(Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
NASA has announced it will be reviewing and changing a number of unofficial but potentially culturally insensitive nicknames of cosmic objects.
Distant objects like planets, galaxies and nebulae are usually given official names, made up of letters and numbers. For the non-astronomical public, unofficial nicknames are often used for reference.
In a statement, NASA said that as the scientific community "works to identify and address systemic discrimination and inequality in all aspects of the field, it has become clear that certain cosmic nicknames are not only insensitive, but can be actively harmful."
Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
The space agency announced that it is examining its use of unofficial terminology for cosmic objects as part of its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
I support our ongoing reevaluation of the names by which we refer to astronomical objects, said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASAs Science Mission Directorate at Headquarters, Washington.
Our goal is that all names are aligned with our values of diversity and inclusion, and well proactively work with the scientific community to help ensure that.
"Science is for everyone, and every facet of our work needs to reflect that value.
Which names will be changed?
NASA gave several examples of objects which will no longer be referred to by their objectionable nicknames.
NGC 2392, a glowing remains of a Sun-like star that is blowing off its outer layers at the end of its life, will no longer be referred to as the Eskimo Nebula.
Likewise, NGC 4567 and NGC 4568 - a pair of spiral galaxies found in the Virgo Galaxy Cluster - will no longer be referred to as the Siamese Twins Galaxy.
Moving forward, NASA will use only the official, International Astronomical Union designations in cases where nicknames are inappropriate.
Are these nicknames really harmful?
These cosmic nicknames are useful in making astronomy more approachable and public-friendly. More often than not, they simply reflect an object's appearance.
For example, Barnard 33s nickname of the Horsehead Nebula invokes its appearance.
But others, often labelling objects discovered during less educated times, can include offensive and outdated terminology.
"These nicknames and terms may have historical or cultural connotations that are objectionable or unwelcoming, and NASA is strongly committed to addressing them," said Stephen T Shih, Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity at NASA Headquarters.
"Science depends on diverse contributions, and benefits everyone, so this means we must make it inclusive.
Read more:
NASA is changing some insensitive space terminology - heres why - Linlithgow Journal and Gazette
- 'Great Conjunction' brings 'astronomical event of the year' to Cincinnati's sky - WLWT Cincinnati - December 12th, 2020
- Amateur Astronomers Over the Moon for Chang'e 5 Mission - Sixth Tone - December 12th, 2020
- ESO and Microsoft will work with artificial intelligence to boost astronomy - News Center Latinoamrica - Microsoft - December 12th, 2020
- Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy in Muncie, IN for Ball State University - Physics - December 12th, 2020
- Ghostly blobs in space are the new exciting thing in astronomy. Could these be linked to wormholes? - Scroll.in - December 12th, 2020
- Star gazing with astronomers of the past - The Hindu - December 12th, 2020
- Astronomer Andrea Ghez on the responsibility that comes with a Nobel Prize - UChicago News - December 12th, 2020
- Tiger Woods rookie card grabs an astronomical fee and it can still be yours (we think) - Golf Digest - December 12th, 2020
- The Conversation: I'm an astronomer and I think aliens may be out there but UFO sightings aren't persuasive - New Zealand Herald - December 12th, 2020
- How Ice Shelf Loss Will Change the Antarctic Ecosystem - The Scientist - October 10th, 2020
- Emphasis on robust ecosystem of research and innovation at VIT convocation - The Hindu - October 10th, 2020
- Live by the plant, die by the plant - carniverous plants have a haunting place in ecosystem - The Virginian-Pilot - Virginian-Pilot - October 10th, 2020
- Horseshoe crab blood key to COVID-19 vaccine despite negative impact it could have on ecosystem - NationofChange - October 10th, 2020
- How DevOps adoption - and its ecosystem - has increased during Covid: The VC perspective - Cloud Tech - October 10th, 2020
- Microdisplays Industry: an Explosive Ecosystem Mixing Technical Innovations, Strategy Games and Attractive Applications - Display Daily - October 10th, 2020
- How one woman revived the citys most impressive natural ecosystem - Chicago Reader - October 10th, 2020
- COVID-19 and beyond: Confidence and resilience in vaccine ecosystem - EURACTIV - October 10th, 2020
- Defining Trends in the Indian Gaming Ecosystem and the Impact of COVID-19 - CNBCTV18 - October 10th, 2020
- GameStop Partners with Microsoft to Bolster Its Digital Ecosystem - Wccftech - October 10th, 2020
- AFWERX Announces NXM Labs Among Top Teams Selected to Revolutionize Space Ecosystem - I-Connect007 - October 10th, 2020
- iConnections Announces Partnership With The Investment Institute to Build Transformational Ecosystem For the Investment Industry - Business Wire - October 10th, 2020
- Secure Technology Alliance Webinar to Explore Challenges to Robust Growth of the Mobile Driver's License Ecosystem - GlobeNewswire - October 10th, 2020
- 'It just sounds like a thud': astronomers hear biggest cosmic event since big bang - The Guardian - September 4th, 2020
- The Sky This Week from September 4 to 11 - Astronomy Magazine - September 4th, 2020
- A nearby supernova could have caused the Devonian mass extinction - Astronomy Magazine - September 4th, 2020
