NASA is joining the ever-growing list of organizations and companies reexamining its naming system, removing names that are "insensitive" and "harmful" from its vocabulary.

"Often seemingly innocuous nicknames can be harmful and detract from the science," it said.

Celestial objects such as planets, galaxies and nebulae are often given unofficial nicknames, since their official names are typically a series of letters and numbers.

"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," the agency said.

NASA said it will no longer refer to planetary nebula NGC 2392, the glowing remains of a sun-like star near the end of its life, as the "Eskimo Nebula." It acknowledged the term's racist origins. .

NASA said that it will only use official International Astronomical Union designations to refer to the objects that previously had "inappropriate" nicknames. 

The agency said it is working with diversity, inclusion and equity experts to recommend other nicknames and terms for objects moving forward.