If you’re fortunate enough to live somewhere where there isn’t so much light pollution that you can’t see the full sky at night, one trip outside your back door on a clear night will show you the billions of stars you can see in just one section of the night sky.
Though at least for now, a bucket list item can’t be to get up there to experience space for yourself, you could get a little of yourself up there by naming a star.
Often, naming a star is a romantic or spiritual experience, where you can do something that will last forever and name a star after a young loved one or one who’s passed. Of course, you can always just name one for the hell of it!
There are a lot of companies that offer you a way to name your own star – though, of course, these names won’t be the official name of the star, and it may even be the case that another person has named it at another registry, but what you don’t know won’t hurt. Official names of stars are often boring; just a series of numbers and letters.
Naming a star
Some particularly bright stars have “proper” names, mostly Arabic, Greek or Latin in origin, even officially, and the IAU (the governing body of official star names) works with the WGSN (Working Group on Star Names) who catalog these “proper” names. If you’re determined to name a star officially, it’s best to follow along with both these organizations as they occasionally run competitions where you may be able to name an official star.
So, why not take your place in the universe? Best of all, this bucket list item doesn’t even require you to leave your home!
If you’re looking for more unique bucket list ideas, we have a ton, some of which are like this, and can be done at home. Go to Buckil.com to start your bucket list, or download the Buckil app, available on iOS and Android, to start ticking more exciting items off your bucket list.
