Final answer:
The author's purpose for including paragraph 3 is to explain a perspective that challenges conventional wisdom, by using an analogy that illustrates the limitations of perceiving astronomical phenomena only through visible light.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks what best describes the author's purpose for including paragraph 3 in a text. Given the information provided, we can infer that the author's intent is to explain a perspective that differs from accepted facts. The passage under scrutiny evidently makes use of descriptive diction and sensory details, suggesting that the writing may be vivid and detailed. However, the emphasis on the idea that relying solely on visible light in astronomy is like judging people by their shoes at a dinner party implies a metaphorical explanation intended to challenge the reader's conventional understanding. This analogy seeks to broaden the audience’s perspective on astronomical phenomena, urging them not to be 'visible light chauvinists'. Therefore, the author's purpose in this paragraph is not merely to describe an experience poetically or to relay scientific facts but rather to provide an explanation that challenges conventional expectations and encourages the audience to think critically about the limitations of their perception.