 The only internationally recognized authority for naming celestial bodies is the International Astronomical Union ( IAU ) . A number of private companies sell names of stars , which the British Library calls an unregulated commercial enterprise . The IAU has <unk> itself from this commercial practice , and these names are neither recognized by the IAU nor used by them . One such star @-@ naming company is the International Star <unk> , which , during the 1980s , was accused of deceptive practice for making it appear that the assigned name was official . This now @-@ discontinued <unk> practice was informally labeled a <unk> and a fraud , and the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs issued a violation against <unk> for engaging in a deceptive trade practice . 
