IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is compiling its own list of astronomical heritage sites that are outstanding in the history of astronomy but do not necessarily demonstrate potential Outstanding Universal Value which would be needed for inscription on the World Heritage List. For example, the period from the European Renaissance to the middle of the 20th century was an extremely rich one for the history of astronomy, with many observatories from this period playing a significant role because of the cutting-edge scientific research carried out there. However, the actual building may be damaged or destroyed and the original instruments may no longer exist in situ or at all.
For the moment, the IAU´s Outstanding Astronomical Heritage (OAH) list is focusing on such ‘classical observatories’. It includes, for example, Tycho Brahe’s observatory at Uraniborg, which is completely destroyed although a few of the instruments have been preserved or reconstructed. The OAH list was launched at the IAU’s 2018 General Assembly in Vienna and is steadily being extended—there are currently more than 70 OAH sites on the portal. You can view OAH sites on their own or alongside our other case studies by choosing the relevant filter options in the Heritage Finder.
IAU members who are interested in proposing new sites to the OAH list are invited to contact Gudrun Wolfschmidt, Past President of IAU Commission C4 (World Heritage and Astronomy), in the first instance. The OAH List is not open to members of the public, but we invite anyone who is interested to submit one or more Places connected to the Sky on this Portal.
Hamburger Sternwarte, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 92 , serial ID: 1
Seeberg Observatory, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 97 , serial ID: 1
Kremsmünster Observatory, Austria - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 98 , serial ID: 1
Nuremberg castle observatory, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 99 , serial ID: 1
Uraniborg and Stellaeburgum, Sweden - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 100 , serial ID: 1
Hevelius observatory, Danzig, Poland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 101 , serial ID: 1
Königsberg Observatory, Russia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 102 , serial ID: 1
Lilienthal Observatory, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 104 , serial ID: 1
Uppsala Astronomical Observatory, Sweden - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 106 , serial ID: 1
Palermo Astronomical Observatory, Italy - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 107 , serial ID: 1
Vilnius observatory, Lithuania - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 108 , serial ID: 1
Tartu Observatory, Estonia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 109 , serial ID: 1
Hurbanovo Observatory, Slovakia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 110 , serial ID: 1
Konkoly Observatory, Hungary - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 111 , serial ID: 1
Astronomical Tower in Clementinum Prague, Czech Republic - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 112 , serial ID: 1
Quito Observatory, Ecuador - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 113 , serial ID: 1
Bonn Observatory, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 114 , serial ID: 1
Kazan Observatory, Russia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 115 , serial ID: 1
Vassar College Observatory, Poughkeepsie, USA - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 117 , serial ID: 1
Mount Wilson Observatory, USA - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 120 , serial ID: 1
Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Canada - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 121 , serial ID: 1
La Plata Astronomical Observatory, Argentina - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 122 , serial ID: 1
Madras Observatory, India - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 124 , serial ID: 1
Bosscha Observatory, Indonesia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 125 , serial ID: 1
Sydney Observatory, Australia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 126 , serial ID: 1
Helwan Khedivial Observatory, Egypt - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 127 , serial ID: 1
Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, India - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 129 , serial ID: 1
Akademie Sternwarte Berlin, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 131 , serial ID: 1
Hamburg Observatory Millerntor, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 136 , serial ID: 1
Altona Observatory, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 137 , serial ID: 1
Rundetårn, Copenhagen, Denmark - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 138 , serial ID: 1
Ole Rømer Observatory, Denmark - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 139 , serial ID: 1
Historical Observatory, Göttingen, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 140 , serial ID: 1
Landessternwarte Heidelberg, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 141 , serial ID: 1
University Observatory, Munich, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 142 , serial ID: 1
Remeis Observatory, Bamberg, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 143 , serial ID: 1
Kiel Observatory, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 145 , serial ID: 1
Bothkamp Observatory, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 146 , serial ID: 1
Jesuit Observatory Vienna, Austria - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 147 , serial ID: 1
University Observatory Vienna-Währing, Austria - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 148 , serial ID: 1
ETH Observatory, Zuerich, Switzerland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 149 , serial ID: 1
