Word: heintz
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...Henry J. Heintz II, Chairman...
Astronomers think otherwise. Some refer to the mail-order operation as "Stargate" and "Starscam." Says Swarthmore College Astronomer Wulff Heintz, without even the trace of a twinkle: "You could call it a fraud." What irritates professional stargazers is that the self-styled registry, which began in 1979 and "sold" more than 30,000 stars last year, is invading turf that has long been their special preserve. By astronomical tradition, only a few dozen of the brightest stars, such as Sirius, Vega, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran, are called by proper names, many of which derive from early Arab astronomy. The remainder...
Even so, astronomers are sure to cold-shoulder the lists of any interloping organization like the International Star Registry. Says Swarthmore's Heintz, chairman of the I.A.U.'s commission for documentation: "There is no chance of the registry's designations being recognized by the world astronomical community." Besides, Marsden points out, many of the stars are so faint that "buyers probably won't even able to find their star." But Registry Founder Downie insists that the astronomers are missing the point. Says he: 'When space travel becomes as common as snowmobiling, it's going...