PARIS, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- A U.N. committee for the first time endorsed a study in science heritage, one designed to identify important sites in the history of astronomy, officials say.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in Brazil endorsed the study Heritage Sites of Astronomy and Archaeoastronomy prepared as part of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, a release from the International Astronomical Union said Tuesday.
Two organizations, the IAU Working Group on Astronomy and World Heritage and the International Council on Monuments and Sites worked together to produce a detailed study of the rich history of astronomy around the world and the key sites for this heritage, the release said.
"Astronomy represents a rich and significant part of humanity's shared cultural and natural heritage," study co-author Clive Ruggles of the IAU said. "Recognizing this formally means that we can now identify and clarify astronomical value in the context of the World Heritage Convention."
The study is a first step in including astronomical sites in UNESCO's World Heritage List, its authors said.
