Superman could also be a piece of pulp fiction, however astronomers have recognized the place in area the alien immigrant hero’s dwelling planet, Krypton, may have existed. And this location suggests perhaps Clark Kent is not as youthful as he seems to be… even in glasses.
It is a story we’re all conversant in, and may instantly determine because the origin of Superman: An toddler is rocketed from a world on the point of destruction, arriving on Earth, the place our yellow solar items the kid with extraordinary powers. Raised by humble and trustworthy Earthlings, this little one is taught to make use of his powers for good. Flying above us however dwelling amongst us, a shining instance of reality and justice.
The story has been informed and retold by a whole lot of creators throughout media from comedian books, motion pictures, TV reveals, cartoons, radio reveals… Heck, I even had wallpaper that depicted it (in the event you’ve nonetheless received a roll, you understand the place I’m). This origin has even been co-opted and subtly adjusted for different characters with their very own wealthy, vibrant, and inventive universes (we’re you, Goku). As such, the origin of Superman is maybe the strongest instance of leisure in trendy mythology.
The best way Superman’s origin has seeped into the zeitgeist is akin to how legends like the traditional Mesopotamian epic poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh, have many variations all through historical past and ultimately influenced different myths.
This contemporary delusion is about to be retold in James Gunn’s Superman (2025). And simply as historians have tried to attach the tales of legend to precise occasions which have occurred, cosmic archeologists have tried to hint a star round which Superman’s dwelling planet of Krypton may have orbited. They started by looking for clues concerning the fictional world in 9 a long time of comedian books that reference it.
Discovering Superman’s dwelling star system
In 2012, astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson arrived at such a star, concluding that if Krypton was actual, it may have orbited the crimson dwarf star LHS 2520 situated round 41.9 gentle years from Earth.
“This can be a main milestone within the Superman mythos that provides our Tremendous Hero a spot within the universe,” then DC Leisure co-publisher, Dan DiDio, stated in a 2012 assertion from the comedian e book writer.
DeGrasse Tyson’s findings even earned him an look in 2012’s ACTION COMICS #14 during which he helped Superman pinpoint the situation of Krypton’s dwelling star.
“Having Neil deGrasse Tyson within the e book was one factor, however by making use of real-world science to this story, he has ceaselessly modified Superman’s place in historical past,” DiDio added. “Now followers will be capable of lookup on the night time’s sky and say – ‘that’s the place Superman was born’.”
True. However followers may marvel, given this: how previous is Superman anyway?
What can we learn about LHS 2520, Krypton’s star system?
So, what can we learn about LHS 2520, the pseudo-parent star of Krypton?
Also referred to as GJ 3707, this star is an instance of a crimson dwarf, the commonest kind of star within the Milky Manner and presumably the universe.
Provided that, Superman is fortunate that each one our yellow dwarf star does is cost his cells like photo voltaic batteries. With an efficient temperature of round 10,000 levels Fahrenheit (5,700 levels Celsius), it may have roasted Kal-El alive.
The coolness of crimson dwarf stars like LHS 2520 means they’re typically posited as stars more likely to host liveable zones. Also referred to as Goldilocks zones, these are areas round a star inside which planets can dangle onto floor liquid water with out it boiling or freezing.
With Kyptonians having biology so much like people, presumably, liquid water was a key factor of their evolution and survival.
Nonetheless, the space to Krypton may reveal a key distinction between humanity and Kryptonians (other than the entire superpowers factor): the best way they age.
How distant is LHS 2520 from Earth?
Whereas a distance of 41.9 light-years away makes LHS 2520 pretty native to the photo voltaic system, it could nonetheless take gentle from this method almost 42 years to achieve us.
Meaning the journey for toddler Kal-El would presumably have taken longer than 42 years. We do know that faster-than-light journey is feasible within the DC Universe, the third Flash and quickest man alive (come at me, Barry Allen followers), Wally West, breaks gentle pace on the common.
Nonetheless, whereas early DC Comics confirmed the Kryptonians had expertise far extra superior than we do, they have been additionally depicted as being of their infancy when it comes to area journey, with no true spacecraft. Definitely not one that would smash light-speed and get an toddler Kal-El to Earth earlier than maturity.
