Astronomy and Astrology

Connected Sites: 73

Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth. Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world.

Connected Sites

  • Quirigua
    Quirigua
    Guatemala
    Inscribed: 1981
    3.22
    62
    7
    Stelae with Mayan calendars
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Samarkand
    Samarkand
    Uzbekistan
    Inscribed: 2001
    4.37
    166
    6
    Ulugh Beg's observatory
    See www2.astronomicalheritage.net
  • Uxmal
    Uxmal
    Mexico
    Inscribed: 1996
    3.94
    172
    7
    The so-called Governor's Palace is anomalously oriented regarding other buildings at the site. Its entrance faces ESE-wards towards the most southerly rising point of the planet Venus around the date of its construction (early 10th century); the opposite direction is towards Venus' most northerly setting point. The façade of the building contains iconographic representations of the Venus cycle and of the Mayan zodiac. (...) the iconography places the connections between this building and Venus beyond doubt and the importance of Venus cycles in the Mesoamerican calendar is well attested in ethnohistory. (Chankillo Nomination Text, p. 123-124)
  • Torun
    Torun
    Poland
    Inscribed: 1997
    3.25
    192
    8
    "house in which Nicolaus Copernicus was reputedly born in 1473; it has been preserved as a museum devoted to the famous astronomer’s life and achievements" (Official description)
  • Yin Xu
    Yin Xu
    China
    Inscribed: 2006
    3.19
    47
    3
    Oracle bone inscriptions reveal that the Shang could already record solar and lunar eclipses and star configurations accurately. They also gained a comparatively early understanding of supernova and other astronomical phenomena. (nom file)
  • El Fuerte de Samaipata
    Inscribed: 1998
    2.91
    43
    7
  • Quseir Amra
    Inscribed: 1985
    3.03
    115
    11
    Has a very early Zodiac painted on the ceiling of the dome
  • St. Petersburg
    Inscribed: 1990
    4.19
    267
    9
    Pulkovo Observatory (Struve was its first director)
  • Vatican City
    Inscribed: 1984
    4.30
    612
    9
    The Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest astronomical institutes in the world. In fact, three early observatories were founded by the Papacy: the Observatory of the Roman College (1774-1878), the Observatory of the Capitol (1827-1870), and the Specula Vaticana (1789-1821).
  • Tiwanaku
    Tiwanaku
    Bolivia
    Inscribed: 2000
    3.09
    92
    7
    "Researchers speculate that the Akapana temple may also have been used as an astronomical observatory. It was constructed so that it was aligned with the peak of Quimsachata, providing a view of the rotation of the Milky Way from the southern pole.[29] Other temples like Kalasasaya are positioned to provide optimal views of the sunrise on the Equinox, Summer Solstice, and Winter Solstice. Although the symbolic and functional value of these monuments can only be speculated upon, the Tiwanaku were able to study and interpret the positions of the sun, moon, Milky Way and other celestial bodies well enough to give them a significant role in their architecture." (wiki)
  • Palenque
    Palenque
    Mexico
    Inscribed: 1987
    4.11
    145
    7
    astronomical observatory
  • Walled City of Baku
    Inscribed: 2000
    2.96
    136
    7
    The Maiden Tower possibly was "used as an astronomical observatory from the time of this reconstruction, due to the fact that 30 hewed stone protuberances on the tower's lower section and the 31 protuberances on the upper section, linked with a stone belt, correlate to the days of the month" (wiki)
  • Vézère Valley
    Inscribed: 1979
    3.54
    113
    12
    A number of the Lascaux pictures have a possible astronomical significance
    See www2.astronomicalheritage.net
  • Gebel Barkal
    Inscribed: 2003
    3.13
    29
    4
    Orientation of the temples and pyramids, celestial diagram
