Posted on 08/10/2020 4:29:06 PM PDT by janetjanet998
NASA said "Eskimo Nebula" and "Siamese Twins Galaxy" are the first to go.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that they will stop using nicknames of celestial bodies that are culturally insensitive. In a statement released on Wednesday, August 5, NASA said that it had become clear that certain cosmic nicknames were not only insensitive but actively harmful and that they were taking these initial steps to address systemic discrimination and inequality in all aspects of the field. “As an initial step, NASA will no longer refer to planetary nebula NGC 2392, the glowing remains of a Sun-like star that is blowing off its outer layers at the end of its life, as the “Eskimo Nebula,” NASA said in the statement. “Eskimo” is widely viewed as a colonial term with a racist history, imposed on the indigenous people of Arctic regions. Most official documents have moved away from its use.”
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
For a very long time astronomers thought that the Milky Way was the only galaxy. But to use the term "galaxy" of all the other "island universes" out there in the far reaches of space is very provincial. If only we knew what the beings on other galaxies would prefer for galaxies to be called.
Because calling any of the "first people" or "indigenous" people who are not Eskimos, Eskimos, is pretty rude if you're not one.
Calling every one of that diverse group of people "Eskimo" is not only lazy and incorrect, it's pretty dismissive. There are a bunch of tribes and different groups, Eskimos are mostly the folks living right at the very top of the polar regions.
Imagine if every black person you met you called an Aborigine? Wrong continent, wrong region, wrong description.
I would certainly not keep, “Negroid Nebula,” or “Chink twins galaxy.” But, Com’on Man, the other terms are harmless!
It’s not being used to describe a large diverse group of people, it’s being used to describe an astronomical body. You just said that eskimo is a valid description for some of the people way up north. So why is it automatically a smear to name something after that particular group? Just because it’s not a generic name for all of them? If I named a quasar the aborigine quasar would that also be a smear against all other black people?
You need a hobby. Thought about stamp collecting? Hummel figurines?
Because when it was named that, Eskimo meant "Any non white living in an Igloo in Alaska" or something equally asinine.
If you ever visit a Tlingit or other tribe, one of the first things they will kindly ask you is to not call them Eskimos. It is so pervasive, that it is pretty insulting and it continues to this day.
I’m so glad I got up to check FR!!
What a hoot!
:o])
‘Face
Everyone needs to call the Senate Commerce Committee which has a sub committee for NASA (chaired by Ted Cruz, iirc).
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/contact
Give them a polite earful - tell them to have this BS undone or cut NASA’s funding.
***
ping to your lists if you can
Turns out Big and Little Dippers are insenstive to dips! ;^)
As am I!
That chart is hilarious, and I had to save it in case I get the urge to print it. ;o])
‘Face
So, honoring a people by naming a celestial body after them is racist.
Good is bad, up is down, doubleplusungood.
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