NASA Have Named A Constellation Of Stars After Godzilla

NASA do some important work. They're out there every day trying to - you know - understand space and stuff.

Still, it's nice to see that they occasionally get to have a little bit of fun to distract themselves from the world of analysing bits of rock and complicated maths.

Basically, they've named a constellation after Godzilla.

OK, so that shouldn't come as that huge of a surprise when you think about it. The people who like rockets enough to understand how one works also like comic books and movies about gigantic lizard creatures. It figures.

So, they've decided to name a distant cluster of stars after the aforementioned Japanese monster.

I'll let NASA explain. A statement read: "Godzilla ranks as one of cinema's most famous monsters and is among the most recognisable symbols of Japanese popular culture.

"In the original 1954 movie, nuclear weapons tests disturb the creature's deep ocean habitat, and it emerges from the sea to wreak havoc in Japan,

"Godzilla's trademark weapon is its 'heat ray', a fiery jet. This bears at least a passing resemblance to gamma-ray jets associated with black holes and neutron stars."

I mean, why not just say that you think Godzilla is cool? Don't spoil it by making it about gamma-ray jets and bloody neutron stars.

OK, let's just try to explain this. Bear with me.

The constellation that now bears the name of the famous kaiju is made up of stars that emit gamma-ray bursts, similar to the nuclear breath of Godzilla.

Confused? Good.

via GIPHY

Well, get ready for this. NASA continued: "Gamma-ray jets also occur in other types of astrophysical systems.

"When a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses under its own weight, or when two orbiting neutron stars spiral together and merge, a new black hole - and high-speed jets - may form.

"The result is a gamma-ray burst, the most powerful explosion in the cosmos. These monstrous blasts, which occur somewhere in the distant universe every day or so according to observations by Fermi's Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, would make even Godzilla envious."

Whatever you say, guys.

Actually, this peculiar naming isn't the first time that NASA have shown their funny - if predictably nerdy - side when deciding what to call things.

There are already stars named after the TARDIS from Doctor Who, the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek, and The Incredible Hulk from, well, The Incredible Hulk.

When it comes to guessing the interests of NASA's scientists, you could say it's not rocket science.

Sorry.

Featured Image Credit: NASA/Warner Bros

Topics: Science, TV and Film, Nasa, Technology, space

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a freelance journalist and LADbible contributor. He graduated from University of London with a BA in Philosophy before studying for a Masters in Journalism at the University of Salford. He has previously written for the M.E.N Group as well as working for several top professional sports clubs. Contact him on [email protected]

@TPWagwim