Can anyone own the moon (or parts of it)?

[marle]

Not really a burning issue , but...

I had heard about this awhile back. There's a person, or maybe several people, who believe they own the moon because they were the first to claim ownership of it and "register paperwork" with an international agency. This is one article about it.

There is one man who says he sold plots of the moon to 3.7 million individuals. They get a certificate with their name printed on it (in nice-looking font).

Legally, there is no government that recognizes this. Perhaps many of the people buying the plots are doing it "just for fun." (For all I know someone reading this post bought one of those "deeds"). Still, there are some who genuinely believe this.

I know that in the (sci-fi) future, this could get more complicated, as hypothetically there could be settlements on the moon. Emphasis on the word "hypothetical" there. But especially in the present, does this make any sense? Does anyone have the right to own any part of the moon? Is that something we should recognize?

Would you want to own part of the moon?

[Sexy Spork #37]

Well, the leading theory suggests the Moon came from the Earth after a huge asteroid impact and formed from the debris, so technically, the true owner is the country that lies over where the asteroid hit the Earth. But I don't know where that is because, well, I'm not that old...

There is a law somewhere, probably something to do with the UN, that says no one can own the Moon. So, sucks to that idea.

But hypothetically, no. I don't care about the Moon. It's slowly drifting away from us anyway. One day it'll leave us and float off into space, and then you'd be a bit dead.

(I'd own Europa. It has water to keep me alive, fish to eat, and Mermaids to - ahem).

[skyhint]

On TV I saw politician Newt Gingrich, who might be running for president of the USA later this year, saying that if he is elected he will colonize the moon.
No joke.

[Sexy Spork #37]

Did he specify what he was going to colonize the Moon with?

[residentweevil]

I'd love to own part of the moon but I'd hate to be sitting in a Moon diner some day, only to suddenly see an alien popping out of some guy's chest and doing a little song & dance on the table.

[Sexy Spork #37]

^ Oh man, I'd love to see that (love that movie).

I'd join in...

[ura]

Is that Alien or some parody of Alien?

[Sexy Spork #37]

^ Spaceballs. Alien parody part of it. Google Spaceballs Alien, you'll find it.