List of things named after Ferdinand Magellan

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Ferdinand Magellan (1480–1522)

The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480–1522) is known for leading the first circumnavigation around the Earth. Over 20 things have been named in his honor, including natural phenomenona which he was the first European to observe, such as the Strait of Magellan, and the Magellanic penguin. In other cases, modern entities (such as NASA's Magellan probe) have been named after Magellan in reference to his navigational skill and exploration of uncharted lands.

Astronomy[edit]

Celestial objects[edit]

Instruments[edit]

Geography[edit]

  • Strait of Magellan, a passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean through the southern tip of South America, discovered and crossed by Magellan in 1520. At the time, Magellan referred to it as Estrecho de Todos los Santos (Strait of All Saints), but within seven years, it was being called Estrecho de Magallanes in honor of Magellan.
  • Magellanica, also known as Terra Australis, a southern continent (incorrectly) hypothesized to exist, appearing on many European maps between the 15th and 18th centuries
  • Magellan Bay on Mactan Island (the site of Magellan's death)
  • The name "Pacific Ocean" was coined by Magellan. Until the eighteenth century, the ocean was also often referred to as the Sea of Magellan

Plants[edit]

Other[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Magelhaens". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  2. ^ "Magelhaens". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  3. ^ "Magellanic Cloud". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 15 June 2019. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  4. ^ "A Legacy of Exploration - Giant Magellan Telescope".
  5. ^ Rafferty, John P. "Magellanic penguin". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  6. ^ Almario, Marielle (15 January 2019). "Size matters: The Magellan Birdwing".