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Adopt-a-Star To Fund Research

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the but-how-are-the-school-systems dept.

Travis writes "An international collaboration of astronomers is taking a unique approach to funding their research, through an 'adopt-a-star' program. Preparing for the launch of NASA's Kepler satellite next February, the group will help characterize thousands of stars that the mission will be searching for evidence of Earth-like planets. For a small donation, early adopters get a certificate by email and updates when any planets are found around their adopted star."

9 of 82 comments (clear)

  1. Sol by jawtheshark · · Score: 5, Funny

    I call dibs on "Sol" ;-)

    --
    Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
    1. Re:Sol by Mordok-DestroyerOfWo · · Score: 4, Funny

      Stars are cute when they're young, but they grow up

      --
      "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right" - Salvor Hardin
    2. Re:Sol by jawtheshark · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sure, but I'm going to charge you per kilowatt you use up every day.

      --
      Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
  2. Is this a Russian Bride scam??? by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 4, Funny

    How long before I get emails from my so-called star saying:"I've been captured by a bunch of NASA thugs wearing white coats and black spectacles. OMG they want to delete my itunes library I don't give then $10,000!!!!Please send $10,0000 to....

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
  3. Another scam like International Star Registry? by Electric+Eye · · Score: 4, Informative

    I remember hearing all those commercials that you could name a star after someone. I was actually dumb enough to do it for a girlfriend. When we got the "chart" the star was.... made up! They actually put a black dot from a magic marker on it.
    This sounds oddly familiar.

    How about getting NASA's money back from George Bush's bogus faith-based programs?

    1. Re:Another scam like International Star Registry? by Dogtanian · · Score: 4, Funny

      I remember hearing all those commercials that you could name a star after someone. I was actually dumb enough to do it for a girlfriend. When we got the "chart" the star was.... made up! They actually put a black dot from a magic marker on it.

      Black? That sounds suspiciously like she didn't get a star named after her, she got a black hole instead.

      The people at the registry told me that this was because they heard your girlfriend was an oversized groupie who had a reputation for sucking stars and anything else in the vicinity...

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  4. Is this like health class? by kiehlster · · Score: 4, Funny

    I remember in high school the who baby care/egg care thing where you (and a pair of classmates) had to take turns watching a fake baby or an egg for a few days. That was my first thought on adopting a star. Oh dang, my star esploded! Does that mean I get a zero on my report card?

    Meanwhile, other classmates are laughing because their star is not going anywhere for another 2 million years.

    1. Re:Is this like health class? by corbettw · · Score: 4, Funny

      I remember in high school the who baby care/egg care thing where you (and a pair of classmates) had to take turns watching a fake baby or an egg for a few days.

      We had to care for the egg? Man, no wonder I flunked that class.

      Oh well, a man's gotta eat.

      --
      God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
  5. Sorry, Sold Out by tillerman35 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I went to their web site, but apparently all the stars have already been adopted by Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and Madonna.