Less than a month ago, President Donald Trump initiated a significant shift against diversity and inclusion within federal agencies. In a recent directive, NASA was instructed to cleanse its online platforms of any content that specifically emphasizes women, such as topics related to women in leadership roles. Following this order, a prominent telescope project has revised its biography of renowned astronomer Vera Rubin to eliminate references to her efforts in promoting the inclusion of women in scientific fields.

The Rubin Observatory, a government-funded telescope situated atop a mountain in Chile, recently modified the digital biography of its namesake, removing key information about women’s advancements in the scientific realm, as first reported by ProPublica.

Vera Rubin was instrumental in establishing the existence of dark matter in the universe, fundamentally altering how scientists approached cosmic studies during the 1970s. She authored over 100 scholarly articles and conducted pioneering research on spiral galaxies and their rotation. Moreover, she was a steadfast advocate for women in science, having faced numerous challenges in her career due to the male-dominated nature of the field.

In recognition of her scientific achievements, several celestial features have been named in her honor, including a ridge on Mars, an asteroid, a satellite, a galaxy, and the National Science Foundation’s Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Notably, this national observatory is the first to bear a woman’s name and was ironically approved by Trump during his initial term. However, after his second inauguration, the biography was significantly altered to provide a diluted account of her challenges as a female scientist.

The original biography included a detailed segment titled “She advocated for women in science,” which highlighted Rubin’s contributions to breaking barriers in a predominantly male field. Initially, this entire section was removed but was later reinstated with considerable modifications, as reported by ProPublica.

Previously, the observatory’s website stated, “Science is still a male-dominated field, but Rubin Observatory is working to increase participation from women and other historically excluded groups.” It also emphasized the observatory’s commitment to creating an inclusive environment by removing barriers for those with less privilege. However, this paragraph was taken down in late January, along with subtle changes to Rubin’s portrayal. What once read, “Vera herself offers an excellent example of what can happen when more minds participate in science,” was altered to, “Vera Rubin offers an excellent example of what can happen when many minds participate in science.”

These changes underscore what will now be permissible under the new administrative guidelines, highlighting a strict prohibition against acknowledging discrimination or the importance of diversity. NASA has similarly received directives; a memo circulated in late January instructed employees to eliminate specific terms from public websites, including references to underrepresented groups, women in leadership positions, environmental justice, and accessibility.

In response to these developments, several organizations within the astronomy community are collaborating to preserve an archive of the content that has been removed from federal websites, along with materials that may soon face similar fates, according to reports from Space.com. “The notion that they can erase these sources is fundamentally incorrect—scientists, especially in astronomy, will not remain passive in the face of these threats,” astronomer John Barentine remarked to Space.com. “However, the journey ahead will be challenging, and I expect we will encounter significant hurdles along the way.”

After establishing her career, Rubin leveraged her influence to pave the way for women in science and became a mentor for future generations. While addressing the graduating class at Berkeley in 1996, Rubin expressed, “I hope that you will fight injustice and discrimination in all its forms. I hope you will embrace diversity among your peers, colleagues, and student body. And I hope that when you find yourselves in positions of leadership, you will champion greater inclusivity than my generation has achieved.”