>>11331163Astronomy is a field that has a low barrier of entry and because of the sheer number of astronomical objects and phenomena the layman can contribute.
Something like chemistry has a much higher cost of entry and is more dangerous, and there is very little a layman could do to advance the science in any meaningful way.
Something like quantum physics is basically impossible for a non-billionaire to ever have access to, and at that level of income it's easier to fund a grant or something and let professionals use those resources more effectively than you yourself could.
There is a limit to what science can be done by someone with private funding and a will to discover, and that limit has been reached basically everywhere but astronomy.
