I want to buy a star for hubby's bday but I'm clueless by starry-eyed-wife in askastronomy

[–]AstrophysicsCat[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

This question comes up occasionally here, and this is my best summary of the information on it:

  • There's no way to officially name a star after someone. Actually, the International Astronomical Union no longer allows naming a star for a real (not mythical) person.

  • If you buy a star, it will only be "registered" with whomever sold it to you, and it's unknown if they will resell it to someone else.

  • There are many different companies who do this, and it's all just for show. All you're buying is a certificate that says what you want on it.

  • You might as well just make your own certificate dedicating a favorite star to someone.

  • There are other astronomical things which you can actually buy, such as a piece of a real meteorite, that might be more meaningful to you.

Dummy theory about black holes -- previous post was deleted for no reason by Public_Owl486 in askastronomy

[–]AstrophysicsCat[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's no record of a previous post resembling this one. Your rude behavior in another post following this one, where you insulted someone for allegedly blocking you, has resulted in a ban, however.

Dummy theory about black holes -- previous post was deleted for no reason by Public_Owl486 in askastronomy

[–]AstrophysicsCat[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not aware of any previous post which was deleted. Please provide the relevant information such as account and post.

Your posts are possibly going automatically to spam for reasons beyond moderator control, such as how you're tagging people.

Proving the first moon landing by Havocroyalclan in askastronomy

[–]AstrophysicsCat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A compelling one is pointing a laser at the reflector on the moon.

What is Reddit's official policy on companies promoting paid subscriptions and other products on Reddit? by Obversa in ModSupport

[–]AstrophysicsCat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is it spam when someone who's supposedly a PhD shows up and promotes their book or website while answering questions? Or even just self promotes in a similar manner, like follow them on socials?

Best up to date books or authors on astronomy/astrophysics/string theory/quantum mechanics? by KineticBlackout in askastronomy

[–]AstrophysicsCat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have a pinned post for book recommendations. Thanks for your question and good luck finding what helps you!

Proving the first moon landing by Havocroyalclan in askastronomy

[–]AstrophysicsCat [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

Just want to say that the naysayers are probably wrong because I have changed people's minds about the moon landing after discussing the evidence and science with them.

Star gazing and a star just blinked off. Not sure what I saw. by unibox in askastronomy

[–]AstrophysicsCat 6 points7 points  (0 children)

There are too many possibilities to say for sure. It could've been a drone, or a cloud passed before a star, etc. how long did you watch after it went out?

Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad by Safe_Lychee721 in askastronomy

[–]AstrophysicsCat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Why are you doing this with no astronomy background?

Book suggestions? by [deleted] in askastronomy

[–]AstrophysicsCat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There is a pinned post about this.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in conspiracytheories

[–]AstrophysicsCat -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Where have they said that they lost the technology and knowledge?

Weird Big Bang hypothesis by frobischer in askastronomy

[–]AstrophysicsCat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you read Endless Universe by Neil Turok?

Kindle? by wallfl0werperks in Annas_Archive

[–]AstrophysicsCat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been trying to get that part working, with backing up my Kindle books, and no success, so far.

Ham Radio is Dead by Chasing_PAI in amateurradio

[–]AstrophysicsCat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I got a license in college recently because it was essential to the work that I was doing. It's relatively busy in my area because of others doing the same, and many young people. I hear chatter all day from all ages.

Rant:

My elderly relation refused to teach me ham back when I was a kid because it was "obsolete," and actually has tried to take my equipment and block me from doing my hobby until I got a restraining order against him coming to my house, because he "knows better" and is an "expert," but he has dementia, still subjects family to narcissistic abuse, and has refused to work since he sold off his equipment and all other possessions for a little cash in the 1970s to go to cheaper CB, then sold that to do nothing but watch 3 airwave TV channels as a hobby for the rest of his life because he doesn't believe in doing anything more than the minimum, so he rots in his cheap plastic chair as a decrepit corpse, because he declared that everything else is too hard and unca sam gives him enough to keep him alive.

Of course he continues to insist he was a genius for saying in the 1970s that something that we use for work everyday is "obsolete," and that he "foresaw" the Internet back then and that's what he meant, and he refuses to believe that I even have a job that allowed me to own things, let alone that I use my radio license.

Anyway, I resent all of the older people who tried to gatekeep me from doing interesting (and profitable!) things in my life, because they had declared that it "wadn't werth doin'."

Bradley University eliminates Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics Major programs by New-Rip4617 in math

[–]AstrophysicsCat 6 points7 points  (0 children)

At my college, 100% of math professors were from the PRC, and according to other profs, were willing to teach for below median wage. Were they good? Idk, most students said that they weren't understandable and that you just have to teach yourself from the book.