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NASA used some modern myth characters such as "Hulk" and "Godzilla" to name its new set of 21 gamma-ray constellations built to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its Fermi Gamma space telescope. [19659002] Fermi mapped approximately 3,000 gamma-ray sources – 10 times the number known before launch and comparable to the number of bright stars in traditional constellations.
"For the first time, the number of known gamma ray sources was comparable to the number of bright stars, so we thought that a new set of constellations was a great way to illustrate this point, "said in a statement Elizabeth Ferrara NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center, which led the constellation project.
"Unofficial constellations were a fun way to celebrate a decade of Fermi accomplishments," said Julie McEnery, Fermi Project Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
Comics fans who know the story of Hulk The great green alter ego, angry with Bruce Banner, whose gamma-ray experiments have gone terribly wrong, could easily understand NASA's choice of naming one of his constellations.
Gamma rays are the most powerful form of light. Banner and Hulk would certainly appreciate a transformation.
NASA's selection of the Godzilla constellation is linked to its branded weapon, the "heat ray," a jet of fire. It looks at least like gamma streams badociated with black holes and neutron stars.
Godzilla is one of the most famous movie monsters and one of the most recognizable symbols of Japanese popular culture.
Movie of 1954, nuclear weapons tests disrupt the creature's deep habitat, which emerges from the sea and wreaks havoc in Japan.
The 21 gamma-ray constellations also include famous sites, such as the Swedish warship Vasa, found restored and Mount Fuji in Japan – in countries contributing to the science of Fermi.
Since 2008, the large Fermi telescope (LAT) has been taking the entire sky every day, mapping and measuring gamma-ray sources, the highest energy emitted by the world. The emission can come from pulsars, nova explosions, supernova explosions debris and giant gamma bubbles located in our own galaxy, or supermbadive black holes and gamma-ray bursts. The most powerful explosions of the cosmos – in others.
"Fermi continues to work well and we are currently preparing a new LAT catalog for all skies," said Jean Ballet, a member of the Fermi team at the French Atomic Energy Commissariat in Saclay.
"That will add about 2,000 sources, whose luminosity varies a lot, enriching these constellations and animating the sky with high energy!"
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