08-11-2019, 01:36 PM
8F,
"So why ARE they built?"
To explore and understand our universe as well as our place within it.
"It seems to me a telescope is not really a business that’s supposed to generate a profit, or maybe is it?"
All major observatories are non-profit organizations. By law, they do not make profits nor were they built to do so.
"Are they mostly taxpayer funded projects used solely for the pure joy of discovery?"
Most observatories are funded by various government agencies and universities around the world so yes, they are funded by taxpayers. Some are privately funded, or at least a major part of their funding is private. The Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea is an example of the latter.
I'm not sure "joy of discovery" is the right phrase. They are built because of humankind's fundamental desire to explore and understand their surroundings. As an astronomer, I can say there is a joy in discovering something no-one else has seen before, but the main part of the job is to understand how the universe works and to test our theories of physics and chemistry. Even astrobiology is now becoming in important topic.
"Are some of them privately funded? Is TMT privately funded? Who’s funding that one and why? What do they get out of it?"
As I mentioned above, the Keck Observatory receives much of its money from a private foundation. The TMT is not privately funded, it's construction and operational costs are paid for by several governments agencies around the world. That funding allows the scientists of those countries to get observing time on the TMT when it's finally built.
"Are they used to research things that may benefit man either now or in the future? I think most people would answer yes to that?"
Both. Examples of things that benefit us now are obviously looking for Earth-threatening asteroids, predicting the effects of solar storms on our planet, tracking orbital debris and keeping commercial satellites safe and attracting people into STEM education (astronomy is often quoted by engineers and scientists as the thing that got them interested in science.
Long term benefits are all the technology advancements that naturally result from the research that gets done which also includes medicine for example. Ever had a CAT scan? You can thank astronomy for that. Do you use GPS? Again, a result of astronomy. There are numerous examples. Then, of course, there is the eventual need for humans to escape this planet.
"How does someone go about justifying the funding for these huge projects?"
See above. But I will point out that the amount of money spent on astronomy is minute when you think of the big picture and what your tax money is used for. For example, the cost of the TMT is still less than the average cost of one B2 bomber.
"So why ARE they built?"
To explore and understand our universe as well as our place within it.
"It seems to me a telescope is not really a business that’s supposed to generate a profit, or maybe is it?"
All major observatories are non-profit organizations. By law, they do not make profits nor were they built to do so.
"Are they mostly taxpayer funded projects used solely for the pure joy of discovery?"
Most observatories are funded by various government agencies and universities around the world so yes, they are funded by taxpayers. Some are privately funded, or at least a major part of their funding is private. The Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea is an example of the latter.
I'm not sure "joy of discovery" is the right phrase. They are built because of humankind's fundamental desire to explore and understand their surroundings. As an astronomer, I can say there is a joy in discovering something no-one else has seen before, but the main part of the job is to understand how the universe works and to test our theories of physics and chemistry. Even astrobiology is now becoming in important topic.
"Are some of them privately funded? Is TMT privately funded? Who’s funding that one and why? What do they get out of it?"
As I mentioned above, the Keck Observatory receives much of its money from a private foundation. The TMT is not privately funded, it's construction and operational costs are paid for by several governments agencies around the world. That funding allows the scientists of those countries to get observing time on the TMT when it's finally built.
"Are they used to research things that may benefit man either now or in the future? I think most people would answer yes to that?"
Both. Examples of things that benefit us now are obviously looking for Earth-threatening asteroids, predicting the effects of solar storms on our planet, tracking orbital debris and keeping commercial satellites safe and attracting people into STEM education (astronomy is often quoted by engineers and scientists as the thing that got them interested in science.
Long term benefits are all the technology advancements that naturally result from the research that gets done which also includes medicine for example. Ever had a CAT scan? You can thank astronomy for that. Do you use GPS? Again, a result of astronomy. There are numerous examples. Then, of course, there is the eventual need for humans to escape this planet.
"How does someone go about justifying the funding for these huge projects?"
See above. But I will point out that the amount of money spent on astronomy is minute when you think of the big picture and what your tax money is used for. For example, the cost of the TMT is still less than the average cost of one B2 bomber.