Additional to that, there’s proof scattered throughout the Earth of the DC Universe that Kal-El’s ship did not break gentle pace.
The important thing piece of proof that Kal-El did not break light-speed, and Einstein’s legal guidelines of particular relativity that say no object with mass can speed up to light-speed, whereas touring to Earth, is Superman’s main weak spot: Kryptonite.
Often depicted as a glowing inexperienced rock, although there are different colours with some wacky results (crimson Kryptonite has been recognized to do the whole lot to Superman from inflicting him to develop a beard, command ants, with fetching ant head no much less, flip right into a Tremendous-toddler, and switch right into a monkey) Kryptonite is items of the exploded planet Krypton.
These presumably would not have been ejected on the pace of sunshine when Krypton exploded. Most Superman variations recommend Kryptonite arrived on Earth across the identical time as Kal-El. He’s typically seen encountering Kryptonite as an adolescent in Smallville (particularly 1957’s Superboy #61).
Heck, within the TV present Smallville, Clark arrives in Kansas in 1989 in a capsule inside a bathe of Kryptonite meteors!
So how lengthy did the journey take, and the way previous does that make Superman?
That is determined by whether or not you imply how previous is Superman chronologically, or how previous is Superman physiologically? That is as a result of, relying on the degrees of sci-fi Kryptonian expertise on show right here, these solutions might be vastly totally different.
Let us take a look at how lengthy it could have taken Superman to achieve Earth with one of the best out there human expertise and ignore pesky particulars like gasoline, and many others…
At present, the gold customary of crew-carrying spacecraft designed by people is the Orion spacecraft, which is able to carry astronauts to the moon as a part of the Artemis area program.
Upon its return from the moon, it’s estimated that Orion will journey at round 25,000 miles per hour, 30 instances as quick as a rushing bullet. If that sounds quick, Wally West will let you know it is a snail’s tempo in comparison with the pace of sunshine, which is 670,000,000 miles per hour.
Meaning coming back from the moon, the Artemis astronauts will likely be touring at round 0.0037% the pace of sunshine. Assuming a continuing high pace for Orion leaving Earth, it could take about 1.14 million years to achieve Krypton.
Ouch! However let’s give the Kryptonians some credit score right here and make some beneficiant assumptions.
Keep in mind what we stated about Kryptonite arriving with Kal-El? We are able to now use it in favor of a faster journey from Krypton.
Ejecta from celestial explosions can journey at a spread of speeds, however the quickest ejecta we see is from exploding stars or supernovas. This could attain speeds as nice as 10% of the pace of sunshine. Meaning assuming a continuing pace and no lack of vitality, if Krypton exploded with supernova-like depth, its ejecta would attain Earth after round simply 420 years.
Thus, if Kal-El was touring forward of this particles, the planet exploded after he left, he could be approaching about 421 when he met the Kents. Meaning he is manner older than Jonathan and Martha, his adoptive mom and father.
Superman is often introduced as being in his early to mid-thirties in DC Comics, with tales that present him as being older, like Kingdom Come (arguably one of the best Superman story ever), set in different universes or “Elseworlds.”
So if he took 420 years to get right here, and he is been on Earth for 33 years at the very least, meaning he is a fairly spry 453-year-old.
In fact, Kyptonians might have had tech that made this journey attainable even with out vastly superior area journey. They positively had entry to bizarre time-distorting tech and suspended animation. Simply take a look at the timeless interdimensional realm referred to as the Phantom Zone, the place Kryptonians shoved their criminals, as an example.
Thus, Superman might solely be chronologically 453 years previous whereas nonetheless being biologically in his 30s.
In fact, none of this actually issues once we’re indulging within the escapism supplied by Superman for an unbelievable 87 years. In spite of everything, is not doing the not possible within the face of insurmountable odds what Superman is all about?
Superman soars into cinemas throughout Earth on July 11. In contrast to Kal-El, it will possibly’t get right here shortly sufficient!
