Scientists have found that fiction may be closer to fact as they announced this week that a star system recently discovered contains the mythical world of Asgard.
In Norse religion, Asgard is one of the Nine Worlds and home to the Esir tribe of gods.
The discovery of the hammer-shaped constellation has created a buzz in astronomy circles as it begs the question: just how much of the universal mythical world may be real?
Asgard is connected to at least two other dimensional planes that consist of the major land masses known as the Nine Worlds. Other worlds included in the system include Vanaheim, Alfheim and Nidavellir, all stemming from Norse mythology – the body of mythology of the North Germanic people, originating from Norse paganism and into the Scandinavian folklore of modern times.
Not foreign to popular culture, Asgard was made famous in the Marvel comic Journey Into Mystery #83 (published in 1962) as the home of the superhero Thor and leader of the gods, Odin.
The structure of the system is as intriguing as the find itself, with the stars aligning to form the shape of a hammer – Thor’s weapon of choice with which he summons lightning from the sky.
The inter-stellar find comes as the world gears up for the release of Thor: The Dark World early next month. The “mighty avenger” first appeared on the big screen in the Marvel Studios flick, Thor, in 2011 where we found the superhero banished to Earth, soon becoming one of our finest defenders.
Last year he joined Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye and The Incredible Hulk in the superhero team-up of a lifetime in the blockbuster smash Marvel’s The Avengers.
In Thor: The Dark World, the Norse god’s saga continues, as he battles to save Earth and the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself.
In the aftermath of Thor and The Avengers, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) fights to restore order across the cosmos. But an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. To defeat an enemy that even Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor sets upon his most dangerous and personal journey yet, forced into an alliance with the treacherous Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to save not only his people and those he loves, but our universe itself.
With a world steeped in so much mystical and popular history, the find of the new “Nine World’s System” has certainly raised eyebrows across the globe.
If this find is verified, will our continued search for “life out there” bring us more finds that were once thought of only as myth or legend? – Tonight Reporter
WIN! WIN! WIN!
Look out every “Thorsday” for fun facts and titbits on the upcoming film, Thor: The Dark World, and stand a chance to win fantastic weekly prizes, which include Marvel Avengers 6 Blu- Ray packs, Thor limited edition movie merchandise and – the ultimate prize – a chance to go into the draw to win a trip to New York!
Throughout this month and the first week of next month, Tonight will feature a Thorsday (Thursday, to us human folk) special, where you could win one of the weekly prizes simply by answering a question relating to the Thor: The Dark World story appearing each respective week.
In celebration of the movie’s upcoming release, the top prize – a trip for two to New York – will include the following:
• A magnificent journey to nine different realms in New York, the first of which will be the Hayden Planetarium where you will travel into the darkest realms of the universe on a unique, once-in-a-lifetime tour!
With unrivalled private access to the fantastic exhibits, you’ll be able to enter the Hall of the Universe, accompanied by your own Heimdall; his duty is to be your gatekeeper to the stars.
As a memento of this amazing experience, you’ll get to take home an incredible compilation of treasures that could very well be found in Odin’s Vault.
• The next realm offers a view that even a Viking god would bask in: ascend the Empire State Building at lightning speed to the observation deck on the 102nd floor.
• The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are the next sights to see, both of which have welcomed visitors from distant lands for centuries.
• The voyage continues with a private city tour taking in the famous Big Apple realms of Times Square, Wall Street, Chinatown, Central Park and Broadway.
• Finally, this memorable journey will end with a traditional Nordic meal at Smörgås Chef located in Scandinavia House.
• For further details and T&C’s, be sure not to miss next week’s (October 17th) edition of “Thorsday”!