Astronomers Call for Renaming Galaxies Linked to 'Violent Colonialist' Magellan

Astronomers in the United States are calling for the renaming of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, dwarf galaxies named after the 16th-century explorer Ferdinand Magellan, due to his "violent colonialist legacy." They argue that indigenous peoples had names and legends for these galaxies that predate Magellan's discovery. The astronomers also advocate for renaming the Magellan Telescopes in Chile, citing the country's history of violent Spanish conquest. This follows NASA's commitment to diversity and inclusion, as they have already begun examining and changing unofficial terminology for cosmic objects. Conservative MP Bob Blackman dismissed the calls as "absolute nonsense," stating that renaming everything associated with the slave trade would leave little unchanged.