NASA unveils new constellation named after Doctor Who

NASA has just added a bunch of new gamma-ray star configurations – and they've come up with some inventive ways of naming them...

Scientists turned to the worlds of science, mythology and popular culture when it came to identifying their new findings, seeking inspiration from Albert Einstein, The Little Prince, the Eiffel Tower and... Doctor Who.

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Yup, the Tardis – better known to us as the Doctor's time-travelling police box –has now been used to describe one of the brand new constellations.

Unveiled by space agency NASA to celebrate 10 years of activity for the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, the collection of unofficial constellations also includes one named after the Incredible Hulk, another inspired by the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek and one called Godzilla.

Iconic landmarks and attractions have also been used to name the constellations, from Mount Fuji in Japan to Vasa, Sweden's magnificent recovered warship.

Unfortunately stargazers won't be able to spot any of these new configurations in the night sky with the naked eye, but Fermi's website has created an interactive celestial map.

Launched in 2008, Fermi is a car-sized spacecraft and has helped astronomers better understand the gamma-ray universe.

This article was originally published on 20 October 2018