Did you know that there are 878 World Heritage Sites, each designating a place of outstanding universal value? And protecting each is the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Among the sites are Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Persepolis in Iran, and the pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacán in Mexico.
Unfortunately, as author Clive Ruggles points out in his commentary "Why we must save our astronomical heritage" for New Scientist magazine, astronomical locations represent a small percentage of the UNESCO sites. Ruggles is emeritus professor of archaeoastronomy at the University of Leicester. He also chairs the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) working group on astronomy and world heritage.
UNESCO, in association with the IAU, is working to change this, and, during the International Year of Astronomy, their work deserves our praise. UNESCO created the Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative. It has asked member states to submit astronomical sites for inclusion as a World Heritage Site. In conjunction with the nominations, the IAU is working on criteria for judging each site’s merits.
And it’s not just the ancient, nearly decrepit sites that are eligible for consideration. UNESCO also wants to include sites related to the history of modern astronomy. I have a suggestion: Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin (pictured at right). Placing it on such a list may be the only way to save it from a future developer’s bulldozer.
Actually, I have lots of suggestions both inside and outside of the United States. You probably do, too. Well, UNESCO does list a contact person, and you'll find her name and e-mail address at the Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative web site. Scroll down the page to find "Contacts."
I’d be happy to receive copies of your e-mails for a future blog.