Looking for a truly unique gift for your girl/boyfriend or a family member? Why not name a star after them? Sounds like a winner, right?

Naming a star as a gift for a loved one sounds romantic and sure to melt a heart. There are many organizations that will sell you the right to name a star after your loved one. The only trouble is, they don’t have that right to sell.

Only the International Astronomical Union has the authority to name stars, and they generally use numbers as designations.

Star naming is a novelty gift only. The company may provide an official-looking certificate and even a map for finding “your star” but none of the names are recognized by any scientific organization.

If you want to pay $25 to $50 for a parchment certificate and a star map, then this is a great novelty item that might impress the recipient. But be aware that it is a novelty gift only and has no official recognition whatsoever.

Space.com has an extensive article on the truth about buying the right to name a star.