Company:International Star Registry

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International Star Registry
TypePrivate
IndustryNovelty item, memorabilia
Founded1979; 45 years ago (1979)
FoundersIvor Downie
ProductsCertificates, kits
ServicesUnofficial star naming and registration
Websitewww.starregistry.com

The International Star Registry (ISR) is an organization founded in 1979, which sells the right to unofficially name stars. Products and services are often marketed as gifts or memorials since the scientific organization International Astronomical Union serves as the only internationally recognized authority for naming celestial bodies.

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]

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.[4] The stars are catalogued on charts stored at the International Star Registry headquarters,[5] and a catalogue of named stars is stored in a vault in Switzerland.[6]

Customers are given a signed certificate, a booklet of star charts, and a chart identifying the named star.[7] 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. The International Star Registry 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.[8] In 1980, John and Phyllis Mosele bought an American franchise of the company. They purchased sole ownership in 1981 after Downie's death.[9] The present owner of the company is Rocky Mosele, one of John and Phyllis Mosele's twelve children.[10][11] The company has published nine large volumes of the copyrighted book named Your Place in the Cosmos.[12][13]

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.[14][15]

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.[16][17] The Illinois Attorney General later found that the company had done no wrongdoing.[7] The International Star Registry's FAQ states that only the International Astronomical Union has the right to name stars.[18]

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".[19] 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.[20][21]

The International Star Registry named a star after each victim of the September 11 attacks as a memorial.[22]

John Smith's Brewery named stars in a pint glass-shaped constellation after fans who won a competition in 2015.[23] As of 2017, the company had reportedly registered over 2 million stars names.[24]

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.[25] That same year, the company ran a promotion with the Sprint Corporation for customers who purchased a Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+.[26]

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.[27]Disney+ commemorated the launch of the Star content hub in February 2021 by naming several stars in the International Star Registry.[28]

In popular culture

Coretta Scott King presented with a certificate by the ISR in 1987

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.[29] 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.[30]

Various celebrities and politicians have had stars named for them in the International Star Registry, including 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.[31] Nicole Kidman named a star in the Hercules constellation "Forever Tom" in the registry, after her husband Tom Cruise.[32] Winona Ryder also named a star after her then-boyfriend Johnny Depp.[33]

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.[34] Ellen DeGeneres presented 5-year old Xander Rynerson with a star named after him on a 2020 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[35] 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.[36]

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.[37]