Cape Observatory, SAAO, South Africa - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 157 , serial ID: 1
Engelhardt Astronomical Observatory, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 158 , serial ID: 1
Belgrade, Serbia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 159 , serial ID: 1
National Observatory of Athens, Greece - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 160 , serial ID: 1
Armagh Observatory, Armagh, Northern Ireland, UK - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 161 , serial ID: 1
Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO), Armenia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 162 , serial ID: 1
Purple Mountain Observatory, Nanjing, China - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 163 , serial ID: 1
Fabra Observatory, Barcelona, Spain - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 164 , serial ID: 1
Real Instituto y Observatorio de la Armada de San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 165 , serial ID: 1
Real Observatorio Astronómico de Madrid, Spain - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 166 , serial ID: 1
Perth Observatory, Australia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 167 , serial ID: 1
Melbourne Observatory, Australia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 168 , serial ID: 1
Lviv Observatory, Lviv (Lemberg), Ukraine - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 169 , serial ID: 1
Kiev (Kyiv) Observatory, Ukraine - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 170 , serial ID: 1
Kharkov Observatory, Ukraine - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 171 , serial ID: 1
Mykolaiv (Nikolaev) Observatory, Ukraine - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 172 , serial ID: 1
Odessa Observatory, Ukraine - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 173 , serial ID: 1
Simeiz Observatory, Ukraine - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 174 , serial ID: 1
Breslau Observatory, Wrocław, Poland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 175 , serial ID: 1
Mathematical Tower, University of Breslau / Wrocław, Poland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 176 , serial ID: 1
Santa Fé de Bogotá, National Observatory of Colombia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 177 , serial ID: 1
Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow, Russia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 178 , serial ID: 1
Abastumani Observatory, Georgia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 179 , serial ID: 1
Cracow Observatory, Poland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 180 , serial ID: 1
Warsaw Observatory, Poland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 181 , serial ID: 1
Poznan Observatory, Poland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 182 , serial ID: 1
Torun-Piwnice Observatory, Poland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 183 , serial ID: 1
Taqi ad-Din Observatory, Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 184 , serial ID: 1
Imperial Observatory - Kandilli Observatory, Istanbul, Turkey - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 185 , serial ID: 1
Istanbul University Observatory, Turkey - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 186 , serial ID: 1
Manila Observatory, Quezon City, Philippines - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 187 , serial ID: 1
Convento de Belén Observatory, Havana, Cuba - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 188 , serial ID: 1
Observatoire de Algiers-Bouzareah, Algeria - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 191 , serial ID: 1
Observatorio Astronómico de Montevideo, Uruguay - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 192 , serial ID: 1
Wise Observatory of Tel Aviv University, Mitzpeh Ramon, Israel - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 193 , serial ID: 1
Dunsink Observatory, Dublin, Ireland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 194 , serial ID: 1
King's Observatory, Kew, Richmond, UK - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 195 , serial ID: 1
Mannheim Observatory, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 197 , serial ID: 1
Lord Rosse's Leviathan of Parsonstown, Birr Castle, Irland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 198 , serial ID: 1
Edinburgh City Observatory, UK - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 199 , serial ID: 1
Royal Observatory Edinburgh, UK - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 200 , serial ID: 1
Christiania Observatory, Oslo, Norway - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 201 , serial ID: 1
Vartiovuori Observatory, Åbo/Turku, Finland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 202 , serial ID: 1
Ondřejov Observatory, Czech Republic - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 205 , serial ID: 1
Neubaukirche Observatory, Würzburg, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 206 , serial ID: 1
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (Sheshan Station), China - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 207 , serial ID: 1
Astronomical Observatory Castillo de Chapultepec, Mexico - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 208 , serial ID: 1
Stockholm Observatory (until 1931), Sweden - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 209 , serial ID: 1
Barnard Observatory, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 210 , serial ID: 1
Observatoire cantonal de Neuchâtel, Switzerland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 211 , serial ID: 1
Observatoire de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 212 , serial ID: 1
La Specola, Bologna Observatory, Italy - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 213 , serial ID: 1
La Specola, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Italy - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 214 , serial ID: 1
Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Milano, Italy - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 215 , serial ID: 1
Bucharest Observatory, Bucuresti, Romania - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 216 , serial ID: 1
Langat Singh College Observatory in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 217 , serial ID: 1
Marinoni Observatory, Mölkerbastei, Vienna, Austria - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 220 , serial ID: 1
Crawford Observatory, University College Cork, Ireland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 222 , serial ID: 1
Coimbra Observatory, Portugal - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 223 , serial ID: 1
Lohrmann-Observatory, Dresden, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 230 , serial ID: 1
Old University Observatory Vienna (before 1879), now Academy of Sciences), Austria - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 232 , serial ID: 1
Kuffner Observatory, Vienna-Ottakring, Austria - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 233 , serial ID: 1
Boyden Observatory, Bloemfontein, South Africa - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 234 , serial ID: 1
Specula Batthyaniana, Alba Iulia, Transylvania, Romania - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 235 , serial ID: 1
Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory (CIDA), Mérida, Venezuela - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 236 , serial ID: 1
Leipzig Observatory, Leipzig-Johannisthal, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 237 , serial ID: 1
Observatory Halle an der Saale, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 238 , serial ID: 1
Solar Eclipse Observatory 1688, Palace in Lop Buri, Siam (Thailand) - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 239 , serial ID: 1
Østervold Observatory, Copenhagen University, Denmark - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 240 , serial ID: 1
Brorfelde Observatory, Copenhagen University, Denmark - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 241 , serial ID: 1
Ole Rømer Observatory, Aarhus University, Denmark - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 242 , serial ID: 1
Lunds gamla observatorium, Lund, Sweden - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 243 , serial ID: 1
Saltsjöbaden Observatory, Södermanland, Sweden - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 244 , serial ID: 1
Sofia University Observatory, Sofia, Bulgaria - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 245 , serial ID: 1
Meteorological Observatory, Hongkong, China - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 246 , serial ID: 1
Holmdel Horn Antenna at Bell Telephone Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey, USA - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 247 , serial ID: 1
Asakusa Astronomical Observatory, Taito City, Tokyo, Japan - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 248 , serial ID: 1
Mitaka Observatory, Tokyo National Astronomical Observatory of Japan - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 249 , serial ID: 1
Cheomseongdae Observatory, Seorabeol (today Gyeongju), South Korea - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 250 , serial ID: 1
Kwasan and Hido Observatories, Kyoto University, Japan - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 251 , serial ID: 1
Observatório Astronômico da UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 252 , serial ID: 1
Collegium Maius at the time of Copernicus, Jagiellonian University, Kraków/Cracow, Poland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 253 , serial ID: 1
Heliograph (Astronomical Table), Olsztyn/Allenstein Castle, Poland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 254 , serial ID: 1
Copernicus observing site in Frauenburg / Frombork, Poland - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 255 , serial ID: 1
La Specola, Florence´s first Observatory, Firenze, Italy - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 256 , serial ID: 1
Palomar Observatory, Palomar Mountain, California, USA - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 259 , serial ID: 1
Lick Observatory, Mount Hamilton, California, USA - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 260 , serial ID: 1
Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 261 , serial ID: 1
Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO, Tucson, Arizona, USA - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 262 , serial ID: 1
Dominion Observatory, Ottawa, Canada - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 263 , serial ID: 1
Carter Observatory, Wellington, New Zealand - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 264 , serial ID: 1
Simon Marius Observatory, Residence in Ansbach, Germany - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 265 , serial ID: 1
Astronomical Observatory of the University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 266 , serial ID: 1
Catania Astrophysical Observatory, Catania, Sicily, Italy - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 267 , serial ID: 1
Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma Sede di Monte Mario, Rome, Italy - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 268 , serial ID: 1
Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma - Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 269 , serial ID: 1
Osservatorio del Collegio Romano, Cathedral of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Rome, Italy - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 270 , serial ID: 1
Specola Vaticana, Torre dei Venti, Vatican Observatory, Vatican City - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 271 , serial ID: 1
Castel Gandolfo Observatory in the Papal Summer Apostolic Palace, Vatican City - IAU - Outstanding Astronomical Heritage
Casestudy ID: 272 , serial ID: 1