    See www2.astronomicalheritage.net
  • Rome
    Rome
    Holy See, Italy
    Inscribed: 1980
    4.57
    661
    13
    Pantheon: "The monument acts like a giant sundial with a dark interior"
    See www2.astronomicalheritage.net
  • Strasbourg
    Inscribed: 1988
    3.52
    395
    10
    Cathedral: sundials, zodiac
    See www2.astronomicalheritage.net
  • Machu Picchu
    Inscribed: 1983
    4.63
    261
    8
    observatory
    See www.naukawpolsce.pap.pl
  • Babylon
    Inscribed: 2019
    3.13
    29
    3
    "it also left a considerable scientific legacy in the fields of mathematics and astronomy" (OUV)
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Paquimé
    Paquimé
    Mexico
    Inscribed: 1998
    2.68
    16
    5
    The "Mount of the Cross" was erected for solar observations, thus defining the seasons of the year (information panel on site)
  • City of Bath
    City of Bath
    United Kingdom
    Inscribed: 1987
    3.57
    409
    13
    "William Herschel came to Bath to be the organist at the Octagon Chapel and with his sister, Caroline, lived at Number 19 New King Street where they built their mirrors and telescopes and eventually in 1781 discovered a new planet, Uranus. Caroline was an accomplished astronomer and discovered three new nebulae and eight new comets." (Great Spas of Europe Nomination File, p. 295)
  • Olinda
    Olinda
    Brazil
    Inscribed: 1982
    3.06
    45
    4
    The Alto da Sé Astronomical Observatory is an observatory located in the city of Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil. It was built near the place where, on February 26, 1860, the French astronomer Emmanuel Liais observed and described the comet Olinda (C/1860 D1), being the first comet discovered in South America and in Brazilian territory. (wiki)
    See pt.wikipedia.org
  • Urbino
    Urbino
    Italy
    Inscribed: 1998
    3.27
    185
    8
    There is a small turret on the roof of the Palazzo del Collegio Raffaello, visible from the internal courtyard. It was used as astronomical observatory for the studies and research of Father Alessandro Serpieri.
    See it.wikipedia.org
  • Naples
    Naples
    Italy
    Inscribed: 1995
    3.48
    435
    9
    Osservatorio astronomico di Capodimonte
    See it.wikipedia.org
  • Megalithic Temples of Malta
    Inscribed: 1980
    3.55
    310
    12
    "(...) professors Frank Ventura and Michael Hoskin and their colleagues proposed that the Maltese temples may have faced the rising and setting of the brightest stars in the constellation of Centaurus, including the Southern Cross, which were clearly visible in the Maltese skies during the period of construction of the temples. This cluster of stars would have formed an impressive procession across the southern sky of the archipelago. This hypothesis, although not universally accepted, could even explain the surprising construction of two twin temples at Ggantija, where the later temple is oriented 9° more to the south than its older sibling." (Talayotic Menorca Nomination file, p. 389-390)
    See www.allovergreece.com
  • Stonehenge and Avebury
    Inscribed: 1986
    3.74
    429
    18
    "icon of ancient astronomy"
    See www2.astronomicalheritage.net
  • Inscribed: 2019
    4
    0
    Anse Betsy (Betsy Cove) is a former geomagnetic station on Baie Accessible (Accessible Bay), on the north coast of the Courbet Peninsula (La Grande Terre, Kerguelen). On this site an astronomical and geomagnetic observatory was erected on 26 October 1874 by a German research expedition led by Georg Gustav Freiherr von Schleinitz. The primary goal of this station was the 1874 observation of the transit of Venus. (wiki)
  • Eisinga Planetarium
    Inscribed: 2023
    3.52
    110
    5
    "As a technological ensemble, it continues to contribute to the dissemination of astronomical knowledge, and in particular to the understanding of the heliocentric model of the Universe." (OUV)
  • Chichen-Itza
    Inscribed: 1988
