Posts tagged with ‘@pl’
The Straight Dope on Star Registries
When discussing my job at the planetarium with strangers, one topic that always seems to pop up is “naming a star.” Typically, the person either recalls having a star bought for them in the past, or is looking for a unique gift idea for a loved one.
Star registries have been around for ages, and are almost universally regarded as scams by legitimate astronomers and planetarians. There are numerous name-a-star registries out there, and they’re only as “official” as the credentials they make up for themselves. More often than not, your $20-$200 simply buys you the privilege of having random internet entrepreneur #3,904,212 enter your star name and billing information into a spreadsheet.
You might get a vanity certificate or plaque as part of the deal, and if that’s worth the cost to you, then no one’s stopping your from taking the plunge. In the grand scheme of things, star registries aren’t the worst scam out there. They’re not promising you twenty CDs for a penny, rust-proofing your car, or funneling your credit card numbers to Nigerian fake-bankers (hopefully). Just keep in mind that (A) you’ll probably never be able to see “your” star, since these places typically assign people stars that are too faint to be seen with the naked eye, and that (B) the star designation itself is about as official as a “World’s Greatest Grandpa” t-shirt.
This article at The Straight Dope was originally written in 1988, and it’s still a very accurate and informational take on star registries.
If you’re looking for astronomy-themed gift ideas, here are some better options…
A subscription to an astronomy magazine, such as Sky & Telescope or Astronomy
Membership in a local astronomy club
A trip or donation to a local planetarium or observatory
A planisphere or set of star charts
And here’s one last idea… Using a site like this, you can find your current “birthday star.” Using your birthdate, it will locate a visible star that emitted the light we see tonight on or near the date of your birth. It’s a really cool idea, and it’s free. Plus, as you get older, you can keep using the calculator to find new birthday stars that are further and further out in space.
If you’ve ever bought or received a star from a star registry, don’t get too depressed. Perhaps it got you or someone else excited about astronomy for the first time, which is always a good thing. Just know that there are plenty of gift-giving alternatives out there that provide greater value, along with organizations more deserving of your hard earned dollars.
Happy stargazing!
A few friends and family members have been asking me about the recent, well-publicized supernova in M51, a.k.a. the Whirlpool Galaxy. If you’ve also been hoping to catch a glimpse of this massive stellar explosion, these images (specifically the bottom two) might help you find it.
From a dark location, with a small telescope or even a good pair of binoculars, you might be able to pick out the Whirlpool Galaxy as a faint, hazy patch near the Big Dipper’s handle. You’ll be able to see much more detail through a large telescope, and if you look soon, you might even catch a glimpse of the supernova itself.
While you’re viewing it, consider that this object/event, which we see as a tiny pinpoint of light, is a star 10x the size of our Sun, exploding with the energy of roughly 10 trillion hydrogen bombs.
Also consider that the Whirlpool Galaxy is roughly 23 (+/- 4) million light years away. Which means that, although we can watch this stellar explosion tonight, its light had to travel through space for 23 million years before ever reaching our eyes. When we look into the cosmos, we look into the distant past.
If you want to see the supernova, and you’re in Grand Rapids, Michigan, consider heading out to the James C. Veen Observatory or Calvin [College] Observatory, both of which host regular public nights, weather permitting.
If you’re from elsewhere, contact your community’s local amateur astronomy club, planetarium, or observatory, and they’ll happily steer you in the right direction.
Happy stargazing!
The south pole of Jupiter. Unusual perspectives are neat.
