Krypton, Superman’s home planet, pinpointed by astrophysicist

Superman’s home planet, Krypton, has been pinpointed by an influential astrophysicist hired by DC Comics.

The fictional planet Krypton would have orbited a red dwarf star called LHS 2520, says Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium in New York City.

As reported by SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall, the star is 27.1 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation Corvus, also known as “The Crow”, says Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. The star is cooler and smaller than our sun.

The coordinates of LHS 2520 are:

Right Ascension: 12 hours, 10 minutes, 5.77 seconds

Declination: -15 degrees, 4 minutes, 17.9 seconds

Proper Motion: 0.76 arcseconds per year, along 172.94 degrees from due north

“This is a major milestone in the Superman mythos that gives our super hero a place in the universe,” DC Entertainment co-publisher Dan DiDio said in a company statement.

“Having Neil deGrasse Tyson in the book was one thing, but by applying real-world science to this story he has forever changed Superman’s place in history,” he said.

“Now fans will be able to look up at the night’s sky and say, <<That’s where Superman was born>>.”

The planetary details will be encompassed in a new Superman book titled Star Light, Star Bright, which comes out on Wednesday.

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, who has a history of applying science to entertainment, will appear in the comic, aiding Superman on his adventure.

In real life, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson made headlines in April after getting film director, James Cameron, to alter the night’s sky as seen in The Titanic due to inaccuracies. The correction was made and can be seen in the re-release of Titanic 3-D.