The future is bright for astronomy, and very expensive (op-ed)

A giant domed building with a open ceiling sits atop a sandy hill in a desert landscape, with a road winding down a hill.

Astronomy has a bright future. 

The universe is being revealed in exquisite detail with the current generation of large optical telescopes, reaching back close to the big bang. There’s hope that the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy will be solved. Thousands of exoplanets have been discovered, and astronomers may be closing in on the first detection of life beyond Earth.