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The Moon Joins World Heritage Sites at Risk

MoonWednesday, January 15, 2025

For a long time, the World Monuments Fund has been highlighting places like Machu Picchu, Cambodian temples, and Yemen's old city of Taiz that need protection. This year, they've added a surprising site: the moon. "It seems so far away, " says Bénédicte de Montlaur, the group's president. "But with more people going to space, we need to start thinking about protecting our celestial neighbor. "

The new space race worries the group. More space debris and space tourism could harm the moon. So, they've included it on their 2025 World Monuments Watch list, alongside places like Gaza, a damaged building in Kyiv, and eroding coastlines in Kenya and the U. S. With wealthy individuals and governments sending more people to space, over 90 important moon sites could be in danger. One key concern is the Apollo 11 landing site, Tranquillity Base, where Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon.

world monuments fund kenya kyiv gaza city of taiz yemen machu picchu neil armstrong bndicte de montlaur

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