Is naming a star official?

No. Only the International Astronomical Union names celestial objects, and it does not sell names. Commercial star names live in the catalogue of the company that sold them and are not used by astronomers.

Is owning a minute official?

It is official in exactly one sense, and we say it plainly: the minute is recorded under your name in our public registry, and nobody else can claim it. You are not buying real time. No institution, government or standards body is involved — nor do we pretend otherwise.

So why is a minute better than a star?

Because it is unique by construction rather than by promise. The registry can hold exactly one owner per minute, and the page is public, editable and instant. If uniqueness is the point of the gift, that is the difference that matters.

Naming a star vs. owning a minute

One of them can be sold twice. The other cannot.

Both are novelty records bought as gifts, and neither is recognised by any government. We sell one of them, so read this with that in mind — but the factual difference is easy to check, and it is the reason this page exists.

Side by side

What you actually get.

	Star registry	A minute
Who keeps the record	A private company's own catalogue. The International Astronomical Union does not recognise commercial star names.	One public page on buythetime.co, listed in an open registry anyone can browse.
Can it be sold twice	Yes. Different registries sell the same star to different people, and nothing prevents it.	No. One minute has one owner and the database refuses every later claim. That is the whole product.
What the recipient can see	A certificate and a sky chart. The star itself is usually invisible without a telescope.	A page with their name, a title, a message, a photo or a video — open on any phone in a second.
Can it be changed later	Rarely. The certificate is printed and the entry is fixed.	Yes. Sign in and edit the title, message and media; every change is kept in a history.
Delivery	A printed pack, posted, usually within days.	A link, immediately after payment. Nothing to ship.
Price	Typically $30–$150 depending on the pack.	$4.99 for a minute, $7.98 with a photo.

Who keeps the record
Star registry: A private company's own catalogue. The International Astronomical Union does not recognise commercial star names.
A minute: One public page on buythetime.co, listed in an open registry anyone can browse.
Can it be sold twice
Star registry: Yes. Different registries sell the same star to different people, and nothing prevents it.
A minute: No. One minute has one owner and the database refuses every later claim. That is the whole product.
What the recipient can see
Star registry: A certificate and a sky chart. The star itself is usually invisible without a telescope.
A minute: A page with their name, a title, a message, a photo or a video — open on any phone in a second.
Can it be changed later
Star registry: Rarely. The certificate is printed and the entry is fixed.
A minute: Yes. Sign in and edit the title, message and media; every change is kept in a history.
Delivery
Star registry: A printed pack, posted, usually within days.
A minute: A link, immediately after payment. Nothing to ship.
Price
Star registry: Typically $30–$150 depending on the pack.
A minute: $4.99 for a minute, $7.98 with a photo.

Questions

The honest answers.

Is naming a star official?: No. Only the International Astronomical Union names celestial objects, and it does not sell names. Commercial star names live in the catalogue of the company that sold them and are not used by astronomers.
Is owning a minute official?: It is official in exactly one sense, and we say it plainly: the minute is recorded under your name in our public registry, and nobody else can claim it. You are not buying real time. No institution, government or standards body is involved — nor do we pretend otherwise.
So why is a minute better than a star?: Because it is unique by construction rather than by promise. The registry can hold exactly one owner per minute, and the page is public, editable and instant. If uniqueness is the point of the gift, that is the difference that matters.

One owner per minute

Find the minute before somebody else does.

See it as a gift

Instant public page · $4.99 per minute