Name a star FAQ - questions about buying a star name as a gift

 

 

 

 

 


 

What do I get?
All the various gift pack options are fully described in the Gift Pack section of the site.

How long does it take?
Within the UK:
Please allow up to a week for delivery. Our aim is to dispatch orders within one working day by first class post. We also offer an express service (approx. 1-2 working days) which includes use of Royal Mail Special Delivery or courier.
Outside the UK:
We aim to ensure Packages are dispatched within one working day. Packages sent by International Express Airmail should enter the foreign postal system within 3 days. After then, they enter the local postal service as small packets and delivery time will vary depending on the local service.

What if I am not completely satisfied?
See our
Money-back Guarantee

What do you mean by date of registration?
We add a date to the Certificate of Registration as a further way of personalising your gift should you be naming a star for a special event. We can normally backdate the date of registration to any date after the last published volume of our Register. Currently this is July 2004.

Can I see the star?
We always select a star from a constellation visible over the relevant Hemisphere. The stars we currently have available in the Northern Hemisphere can be seen with the aid of a telescope.

Can I choose the star?
If you have in mind the constellation in which you would prefer the star to be, please tell us. Otherwise we will select a star from a constellation prominent at the relevant time of year for the registration and appropriate to the gender and age of the recipient. For more information on constellations see
About the Stars for details of some of the most popular ones.

What if the star name I have chosen already exists?
This does not matter. If you think of a telephone directory, you will see many people have the same name, but each is an individual with their own address and telephone number. Similarly, each star has its own "address" in the form of its co-ordinates and its own "telephone number" in the form of its HGSC identification number.

Do you name the same star more than once?
No. Quite simply this is because in our catalogue there are some 16 million discrete stars. In over 25 years of business, the International Star Registry has helped over 1 million people to name stars. It would make no sense to re-name these 1 million stars when 15 million remain unnamed.

Will astronomers call the star by its new name?
No. In professional astronomical and scientific circles the star you name will be referred to either by telescope co-ordinates or by identity number.

What can I call the star?
First names and full names are very popular choices and are always suitable for inclusion in the Register but equally we welcome inspired creativity! The one limit we have is a maximum of 35 characters inclusive of punctuation and spaces.

How often is the Register published?
Our Register, Your Place in the Cosmos, is published approximately once every three years, and lists the names registered since publication of the previous register.

How can I get a copy of the Register with
my star name in it?

So far we have published seven volumes of the Register. Stars currently allocated (from 1st August 2004) will appear in Volume VIII. Once this is published, we shall notify those concerned that it is available for purchase. NB We contact purchasers of the gift package, not recipients.

Is it for real?
The International Star Registry was founded in response to a desire to name a star. Please refer to
History of the International Star Registry and History of Star Naming for more detailed information.

I see another company offering to name stars - why should I use the International Star Registry?
Since the internet came into being, a number of outfits have sprung up trying to copy what we do, offering such things as A3 or small A4 certificates, sometimes in cheap frames. Some have disappeared after a year or so. We at the International Star Registry have been in business for over 25 years, and are committed to the compilation and maintenance of our star catalogue of over a million star names. The service and documentation you will receive from us is of the highest quality.
Customers of the International Star Registry include members of Royal Families, Cabinet Ministers, major film producers, actors and television personalities. Corporate customers have included the BBC, BT, Sony, Disney, IBM, Warner Records & the Ford Motor Company among many. Ours is the catalogue where the “Stars” are named (see Celebrity star names). Our distinctive Certificates have graced official residences from the White House to Downing Street; are on display in the homes of Hollywood; and have appeared in films and TV shows throughout the world, from Oprah Winfrey through to “Coronation Street”, “Friends” and “The West Wing” - and in the opening credits of “Cheers”!
It is a matter of pride to us that nearly 40% of our new orders come from people who have previously named stars through us, or whose family or friends have had stars named for them by the International Star Registry. In the words of the distinguished writer and broadcaster, Clair Rayner, OBE: “There really is no pleasure like it, for the namer or the named. Try it!”