Godzilla stands as one of Japan’s most famous exports, and the kaiju has fans all over the world. So, it was just a matter of time until the King of the Monsters went to try his luck in space. So, if you know any alien fandoms out there, you’ll want to send them to a constellation ASAP.
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Thanks to NASA, Godzilla has an official constellation. As it turns out, the monster has been assigned a gamma-ray constellation, and it looks as impressive as you’d expect.
“Godzilla ranks as one of cinema’s most famous monsters and is among the most recognizable 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,” NASA explains.
“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.”
According to the organization, Godzilla was given this gamma-ray constellation because its stars often emit gamma-ray bursts similar to the atomic breath the kaiju wields.
“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.”
For fans, this constellation’s nerdy background has made it a quick favorite, but it is not the first pop culture gift NASA has given out. In fact, there are gamma-ray constellations dedicated to the TARDIS, Starship Enterprise, and the Hulk just to name a few.
So, are you a fan of this constellation? Is it time Japan gave Son Goku a dedication too? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!
