Procedures vary depending on the type of object.
Often there is a system for assigning temporary designations as soon as possible after an object is discovered and later on a permanent name. Some commercial companies purport to allow you to name a star. The following statement on star naming was approved by the IPS Council June 30, 1988. The star names recognized and used by scientists are those that have been published by astronomers at credible scientific institutions. Such names are never sold.