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" (in en). https://www.wral.com/here-s-the-best-way-to-buy-your-valentine-the-moon-and-stars/19468843/. 
  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. https://archive.org/details/strangeuniversew00berm. 
  3. ↑ Philip C. Plait (2002-03-05). Bad Astronomy. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-40976-6. 
  4. ↑ Wierzbik, Chris (February 28, 1993). "Reaching for the Stars". Chicago Tribune: pp. 2. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-02-28/features/9303185804_1_international-star-registry-star-registry-canadian-operation/2. 
  5. ↑ Zorn, Eric (29 December 1989). "Now, Wishing Upon A Star Gets Personal". chicagotribune.com. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-12-22-8903190994-story.html. 
  6. ↑ Di Justo, Patrick. "Buy a Star, But It's Not Yours". Wired Magazine. https://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2001/12/49345. Retrieved 7 October 2009. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Di Justo, Patrick. "Buy a Star, But It's Not Yours". Wired Magazine. https://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2001/12/49345. Retrieved 7 October 2009. 
  8. ↑ Scott, Jay (May 2, 1979). "Film fest has real stars - for sale". The Globe and Mail. ISBN 9781468914320. https://books.google.com/books?id=kCsHKpPd2ssC&dq=%22Film+fest+has+real+stars+-+for+sale%22+globe+and+mail&pg=PT20. 
  9. ↑ Zorn, Eric (29 December 1989). "Now, Wishing Upon A Star Gets Personal". chicagotribune.com. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-12-22-8903190994-story.html. 
  10. ↑ "Reaching For The Stars" (in en). Chicago Tribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-02-28/features/9303185804_1_international-star-registry-star-registry-canadian-operation. 
  11. ↑ "International Star Registry About" ([1])
  12. ↑ (in en) LC Online Catalog - Item Information (Full Record). 1985. https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=11068&recCount=25&recPointer=1&bibId=953913. Retrieved 3 May 2017. 
  13. ↑ 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. 
  14. ↑ Wierzbik, Chris (February 28, 1993). "Reaching for the Stars". Chicago Tribune: pp. 2. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-02-28/features/9303185804_1_international-star-registry-star-registry-canadian-operation/2. 
  15. ↑ Marzell, Terry Lee (2015-02-15) (in en). Chalkboard Heroes: Twelve Courageous Teachers and Their Deeds of Valor. Wheatmark, Inc.. pp. 193–194. ISBN 978-1-62787-183-9. https://books.google.com/books?id=fpe6BgAAQBAJ&dq=international+star+registry&pg=PA193. 
  16. ↑ "Falling stars • Reno News & Review" (in en-US). 2005-07-07. http://renonr.com/2005/07/07/falling-stars/. 
  17. ↑ Triplett, William (2000-08-01). "Astronomers silenced in star-name wars" (in en). Nature 406 (6795): 448. doi:10.1038/35020232. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 10952281. https://www.nature.com/articles/35020232. 
  18. ↑ "Transparent Eyeball: Book'em" (in en). https://www.forbes.com/forbes/1998/0907/6205045a.html. 
  19. ↑ Rowen, Ben. "The Fault in Our Star Names" (in en). https://psmag.com/social-justice/the-fault-in-our-star-names. 
  20. ↑ Bittle, Mark (December 24, 2017). "Delaware Diamond shines as state's official star" (in en). https://delawarestatenews.net/news/delaware-diamond-shines-states-official-star/. 
  21. ↑ "The Daily Times from Salisbury, Maryland on August 7, 2016 · Page T48" (in en). http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/213094049/. 
  22. ↑ Greenspan, Elizabeth (2013-08-20) (in en). Battle for Ground Zero: Inside the Political Struggle to Rebuild the World Trade Center. St. Martin's Publishing Group. pp. 114. ISBN 978-1-137-36547-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=DMHzmpTK5rYC&dq=international+star+registry&pg=PA114. 
  23. ↑ "John Smith's to name stars after talented ale fans in 'out of this world' digital competition". https://www.thedrum.com/news/2015/07/20/john-smiths-name-stars-after-talented-ale-fans-out-world-digital-competition. 
  24. ↑ Bittle, Mark (December 24, 2017). "Delaware Diamond shines as state's official star" (in en). https://delawarestatenews.net/news/delaware-diamond-shines-states-official-star/. 
  25. ↑ "Jack in the Box celebrates National Space Day with a fast food constellation". https://www.thedrum.com/news/2018/05/04/jack-the-box-celebrates-national-space-day-with-fast-food-constellation. 
  26. ↑ "Sprint Galaxy S9 BOGO deal announced for customers who want to be a star" (in en). https://pocketnow.com/sprint-also-has-bogo-on-leasing-a-galaxy-s9. 
  27. ↑ Cardona, Ian (2019-04-01). "The Big Bang Theory To Be Honored With Its Own Star Pattern" (in en-US). https://www.cbr.com/the-big-bang-theory-big-dipper-star-pattern-renamed/. 
  28. ↑ Ravindran, Manori (2021-02-17). "Disney Lifts Lid on Star: Exclusivity and Parental Control Keys to New Tile" (in en-US). https://variety.com/2021/streaming/global/disney-plus-star-launch-1234909210/. 
  29. ↑ Knibbs, Kate (2017-09-15). "Inside the Star-Naming Business" (in en). https://www.theringer.com/tech/2017/9/15/16310482/star-naming-businesses. 
  30. ↑ "American Dad Season 9 Episode 13: I Ain't No Holodeck Boy" (in en). https://comicbook.com/news/american-dad-season-9-episode-13-i-aint-no-holodeck-boy/. 
  31. ↑ "The Rising Stars of Politics" (in en-US). The New Yorker. 2016-01-11. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/01/18/star-making. Retrieved 2022-06-22. 
  32. ↑ Sides, Hampton (2001) (in en). 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. pp. 158. ISBN 978-0-393-32150-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=Yr6_cBCIeS4C&dq=international+star+registry&pg=PA158. 
  33. ↑ Wierzbik, Chris (February 28, 1993). "Reaching for the Stars". Chicago Tribune: pp. 3. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-02-28/features/9303185804_1_international-star-registry-star-registry-canadian-operation/3. 
  34. ↑ "John Cusack has a real star named after him" (in en-US). 2012-04-26. https://www.hollywood.com/general/john-cusack-has-a-real-star-named-after-him-57764709. 
  35. ↑ Bartlett, Kerri. "Franklin 5-year-old schools Ellen on space facts — and leaves show with his own star" (in en-US). https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/williamson/franklin/2020/02/05/franklin-xander-rynerson-ellen-show-space-facts/4672686002/. 
  36. ↑ "SEE IT: Pete Buttigieg and Patrick Stewart square off in 'Star Trek' trivia match". https://www.nydailynews.com/snyde/ny-pete-buttigieg-patrick-stewart-star-trek-trivia-20200313-7qwvkvdrlzhndkbspxssqxheae-story.html. 
  37. ↑ Acuna, Kirsten. "Here's everything inside the $168,000 Oscar-nominee swag bag" (in en-US). https://www.businessinsider.com/oscar-gift-bag-2015-2. 

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