    4.19
    271
    12
    El Caracol: "The structure, with its unusual placement on the platform and its round shape (the others are rectangular, in keeping with Maya practice), is theorized to have been a proto-observatory with doors and windows aligned to astronomical events, specifically around the path of Venus as it traverses the heavens." (wiki)
  • Chankillo Archaeoastronomical Complex
    Inscribed: 2021
    2.71
    21
    3
    functioned as a calendrical instrument, using the sun to define dates throughout the seasonal year (AB ev)
  • Caral-Supe
    Inscribed: 2009
    3.41
    62
    8
    Especially at Chupacigarro
  • Cahokia Mounds
    Cahokia Mounds
    United States of America
    Inscribed: 1982
    2.63
    97
    9
    Woodhenge: "The circle has been used to investigate archaeoastronomy at Cahokia. Annual equinox and solstice sunrise observation events are held at the site." (wiki)
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Brú na Bóinne
    Inscribed: 1993
    3.63
    206
    11
    A large phallic stone was found in the outskirts of the Great Mound in Knowth. One of the theories suggests that it was used to follow the movements of Venus
  • Amiens Cathedral
    Inscribed: 1981
    3.41
    220
    12
    The Zodiac of Amiens Cathedral is a set of bas-reliefs located on the foundations of the great façade of Notre-Dame Cathedral at the level of the Saint-Firmin portal (north portal, left). It is presented as a series of medallions, sculpted in the form of quatrefoils, and presents an agricultural calendar which establishes a correspondence between the signs of the zodiac and the work of the months.
    See fr.wikipedia.org
  • Xochicalco
    Inscribed: 1999
    3.30
    89
    8
    Astronomical observatory: "The observatory is a cave modified to allow study of the movement of the sun. ....In the 105 days running from 30 April to 15 August, the sun shines into the cave. In the sun's movement towards the Tropic of Cancer and upon their return, respectively, on 14/15 May and 28/29 July, the sun is at its zenith and the astronomical noon, the beam of light falls directly through the chimney showing the image of the sun on the floor of the cave. Surely, taking advantage of the solar phenomenon, the site was also used for religious ceremonies." (wiki)
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Vienna
    Vienna
    Austria
    Inscribed: 2001
    4.02
    591
    20
    Urania, a public observatory since 1909.
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Teotihuacan
    Inscribed: 1987
    4.29
    262
    8
    in the case of the Pyramid of the Moon, the public plaza was also used for astronomical observation and calendar-related activities (wiki)
  • Teide National Park
    Inscribed: 2007
    3.83
    189
    7
    Teide Observatory
  • Struve Geodetic Arc
    Struve Geodetic Arc
    Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine
    Inscribed: 2005
    1.92
    212
    18
    Tartu Observatory
  • Selimiye Mosque
    Inscribed: 2011
    3.47
    114
    4
    The Muvakkithane (clock house) is located in the northeast corner room ... From here the Muvakkit (timekeepers) prepared the annual calendar and the Ramadan timetable. They also gave basic astronomy lessons when required. (AB)
  • Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
    Inscribed: 1998
    2.82
    302
    14
    The sky maps of the Basilica of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse are wall paintings representing an astronomical map and a wind map. They have been dated to the 13th century and linked to the beginnings of the University of Toulouse, created in 1229. They bear witness to the transmission, in the Middle Ages, of ancient astronomical science as well as the intellectual life of the basilica. The geocentric map represents the universe in a geocentric vision, as it was imagined since Antiquity and until 1543, when the scientist Copernicus proposed the heliocentric conception.
