NASA names constellations after Hulk, Thor's hammer, Godzilla: Details here
If you look at the night sky, you'd probably point out at least a few constellations like The Big Dipper or Orion's belt. But, do you know there's also a Hulk, Mjolnir (Thor's hammer), and Godzilla sitting right up there? No? Well, that's because NASA has just given these (and some really cool other names) to several constellations in the cosmos. Here's more.
NASA celebrated 10th anniversary of its gamma-ray telescope
NASA followed the fancy naming strategy while celebrating 10 years' worth of discoveries made by its Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The telescope had pointed numerous sources of gamma rays, which the agency combined into different constellations. You won't be able to see them without a powerful telescope, but it's still pretty cool to have The Incredible Hulk and Thor's hammer in the cosmos.
21 constellations named with references to pop culture, science, monuments
In fact, along with Hulk and Godzilla, NASA also named a constellation after Tardis from 'Doctor Who' and Starship Enterprise from 'Star Trek'. Giving scientific references, the agency named constellations after Albert Einstein, Saturn V rocket, Fermi satellite, Radio telescope, and Black Widow Spider. It even named some after monuments like the Eiffel Tower, Obelisk, Colosseum, and Golden Gate. Here's the complete list: https://fermi.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/constellations/
Here's what NASA while explaining the Hulk and Godzilla's names
"Gamma rays are the strongest form of light. They pack enough punch to convert into matter under the right circumstances, a transformation both Banner and the Hulk would certainly appreciate," explained NASA.
A bit about Fermi's 10 years of work
Ever since taking to the skies, Fermi has located nearly 3,000 gamma-ray sources, including everything ranging from neutron stars to black holes. "Developing these unofficial constellations was a fun way to highlight a decade of Fermi's accomplishments," Julie McEnery, the Fermi project scientist at NASA, said in a statement. "One way or another, all of the gamma-ray constellations have a tie-in to Fermi science."
