Celestron Science?

[tfwthom]

Since the ATA forum gets the question of star names I'm posting here...mods move it if you feel it should be moved.<br /><br />Seems Celestron has decided that science isn't as important as making a buck.<br /><br />http://www.celestron.com/c2/news_view.php?NewsID=34<br /><br />"Entrants are also encouraged to nominate their favorite "celebrity" to have a star named after them through a partnership with International Star Registry. Following the contest, Celestron will announce the people's choice for the celebrity star naming and the Star Registry will make the new name official."<br /><br />Official?????????? Don't we have enough to do without Celestron backing up these thieves? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1" color="#3366ff">www.siriuslookers.org</font> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

That's disgusting.<br />I would never buy a scope from them if this is true.<br /><br />This is the note I sent to their PR department:<br /><br />"You are associating with the International Star Registry?<br />You know it is a ripoff of naive laypersons, right?<br />Have you no scruples?<br />No serious amateur astronomer will ever purchase one of your scopes, on principle, which apparently you do not posess.<br /><br />It is a sad day for astronomy, you should be ashamed"<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

I agree totally.<br /><br />Celestron, buck your ideas up.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[tfwthom]

Shame they threw the star registry into the deal--otherwise it's a nice thoughtful attempt at promoting astronomy as a family event, you know, something to do around the campfire under that socked in cloudy sky. <br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1" color="#3366ff">www.siriuslookers.org</font> </div>

 

[ianke]

This is a sad to see an instrument company sell its dignity. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[tfwthom]

Well they removed the International Star Registry from the entry form http://www.celestron.com/UBASC/ but it is still on the news page. http://www.celestron.com/c2/news_view.php?NewsID=34 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1" color="#3366ff">www.siriuslookers.org</font> </div>

 

[tfwthom]

This just was posted on az-observing, decided to share.<br /><br />TOP TEN (or more) CELESTRON(TM) CUSTOMER SERVICE RESPONSES<br /><br />Hello, this is Celestron(TM) Star Registry(R) Customer Support, Irma Doumay speaking, How may we scope you today ?? ....<br /><br />(1) ...We do NOT refer to it as a SCAM, Sir, rather as, “Customer Fantasy Fulfillmentâ€....<br /><br />(2) So your child is what, TEN years old, now? Does she still believe in the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, too?<br /><br />(3) You checked with the IAU and they say the ISR is a Scam? Well, aren’t they the bearded old geeks who just voted Pluto out of the Solar System??<br /><br />(4) None of the Planets are available for naming at this time. Please call Dr. Brian Marsden at Harvard, he works with the people who name Asteroids, they have plenty....<br /><br />(5) Sorry Ma’m, there are many different colored stars available, but NO GREEN ones....<br /><br />(6) Your Grandson said he saw Grandpa’s Star crash and burn up in the atmosphere? ...That’s a METEOR, Sir, happens all the time....<br /><br />(7) All the really Big, Bright Stars were used up by people who died about 300 years ago.... Just tell them you bought a BIG telescope so they could SEE all the Really FAINT ones....<br /><br />(8) Your neighbor’s kid got the same Star Registry Number as your child? Send it in and we’ll issue a replacement....<br /><br />(10) Sorry, we can’t accept a trade-in towards the next bright Comet.... You have to actually FIND a Comet to have it named for you, that’s the official rules....<br /><br />(11) No, not even a SMALL star cluster... Check with the Hubble people over at the Space Telescope Institute, they may have some Galaxies available....<br /><br />(12) The Planetarium said it was a fake? Well, did you know that THEIR “stars†are nothing more than a light bulb behind some tinfoil with holes in it ?<br /><br />(13) Sorry, George Lucas(TM) has exclusive rights to the Death Star(R); beside <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1" color="#3366ff">www.siriuslookers.org</font> </div>

 

[ianke]

lol <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

What is international star registry?

 

[MeteorWayne]

It's a company that let's you "name a star" for 50 bucks or so.<br />Of course, the name is not official in any way, but you get a nice certificate, that has no scientific value. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

That's true MeteorWayne.<br /><br />We all know here on SDC that it is harmless fun, but many customers are hoodwinked into <br />thinking that it is true. That is where the 'scam' factor kicks in.<br /><br />Particularly if the star is named after a loved one who has passed away. That is a crime IMO.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

I agree, rather cold hearted, mercenary and disgusting in my book<br />{wayne scrambles for thesaurus for more bad words} <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>