Many people have written to ask me if some organization will, for a fee , let you name a star for yourself or someone else as a gift. ... In fact, the International Astronomical Union is the only organization with the legal authority to name celestial objects, and they do not sell naming rights to anyone. ... One is led to wonder if all these companies cooperate among each other to make sure the same star isn't named twice for different customers --- unlikely, given the Globe article below. ...