[29]

Letter from Diana, Princess of Wales to ISR
Coretta Scott King receiving the "I Have a Dream" star from William Bennett

The company has also appeared in numerous films and television series. In the 2002 romantic coming-of-age film A Walk to Remember depicts a young man (Shane West) naming a star after his girlfriend (Mandy Moore) through the International Star Registry.[30] The International Star Registry appeared in the American Dad! episode "I Ain't No Holodeck Boy", when Hayley buys Roger's homestar, and claims to be his queen as a result.[31]

A 1992 Time magazine article noted that the company had become popular with celebrities and politicians, with Elizabeth II, Charles III, and Diana, Princess of Wales receiving stars.[4] Some stars have been nicknamed as a memorial, such as when William Baldwin nicknamed a star after John F. Kennedy Jr., in the wake of the latter's death.[32] Nicole Kidman named a star in the Hercules constellation "Forever Tom" in the registry, after her husband Tom Cruise.[33] Winona Ryder also named a star after her then-boyfriend Johnny Depp.[34]

Other public figures who have had stars named for them include Barry Manilow, Engelbert Humperdinck,[4] Jon Pertwee,[35] Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Lindsey Graham. Del E. Webb Construction Company named a star after Marco Rubio in 1993. Actor Kirk Douglas had a star named after him for his 99th birthday in 2015.[36]

In 2012, Anderson Cooper presented guest John Cusack, who had just received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with a star named after him in the International Star Registry.[37] Ellen DeGeneres presented 5-year old Xander Rynerson with a star named after him on a 2020 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[38] In a 2020 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Patrick Stewart had a star named for him after defeating Pete Buttigieg in a Star Trek trivia match.[39]

At the 2015 Academy Awards, nominees were given stars named in their honor and hardcover copies of Your Place in the Cosmos, Vol. 10, inside of their Oscar gift bags.[40]

Bibliography
  • Your Place in the Cosmos, Volume I. Total Pages 530; ISBN 0961435402
  • Your Place in the Cosmos, Volume II. Total Pages 508; ISBN 0961435410
  • Your Place in the Cosmos, Volume III. Total Pages 388; ISBN 0-9614354-2-9
  • Your Place in the Cosmos, Volume IV. Total Pages 502; ISBN 0-9614354-3-7
  • Your Place in the Cosmos, Volume V. Total Pages 680; ISBN 0961435445
  • Your Place in the Cosmos, Volume VI. Total Pages 717; ISBN 0-9614354-5-3
  • Your Place in the Cosmos, Volume VII. Total Pages 773; ISBN 0-9614354-6-1
  • Your Place in the Cosmos, Volume VIII. Total Pages 652; ISBN 096143547X
  • Your Place in the Cosmos, Volume IX. Total Pages 943; ISBN 0961435488

See also

References
  1. WRAL (2021-01-12). "Here's the best way to buy your Valentine the Moon and Stars". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  2. Bob Berman (2003). Strange Universe: The Weird and Wild Science of Everyday Life--on Earth and Beyond. Henry Holt and Company. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-8050-7328-7.
  3. Philip C. Plait (2002-03-05). Bad Astronomy. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-40976-6.
  4. Golden, Frederic (1982-01-11). "Science: Stellar Idea or Cosmic Scam?". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  5. Rowen, Ben. "The Fault in Our Star Names". Pacific Standard. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
  6. Wierzbik, Chris (February 28, 1993). "Reaching for the Stars". Chicago Tribune. p. 2. Archived from the original on 2015-10-25.
  7. Zorn, Eric (29 December 1989). "Now, Wishing Upon A Star Gets Personal". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  8. Di Justo, Patrick. "Buy a Star, But It's Not Yours". Wired Magazine. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  9. Di Justo, Patrick. "Buy a Star, But It's Not Yours". Wired Magazine. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  10. Scott, Jay (May 2, 1979). "Film fest has real stars - for sale". The Globe and Mail. ISBN 9781468914320.
  11. "Reaching For The Stars". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  12. Zorn, Eric (29 December 1989). "Now, Wishing Upon A Star Gets Personal". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  13. "International Star Registry About" ()
  14. LC Online Catalog - Item Information (Full Record). 1985. Retrieved 3 May 2017. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  15. Your place in the cosmos: a layman's book of astronomy and the mythology of the eighty-eight celestial constellations and registry. Open Library. 1 January 1985. OL 2873475M.
  16. Wierzbik, Chris (February 28, 1993). "Reaching for the Stars". Chicago Tribune. p. 2. Archived from the original on 2015-10-25.
  17. Marzell, Terry Lee (2015-02-15). Chalkboard Heroes: Twelve Courageous Teachers and Their Deeds of Valor. Wheatmark, Inc. pp. 193–194. ISBN 978-1-62787-183-9.
  18. "Falling stars • Reno News & Review". Reno News & Review. 2005-07-07. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
  19. Triplett, William (2000-08-01). "Astronomers silenced in star-name wars". Nature. 406 (6795): 448. doi:10.1038/35020232. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 10952281. S2CID 205007995.
  20. "Transparent Eyeball: Book'em". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
  21. Bittle, Mark (December 24, 2017). "Delaware Diamond shines as state's official star". Delaware State News. Archived from the original on 2019-08-23. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
  22. "The Daily Times from Salisbury, Maryland on August 7, 2016 · Page T48". Newspapers.com. 7 August 2016. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
  23. Greenspan, Elizabeth (2013-08-20). Battle for Ground Zero: Inside the Political Struggle to Rebuild the World Trade Center. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-137-36547-7.
  24. "John Smith's to name stars after talented ale fans in 'out of this world' digital competition". The Drum. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  25. Bittle, Mark (December 24, 2017). "Delaware Diamond shines as state's official star". Delaware State News. Archived from the original on 2019-08-23. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  26. "Jack in the Box celebrates National Space Day with a fast food constellation". The Drum. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  27. "Sprint Galaxy S9 BOGO deal announced for customers who want to be a star". pocketnow.com. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  28. Cardona, Ian (2019-04-01). "The Big Bang Theory To Be Honored With Its Own Star Pattern". CBR. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  29. Ravindran, Manori (2021-02-17). "Disney Lifts Lid on Star: Exclusivity and Parental Control Keys to New Tile". Variety. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  30. Knibbs, Kate (2017-09-15). "Inside the Star-Naming Business". The Ringer. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  31. "American Dad Season 9 Episode 13: I Ain't No Holodeck Boy". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  32. "Boston Globe Online: Print it!". www.naic.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  33. Sides, Hampton (2001). Why Moths Hate Thomas Edison and Other Urgent Inquiries Into the Odd Nature of Nature: The Best of Outside Magazine's "The Wild File". W. W. Norton & Company. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-393-32150-0.
  34. Wierzbik, Chris (February 28, 1993). "Reaching for the Stars". Chicago Tribune. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2018-04-08.
  35. Bale, Bernard (2000). Jon Pertwee: The Biography. André Deutsch. p. 246. ISBN 978-0-233-99831-2.
  36. "The Rising Stars of Politics". The New Yorker. 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
  37. "John Cusack has a real star named after him". Hollywood.com. 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  38. Bartlett, Kerri. "Franklin 5-year-old schools Ellen on space facts — and leaves show with his own star". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  39. "SEE IT: Pete Buttigieg and Patrick Stewart square off in 'Star Trek' trivia match". New York Daily News. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  40. Acuna, Kirsten. "Here's everything inside the $168,000 Oscar-nominee swag bag". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
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