Final answer:
The advent of spacecraft missions and the development of powerful telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope are the main reasons for the significant advancement in our knowledge of the planetary system over the past few decades. Spacecraft have sent back detailed data from various celestial bodies while telescopes have allowed us to see further into space than ever before.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most important reason that astronomers have learned more about our planetary system in the last 30-40 years than in all of history before then is because we have been able to send spacecraft to gather information about planets and moons up close. The advent of space exploration allowed us to vicariously travel to the objects in our solar system through robotic explorers such as Voyager, Pioneer, Curiosity, and Pathfinder. These missions have provided us with images and data that greatly expanded our knowledge of planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. Additionally, advancements in technology have led to the development of powerful telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope, which coupled with sensitive detectors gives us unprecedented views of deep space and the ability to observe the universe almost back to the time of the Big Bang.