Host: Scientists and space enthusiasts worldwide were wowed by the deepest pictures of our universe captured by Hubble. The first Hubble deep field was taken in 1995 and opened a whole new field of research. Hubble has since repeated the success, and the latest Hubble ultra-deep field image lets us see back in time 13 billion years, just 600 million to 800 million years after 7)The Big Bang. This was one of the first and most spectacular data sets taken with Hubble's brand new wide-field Camera Three. By studying galaxies at different epochs, astronomers can see how galaxies change over time.
主持:全球的科学家及太空迷们都曾为哈勃望远镜捕捉到的宇宙深空图片所震撼。首张哈勃深空照片是在1995年拍摄的,由此开拓了一片研究新领域。此后,哈勃一再突破,硕果连连,最新的“哈勃超深空”影像让我们回溯到130亿年前,看到宇宙大爆炸后六到八亿年的宇宙。这是哈勃望远镜以其崭新“第三代广域照相机”取得的首批最为厉害的数据之一。通过研究不同时期的星系,天文学家可以了解到各星系的历时变化。
Dr. J.: In November 2001, Hubble made the first direct detection of the atmosphere of a planet orbiting another star. In this case it was the sun-like star HD-209458, located about 150 light years away in the constellation of 8)Pegasus. Knowing the make-up of a planet's atmosphere allows scientists to determine whether life as we know it could conceivably exist on the alien world.
J博士:2001年11月,哈勃首次直接探测环绕另一恒星的一颗行星的大气层。涉及到的是类似太阳的恒星HD-209458,位于150光年以外的飞马星座里。对这一行星大气层的了解能让科学家们探究我们所知的生命形态是否有可能在外星球上存在。
Host: By measuring bright stars that vary predictably, known as 9)cepheids, Hubble has been able to use these stars as distance markers laying a firm foundation for subsequent measurements that led to the discovery of the accelerating universe and a more precise determination of its age.
主持:通过监测规律光变的亮星(人称“造父变星”),哈勃成功把这些变星作为距离标示点,在这基础上继而测量计算,最终有助于加深对宇宙加速膨胀的了解,并更精确地判断宇宙的年龄。
Dr. J.: Astronomers have used Hubble to observe cepheids and to pin down their distances much more accurately. These results were used as a stepping-stone to measure the distances to 10)supernovae, which in turn told us about the scale of the universe. As a result, today we know the age of the universe with much more precision than before Hubble. It is about 13.7 billion years.
J博士:天文学家已应用哈勃望远镜来观测“造父变星”并以此更准确地计算出它们的距离。这些数据被视作测量新星距离的进阶石,进而助我们探究宇宙的规模。所以,现在我们对宇宙年龄的猜算要比哈勃望远镜诞生前准确多了。大概是137亿年。
Host: When we look up at the night sky it is easy to believe that space is just a giant void with some twinkling stars and a few recognizable planets. However, we must remember that there are structures and matter that we cannot see. Hubble is helping to define, in three dimensions, the distribution of ghostly and invisible dark matter in the universe.
主持:仰望夜空,我们往往以为太空只是个巨大的空洞,有那么些闪闪恒星和些许能辨的行星点缀其中。然而,我们要知道,这里面还存在着很多我们看不见的结构和物质。哈勃望远镜正是以三维立体技术帮我们探测分辨那些神秘隐蔽的暗物质在宇宙的分布。
Dr. J.: Thanks for the past twenty years, Hubble, and here's to many more.
J博士:哈勃望远镜,感谢你过去二十年立下的功劳,祝你再接再厉,更创佳绩。
This is Dr. J. signing off for the Hubble-cast, and wishing Hubble and all those who admire it a happy 20th anniversary.
这里是J博士为你主持的“哈勃在线”( 哈勃望远镜升空20年专题纪念节目),节目结束前,再次祝哈勃及所有哈勃迷二十周年快乐。