- Great Basin National Park astronomy festival to be held mostly virtually this month - FOX5 Las Vegas - September 4th, 2020
- Indian astronomers discover one of the farthest galaxies in the universe - Moneycontrol - September 4th, 2020
- Breaking down the astronomical number of mail-in ballot requests in NC - CBS17.com - September 4th, 2020
- Meet The Woman Behind Ninjas Astronomical Success: Jessica Blevins - Forbes - September 4th, 2020
- Tesla To Cash in on Astronomical Stock Price With $5 Billion Capital Raise - The Drive - September 4th, 2020
- A supernova that left chaos in its wake - SYFY WIRE - September 4th, 2020
- The ghost of an angry black hole still haunts this galaxy - SYFY WIRE - September 4th, 2020
- Amazon Satellites Add to Astronomers Worries About the Night Sky - The New York Times - August 10th, 2020
- The Last Stargazers? Why You Will Never See An Astronomer Looking Through A Telescope - Forbes - August 10th, 2020
- Ceres: An ocean world in the asteroid belt - Astronomy Magazine - August 10th, 2020
- Small stars are vital to dispersing the building blocks of life - Astronomy Magazine - August 10th, 2020
- Bookmonger: 'The Last Stargazers' is a behind-the-scenes look at astronomy - Discover Our Coast - August 10th, 2020
- Explore Pollinators And Islamic Astronomy This Week With PEEC - Los Alamos Reporter - August 10th, 2020
- Astronomers May Have Identified The Biggest Impact Structure in Our Solar System - ScienceAlert - August 10th, 2020
- ASTRONOMY: When it comes to night sky, be prepared! - Mdcp.nwaonline.com - August 10th, 2020
- Astronomers Say That Planets Orbiting Black Holes Are Called "Blanets" - Futurism - August 10th, 2020
- Because the Universe isn't weird enough: Black hole planets may exist. - SYFY WIRE - August 10th, 2020
- When the supermassive black hole's away, the stars will play - SYFY WIRE - August 10th, 2020
- A Star Went Supernova in 1987. Where Is It Now? - The New York Times - August 10th, 2020
- Astronomers Part of Pasadena-Based Carnegie's Team Reveal 'Last of its Kind' Remnant of Ancient Globular Cluster - Pasadena Now - August 10th, 2020
- VLT Measures Main-Belt Asteroid Euphrosyne and Its Moon | Astronomy - Sci-News.com - August 10th, 2020
- View On Astronomy: Perseids meteor shower an annual attraction - The Independent - August 10th, 2020
- A Globular Cluster was Completely Dismantled and Turned Into a Ring Around the Milky Way - Universe Today - August 10th, 2020
- Could JWST Discover the Largest Object in the Universe? Now. Powered by - Now. Powered by Northrop Grumman. - August 10th, 2020
- Here's How Exploding Stars Forged The Calcium in Your Teeth And Bones - ScienceAlert - August 10th, 2020
- Astronomers find the largest impact crater in the solar system - FREE NEWS - August 10th, 2020
- See the 'space butterfly' astronomers captured from thousands of light years away - CNN - August 8th, 2020
- The best place to see stars from Earth also happens to be the coldest place on the planet - Space.com - August 8th, 2020
- Astronomical First: Differences Detected Between Discs of Active and Non-Active Galaxies - SciTechDaily - August 8th, 2020
- Rivers on ancient Mars may have flowed beneath sheets of ice - Astronomy Magazine - August 8th, 2020
- Move over, SpaceX Amazon is sending its own satellites into orbit - Salon - August 8th, 2020
- Amateur Astronomers Find a Saturn-Sized Planet in The Habitable Zone of a Distant Star - ScienceAlert - August 8th, 2020
- Astronomy Apps Market Expected to Witness the Highest Growth 2025 - AlgosOnline - August 8th, 2020
- Saturn-Sized Exoplanet Discovered by the Gravitational Wobble in the Small, Cool Star It Orbits - SciTechDaily - August 8th, 2020
- 9 of the Best Books About Astronomy - Book Riot - August 8th, 2020
- Prof Melvin Hoare is Driving Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy - Space in Africa - August 8th, 2020
- Top astronomical events to look forward to in August 2020 - Wales Online - August 7th, 2020
- A Strange Planet has been Found thats Smaller than Neptune But 50% More Massive - Universe Today - August 7th, 2020
- What planets should we search to find alien life? - Astronomy Magazine - August 4th, 2020
- Mars 2020 launch: NASA's Perseverance rover ready for the Red Planet - Astronomy Magazine - August 4th, 2020
- A Movie of the Evolving Universe Is Potentially Scary - Scientific American - August 4th, 2020
- Mini-Neptunes could be super-Earths with bloated atmospheres of water - Astronomy Magazine - August 3rd, 2020
- A Movie of the Evolving Universe, Potentially Scary - Scientific American - August 3rd, 2020
- Study: Universe Might Be 1.2 Billion Years Younger | Astronomy - Sci-News.com - August 3rd, 2020
- Stargazing: Astronomers estimate Earth-size planets number in the billions - Oklahoman.com - August 3rd, 2020
- Boosting the representation of Black students - Symmetry magazine - August 3rd, 2020
- There are Natural Starshades Out There, Which Would Help Astronomers Image Exoplanets - Universe Today - August 3rd, 2020
- How astronomers rediscovered a lost world - EarthSky - August 3rd, 2020
- Antonia: A Maury to be Proud Of - Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber - August 3rd, 2020
- SpaceX: Crew Dragon is returning to Earth here's when to hold your - Astronomy Magazine - August 3rd, 2020
- Neuroscience, astronomy, animal behavior, and more: Black scientists are showcasing their research on social media - Massive Science - August 2nd, 2020
- The CO2 Elephant in the Room: Curbing the Carbon Footprint of Astronomy - Astrobites - August 2nd, 2020
- Scientists Find The Best Place on Earth For Viewing The Night Sky, But There's a Catch - ScienceAlert - August 2nd, 2020
- Mind-blowing Astronomy Photo of the Year competition reveals strange galaxies and space portals - The Sun - August 2nd, 2020
- Innovative balloon-borne telescope promises rich infrared reward - Astronomy Now Online - August 2nd, 2020