    See fr.wikipedia.org
  • Risco Caido
    Inscribed: 2019
    2.49
    58
    4
    "The sacred site of Caldera de Tejeda reveals the existence of multiple structures ... aligned with the rising and setting sun, particularly at the Summer Solstice and the Equinoxes"
    See www3.astronomicalheritage.net
  • Rapa Nui
    Inscribed: 1995
    4.49
    110
    13
    Ahu Huri A Urenga: This site near the town of Hanga Roa has a single statue that looks toward the spot where the sun rises on the day of the winter solstice
  • Qhapaq Ñan
    Qhapaq Ñan
    Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
    Inscribed: 2014
    2.79
    180
    9
    Observatory at Machu Picchu, Lunar calendar at Ingapirca
  • Pyramids (Memphis)
    Inscribed: 1979
    4.51
    314
    12
    The three main Giza pyramids are orientated to the cardinal directions with extraordinary precision. For such huge monuments, this could only have been achieved by astronomical observation
    See www2.astronomicalheritage.net
  • Poverty Point
    Poverty Point
    United States of America
    Inscribed: 2014
    2.28
    64
    8
    The archaeologist Professor William Haag, who excavated at the site during the 1970s, interpreted this post as having astronomical significance in being aligned to the solstices. (wiki)
  • Potsdam
    Potsdam
    Germany
    Inscribed: 1990
    3.52
    371
    10
    Babelsberg Observatory
  • Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro
    Inscribed: 2021
    2.91
    324
    6
    Real Observatorio de Madrid
  • Papahanaumokuakea
    Papahanaumokuakea
    United States of America
    Inscribed: 2010
    3.11
    8
    1
    "It is significant that most of the heiau have astronomically aligned patterns associated with the summer solstice, when the sun passes through the zenith of the site at noon, and that, according to oral histories, they were the places that held the knowledge of the stars and gave the ancestors their navigational bearings." (Talayotic Menorca Nomination file, p. 368-369)
  • Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles
    Inscribed: 2021
    3.93
    252
    12
    astrological depictions of the months in Palazzo della Ragione
  • Oaxaca and Monte Alban
    Inscribed: 1987
    3.72
    135
    7
    Monte Alban: It is believed that building “J” had an astronomical relation/ significance. (wiki)
  • Nice
    Nice
    France
    Inscribed: 2021
    2.78
    353
    5
    The astronomer Edward Cooper set up Europe's largest astronomical telescope in the park of the Villa Furtado-Heine to make useful observations.
    See fr.wikipedia.org
  • Nasca Lines
    Inscribed: 1994
    3.87
    147
    10
    Reiche claimed that "the lines were intended to act as a kind of observatory, to point to the places on the distant horizon where the sun and other celestial bodies rose or set at the solstices", later experts in archaeoastronomy, concluded in 1990 that the evidence was insufficient to support such an astronomical explanation. (wiki)
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Mount Etna
    Inscribed: 2013
    3.55
    263
    12
    "The nominated property includes very little infrastructure: ........ and an observatory. Funding has been secured for a complete overhaul of the observatory which is scheduled to start in 2013" IUCN eval
  • Maritime Greenwich
    Maritime Greenwich
    United Kingdom
    Inscribed: 1997
    3.14
    410
    10
    OUV Criterion (vi): "Greenwich is associated with outstanding architectural and artistic achievements as well as with scientific endeavour of the highest quality through the development of navigation and astronomy at the Royal Observatory, leading to the establishment of the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time as world standards. "
  • Koguryo Tombs
    Koguryo Tombs
    Korea (DPR)
    Inscribed: 2004
    2.73
    23
    2
    There are examples of Goguryeo tombs in which constellations were drawn on tomb ceiling murals. "The wall paintings document the history, religious beliefs, and customs of the contemporary people, as well as science and culture. They show costumes, arms, musical instruments, dance, astronomy, etc." - AB Document
  • Kaesong
    Korea (DPR)
    Inscribed: 2013
    2.37
    36
    2
    The monuments inscribed also include an astronomical and meteorological observatory
  • Jodrell Bank Observatory
    Inscribed: 2019
    2.65
    89
    9
    "illustrates a significant stage in human history (1940s-1960s) – the transition from optical astronomy to radio astronomy and the associated consequence for the understanding of the Universe through multi-wavelength astrophysics" (OUV)
  • Jantar Mantar
    Inscribed: 2010
    3.16
    186
    6
    It is a collection of astronomical instruments
  • Hortobágy
    Hortobágy
    Hungary
    Inscribed: 1999
    2.30
    105
    8
    "An important part of this heritage is the celestial knowledge of the shepherds of the Puszta."
