Naming a star: where the name counts and where it does not
The name you choose matters to people rather than to astronomers, and the two systems coexist happily as long as neither pretends to be the other. This page sets out how stars are identified scientifically, what happens to the name you write, and how any of it can be checked, with links to the sources.
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The short answer
The name you choose is kept in the A Star For You Private Registry beside the star connected to your dedication. It does not replace the object's recognised astronomical identifier and is not a recognised astronomical designation.
In science, stars are identified by catalogue designations, and the handful of proper names in current use come from tradition or from decisions taken by astronomical bodies rather than from purchases. On our documents the two appear side by side, never one instead of the other.
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Two naming systems, no overlap
Astronomers need identifiers with no ambiguity: a catalogue designation and two coordinates are enough to find the same object in any archive in the world. It is a system built for precision rather than affection, which is why almost no star carries a proper name at all.
People need the opposite: a name that means something to very few. That is exactly what a dedication is for. A grandmother's name written beside a catalogue designation takes nothing from the designation and adds everything for the reader, provided the document is clear about which name does which job.
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Where your chosen name applies
The boundary is sharp, and in our view drawing it is what makes the gesture worth giving.
Where the name has effect
- In the A Star For You Private Registry, where the pairing between the name and the connected star is kept over time.
- On the documents you receive: certificate, dossier, sky map and guide show the chosen name beside the catalogue identifier.
- On the verification page reached with the dedication code, which whoever holds the gift can consult at any time.
Where the name has no effect
- In astronomical catalogues and scientific literature, where the star remains identified by its designation.
- The chosen name is not a recognised astronomical designation and has no effect towards third parties.
- It does not transfer ownership of the celestial object or change its scientific designation.
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Primary sources consulted
Last reviewed:
- SIMBAD Astronomical Database
CDS, Université de Strasbourg
Official description of the database and its astronomical object identifiers.
- FAQ: Can I buy a star?
International Astronomical Union
The astronomical organisation’s position on commercial star-naming services.
How to verify the name on a dedication
Three steps to confirm that what a certificate claims corresponds to something real.
Start from the designation, not the name
Find the catalogue identifier and the coordinates on the certificate: those are the values that locate the star in an external source, whatever the dedication happens to be called.
Re-check it at the source
SIMBAD, maintained by the CDS in Strasbourg, holds basic data, cross-identifications, bibliography and measurements for millions of celestial objects. That is where a designation is confirmed, or is not.
Use the dedication code
The code printed on the documents opens the verification page, confirming that the dedication exists and showing the connected star, within the privacy level chosen by whoever created it.
A name that knows it is a name
Knowing where the value of the gesture ends does not shrink it; it makes it something you can say out loud while handing it over. If you want to see how a chosen name sits on the page, the preview is available before payment and the catalogue lists the contents of each option.
See a preview of the dedication04
Four questions about the star name
In science, the proper names in current use come from tradition or from decisions taken by astronomical bodies. The primary source linked just below publishes a FAQ specifically about commercial star-naming services; no purchase enters that process.
Within the A Star For You Private Registry each star is connected to a single dedication, so we do not duplicate the pairing you create. Outside our registry we have no control at all: other private archives are independent and we can say nothing about their contents.
Documents already issued stay as they are, because they are the original you hold. For unusual cases, write to us as soon as possible: what can be done depends on how far preparation has progressed and on the reason for the request.
A fair question, and the honest answer is that the registry is private, so it is tied to the service existing. The documents you downloaded remain yours and carry the catalogue identifier, the coordinates and the date, and those values can still be checked at the source without us.