hi Graeme,

how about "buying" the Sun ... then you could charge all those people with
solar cells for using up "your" energy. And maybe even those people with
property on the Moon! You could also charge "illumination per acre" ... the
potential is endless ... well, at least until the Sun runs out! Of course if
anyone waits around a few billion years then you might have a few looking
for refunds when everything goes ka-boom!

ok, looks like I've prolonged the silly season.

still, it's all an interesting debate as we cannot condone such sales as
astronomers but at the same time, the personal aspect can be quite poignent.
I've a friend who was given a star for her birthday by her mother who passed
away a couple of weeks later. It means a lot to her and I've pointed it out
in a photo of that region of the sky.

John Flannery,
South Dublin Astronomical Society