Getting This One...

NEW YORK -- Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson just did Superman a super favor.

The scientist, who is director of New York City's Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, was approached in late summer by DC Comics, home of the long-running Superman series.

Originally, the comic book makers just wanted permission to feature Tyson and the planetarium in an upcoming issue of the series where Superman would view the demolition of his home planet, Krypton, which orbits an alien star named Rao.

"I said, 'Why don't I get you an actual star?'" Tyson told reporters during a meeting Thursday (Nov. 8), the day of the comic book's release.

DC Comics jumped at the chance to infuse real science in the story, and a collaboration was born.

"I was proud and honored that our institution could serve this role," Tyson said. "If they're just making stuff up, they don't need us."

How a Real-Life Astrophysicist Found Superman's Planet Krypton: The Inside Story by Clara Moskowitz, SPACE.com Assistant Managing Editor