Astronomy

Astronomy

1. A POORLY PHRASED QUESTION

"What is the reason of astronomy?" It appears to be a very straightforward question. But the response is tough to find. This is partially because the inquiry is founded on out-of-date concepts about the genuine significance of astronomy in specific and basic study in general.

If I had been inquired the inquiry one or two centuries before, at the time that astronomy was an directed research, I would have had no adversity responding the inquiry in the periods in which it had been posed.

I would first of all have cited geography, and would have recalled the long excursions of Charles de la Condemned, of Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, to accurately assess the longitudes and latitudes of diverse points of the globe. I would have cited maritime navigation, boat crew utilizing sextants and place benches of the moon and brilliant stars in alignment to set up their place at sea. I would have cited metrology and the excursions of astronomers Jean-Baptist Delmar and Pierre Mechanic as they journeyed all over France throughout the Revolution in alignment to set up the extent of the meridian, and, accordingly, that of the meter, which is one-forty millionth of the meridian. I would have recalled that the observatory in Besancon, beside Switzerland, where I began my vocation, was based over a 100 years before to ascertain the correctness of the localized watchmakers' products.

But this time span is over. Positioning, maritime and aerial navigation are now conveyed out with beacons and artificial satellites. The meter's delineation has altered and is now founded on the wavelength of the transition of a krypton atom. The delineation of the second of time has altered too; it is granted by atomic timepieces running on cesium atoms.

Does this signify that astronomy no longer assists any purpose? That it has, at most, a heritage function - that of educating us what a very dark aperture is, or how the Universe formed and how it will end? Surely that in itself does not support authorities giving the wages of detachments of astronomers lastingly observing the atmosphere with large figures of ever more costly telescopes? It is even

Less justifiable in a time span of urgent position and job loss, at a time when the allowances for health, transportation, and learning are in shortfall or manage authorities extend funding basic study in the wish that one day, in fifty, a century or 1000 years, it will eventually make certain thing that can be sold. Like computers, or certain thing helpful, like electricity? But recall that political leaders generally desire their investments to give comes back on a short period basis. Even if basic study occasionally has "useful" outcomes, no one has ever illustrated that it is the cheapest and most direct way to technological advancement, and from that issue of outlook, a homeland like Japan favors to invest hugely in directed research.

It is thus conspicuous that the inquiry is badly phrased. In alignment to response, I will first reveal some misconceptions (Call ...