NASA mocked for discarding 'Eskimo Nebula,' 'Siamese Twins Galaxy' as 'actively harmful' terms

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has come under fire for taking part in ongoing efforts to rid the federal government and other entities of "systemic discrimination and inequality."

The agency announced on Wednesday that it would stop using the terms "Eskimo Nebula"  and "Siamese Twins Galaxy". Instead, the agency will refer to the celestial phenomena by their International Astronomical Union designations -- NGC 2392, NGC 4567, and NGC 4568.

"'Eskimo' is widely viewed as a colonial term with a racist history, imposed on the indigenous people of Arctic regions," NASA said in a statement. "Most official documents have moved away from its use."

The changes are part of a broader "commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

"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 b... (Read more)

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