    See www3.astronomicalheritage.net
  • Gyeongju
    Gyeongju
    Republic of Korea
    Inscribed: 2000
    3.30
    145
    14
    Cheomseongdae observatory
    See www2.astronomicalheritage.net
  • Great Spa Towns of Europe
    Great Spa Towns of Europe
    Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom
    Inscribed: 2021
    3.28
    442
    16
    "William Herschel came to Bath to be the organist at the Octagon Chapel and with his sister, Caroline, lived at Number 19 New King Street where they built their mirrors and telescopes and eventually in 1781 discovered a new planet, Uranus. Caroline was an accomplished astronomer and discovered three new nebulae and eight new comets." (Nomination File, p. 295)
  • Florence
    Inscribed: 1982
    4.45
    587
    15
    "Galileo Galilei used Forte Belvedere for his astronomical observations".
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Ferrara
    Ferrara
    Italy
    Inscribed: 1995
    3.19
    234
    10
    The months' hall at the Schifanoia palace is one of the most important astrological representations of Renaissance with the orientalising depictions of the decans and the connections between signs and Olympic gods. It has been the subject of a seminal study by Warburg and his school.
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • El Tajin
    El Tajin
    Mexico
    Inscribed: 1992
    3.59
    59
    5
    The 'Pyramid of the Niches', a masterpiece of ancient Mexican and American architecture, reveals the astronomical and symbolic significance of the buildings. (official description)
  • Dengfeng
    Inscribed: 2010
    3.36
    67
    5
    Observatory: "an area to the south of Mount Shaoshi and Mount Taishi, two peaks of Mount Songshan, came to be associated with the concept of the centre of heaven and earth – the only point where astronomical observations were considered to be accurate" (OUV)
  • Chaco Culture
    Chaco Culture
    United States of America
    Inscribed: 1987
    3.44
    115
    11
    Pueblo Bonito - layout and astronomical petroglyphs
  • Caves and Ice Age Art
    Inscribed: 2017
    2.30
    128
    8
    Geisenklösterle
    See www2.astronomicalheritage.net
  • Antequera Dolmens Site
    Inscribed: 2016
    2.82
    150
    6
    Dolmen of Viera "Like most Iberian tombs, it is oriented slightly south of east (96°), situated precisely so that at the summer solstices the sunlight at daybreak illuminates the burial chamber" (Wiki)
  • Ancient Thebes
    Inscribed: 1979
    4.38
    256
    11
    Tomb at Deir el-Bahari: astronomical ceiling containing the oldest version of an Egyptian celestial diagram ever discovered
    See www2.astronomicalheritage.net
  • Talayotic Menorca
    Inscribed: 2023
    2.93
    49
    4
    "Distinct visual interconnections between archaeological sites indicate the existence of social networks, and astronomical orientations imply possible cosmological meanings." (OUV) – "Torre d'en Galmés (...) illustrates the relationship between the landscape and the skyscape where archaeo-astronomical studies have suggested the visual interrelationships between taulas hold symbolic meanings." (AB Ev)
  • Hopewell
    Hopewell
    United States of America
    Inscribed: 2023
    2.23
    42
    7
    "the key attributes of the nominated property are ... the astronomical alignments" (AB ev)
  • Ahwar of Southern Iraq
    Inscribed: 2016
    2.98
    23
    4
    Bit Resh in Uruk: "The Bīt Reš along with the Esagila was one of the two main centers of Neo-Babylonian astronomy." (wiki)
  • Inscribed: 2023
    1.01
    8
    0
    "It illustrates the development and evolution of optical astronomy in the world between the 19th and early 20th century" (AB ev)