› added 9 years ago

226

TIL You cannot actually buy the name of a star. The International Astronomical Union is the only authority for naming celestial bodies. No countries, authorities, or scientists in the world will recognize a purchased star name.

Read more iau.org

via reddit.com

BZBe TIL: All aircraft carriers in history (save two) have their bridges on the starboard side due to a near universal tendency of pilots to veer left in an emergency.
xVEdk TIL that when George Washington died, Napoleon Bonaparte of France gave a personal eulogy and ordered a ten day mourning period for France.
M1VB TIL It is illegal to name a pig Napoleon in France. In the French version of Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” Napoleon the pig was called Cesar.
4Xrpw TIL that cat meat is a traditional Christmas dish in parts of Switzerland. The Swiss government rejected a proposed law to protect dogs and cats from being eaten in 1993.
e0E1g TIL a NASA Flight Controller Rode His Horse To Mission Control Because The Parking Permit For His Car Was Revoked.