You may have heard this rumor or others similar to it buzzing around. While it would be pretty cool to say our country’s borders extend all the way to the little red planet in the sky or entertain the idea that you could purchase a vacation property in the stars, this isn’t a current possible reality. 

The truth is, the AU has named 1,141 craters on mars after towns and scientists, 30 of which are in Canada. The International Astronomical Union is responsible for naming craters on the red planet using a correlation between size to urban population. Although these given names are not registered or necessarily official, the scientific community recognizes them anyway and it is seen as a great honor. Some prominent craters representing Canada are Gander – named after a town in Newfoundland and Labrador – and Prince Edward Island National Park. 

At this point, no country or person can own any piece of land on mars or any other space dwelling. In article II of the outer space treaty, you will read, “Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.”