Astronomers call for the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds to be renamed amid claims their namesake has a 'violent colonialist legacy'

Astronomers say the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds should be given a new title because of their namesake's 'violent colonialist legacy'. Astronomers say the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds should be given a new title because of their namesake's 'violent colonialist legacy' MAGELLANIC CLOUDS: SATELLITE GALAXIES FOR THE MILKY WAY The Magellanic Clouds can be seen in the night sky with the naked eye and have been observed by ancient cultures for thousands of years. The Large Magellanic Cloud is a relatively small 160,000 light years away from us, while the Small Magellanic Cloud is around 200,000 light years away. Namesake: They are named after the 16th-century Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who claimed to have discovered them with his crew during his first circumnavigation of the globe between 1519 and 1522 The Large Magellanic Cloud is 160,000 light-years away from us, while the Small Magellanic Cloud is around 200,000 light-years away Bob Blackman, Conservative MP for Harrow East, also said it was 'absolute nonsense' to call for the galaxies to be renamed.