Royal Astronomical Society allows authors to name Webb telescope in studies after uproar

The London-based Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) announced that it will now allow its authors to use the full name of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) for studies using the observatories data. The 202-year-old organisation had ordered 4,000 of its members to refrain from using the telescope’s name because of the person it was named after. 

The $10 billion observatory is named after James E. Webb, former administrator of NASA who led the agency during the extremely successful Apollo era. However, his reputation was tainted after many alleged that Webb was impartial toward the LGBTQ employees in NASA and fired many because of their sexual orientation. This even resulted in many scientists demanding a new name for the telescope. 

(The James Webb Space Telescope; Image: NASA) 

The change in the attitude of RAS came after NASA released a report clarifying that it found no proof of Webb indulging in the persecution of the LGBTQ community and thus will not rename the observatory. “The Society welcomes this report, and notes that it finds no evidence that Webb took an active part in the ‘Lavender Scare’, the purges of gay men from the United States federal workforce in the 1940s and 1950s,” an official statement by the RAS read. 

(Former NASA chief James E. Webb; Image: NASA)

“In the light of this, the RAS will now allow authors submitting scientific papers to its journals to use either James Webb Space Telescope or the acronym JWST to refer to the observatory, should they wish to do so. Authors can spell out the acronym at first mention if they wish,” it further said. 

The society also acknowledged the precious data delivered by the Webb telescope in just a few months and stated that it is "looking forward to it playing a key role in understanding the universe." The JWST was launched on December 25, 2021 and began its operation early this year after almost six months of commissioning. 

NASA’s report on former Administrator Webb

"To date, no available evidence directly links Webb to any actions or follow-up related to the firing of individuals for their sexual orientation,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said when the 87-page report was released in November this year. NASA arrived at the conclusion after a review of over 50,000 pages of documents from archival collections at NASA Headquarters and its other facilities covering the period from 1949-1969. Read more about it here.