望远镜400年的故事（2009）

可能是科学家们想不到的
THAT SCIENTISTS JUST WOULDN'T COME UP WITH.
解说：全景搜索望远镜与快速反应系统 (Pan-STARRS)将使用
(narrator) THE PAN-STARRS SURVEY WILL USE
一种独特的四合一 望远镜设计
A UNIQUE FOUR-IN-ONE TELESCOPE DESIGN
配备四个14亿像素的数码相机
WITH FOUR 1.4 BILLION-PIXEL DIGITAL CAMERAS.
Pan-STARRS是夏威夷大学的 一个新项目
PAN-STARRS IS A NEW PROJECT BY THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,
在这一个项目中 我们还将使用
AND WE WANT TO USE ONE OF THE TELESCOPES THAT YOU SEE
你见到的在我身后的望远镜之一
IN THE BACKGROUND, OUR OLD 88-INCH TELESCOPE,
我们的旧88英寸望远镜
FOR THIS PROJECT.
我们想要建立一个 新的望远镜系统
WE WANT TO BUILD A NEW SYSTEM OF TELESCOPES.
这些望远镜的目标是
AND THESE TELESCOPES HAVE THE GOAL
监测宇宙中每一个 可变的物体
TO DETECT EVERY OBJECT WHICH IS VARIABLE IN THE UNIVERSE.
"可变"的意思是 亮度的可变或
"VARIABLE" MEANS VARIABLE IN BRIGHTNESS
位置的可变
OR VARIABLE IN POSITION.
解说：进行中的太空研究 可能将证明获得
(narrator) AN ONGOING SURVEY OF THE SKY MAY PROVE TO HAVE
比科学回报更多的东西
MORE THAN A SCIENTIFIC PAYOFF.
不是天文学家研究的每件事物
NOT EVERYTHING THAT ASTRONOMERS STUDY
都保持与地球的固定距离
REMAINS FOREVER DISTANT FROM EARTH.
你可能知道有 巨大的潜在可能
YOU MAY KNOW THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL
地球可能被致命的小行星所撞击
THAT THE EARTH WILL BE HIT BY A KILLER ASTEROID.
你在致命小行星撞击中 丧生的几率
THE PROBABILITY THAT YOU DIE BY A KILLER ASTEROID IMPACT
与你死与空难的几率
IS COMPARABLE TO THE PROBABILITY
是可比的
THAT YOU DIE IN AN AIRPLANE CRASH.
因此它意义重大
SO IT'S SIGNIFICANT.
你确实需要担忧这一点
YOU REALLY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS.
藉由Pan-STARRS
WITH PAN-STARRS,
我们将会能够侦查到 这类致命的小行星
WE WILL BE ABLE TO DETECT SUCH KILLER ASTEROIDS
在其碰撞之前30年
30 YEARS BEFORE THEY IMPACT.
那会给予人类
THAT WILL GIVE MANKIND
一个机会 采取行动
AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
并避免受到 这样一个致命小行星的撞击
AND TO AVOID SUCH AN IMPACT BY A KILLER ASTEROID.
解说：虽然在这些高海拔天文台 稀薄的空气
(narrator) ALTHOUGH THE THIN AIR AT THESE HIGH-ALTITUDE OBSERVATORIES
似乎非常透明
MAY SEEM PERFECTLY TRANSPARENT,
天文学家们知道 这只是一个光鲜的假象
ASTRONOMERS KNOW THAT THIS IS A GLORIOUS ILLUSION.
记得童谣 闪呀 闪呀,小星星吗？
REMEMBER THE NURSERY RHYME TWINKLE,TWINKLE,LITTLE STAR?
就算在一个晴朗的夜晚
EVEN IN A REALLY CLEAR NIGHT,
对于天文学家来说 仍有不少问题
THERE ARE STILL PROBLEMS FOR ASTRONOMERS,
因为空气里的湍流 会模糊天文学家观测的图像
BECAUSE TURBULENCE IN THE AIR BLURS IMAGES FOR THE ASTRONOMER.
湍流是大气层里的 风引起的
TURBULENCE IS DUE TO WINDS IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
人们很长时间以来 就知道这一点
AND PEOPLE HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
甚至连牛顿都很清楚 大气层中的湍流
EVEN ISAAC NEWTON WAS VERY AWARE THAT ATMOSPHERIC TURBULENCE
是一个麻烦
WAS A PROBLEM.
解说：天文学家 现在能够消除这种
(narrator) ASTRONOMERS CAN NOW CANCEL THE EFFECTS
大气造成的模糊的影响
OF ATMOSPHERIC BLURRING
借助于一种叫做 自适应光学的技术
WITH A TECHNIQUE CALLED ADAPTIVE OPTICS.
如果他们 在望远镜的视野里
IF THEY FIND A BRIGHT REFERENCE STAR
找到一颗明亮的参考星
IN THE TELESCOPE'S FIELD OF VIEW,
自适应光学系统 能不断地测量
THE ADAPTIVE OPTICS SYSTEM CAN CONSTANTLY MEASURE
这颗星的闪烁情况
THE TWINKLING OF THIS STAR
并实时消除模糊现象
AND REMOVE THE BLURRING IN REAL TIME.
通过使用小型的 可快速变形的镜子
BY USING A SMALL, RAPIDLY DEFORMABLE MIRROR
它提供了一个清晰 正确的图像给观测者
THAT DELIVERS A SHARP, CORRECTED IMAGE TO THE DETECTOR.
唯一的问题是 那些明亮的星星
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT BRIGHT STARS
并不总是位于 你感兴趣的目标旁边
ARE NOT ALWAYS SITTING NEXT TO YOUR OBJECT OF INTEREST.
因此天文学家已经造出了 他们自己的参考星
SO ASTRONOMERS HAVE CREATED THEIR OWN REFERENCE STARS.
我们能使用激光造出 所谓的人造星
WE CAN USE LASERS TO MAKE WHAT WE CALL AN ARTIFICIAL STAR
在没有明亮的 真的星星位于我们视野中时
IF THERE'S NOT A BRIGHT REAL STAR IN THE FIELD OF VIEW.
而我们能这么做是因为
AND THE REASON WE CAN DO THIS IS BECAUSE
在大气层高处 100公里高度的地方
HIGH IN THE ATMOSPHERE, AT 100 KILOMETERS' ALTITUDE,
有许多钠原子
THERE ARE A LOT OF SODIUM ATOMS
来自小小的 微型陨石
THAT COME FROM LITTLE MICROMETEORITES
他们落下时 在大气层里燃烧掉自己
BURNING UP AS THEY FALL INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
因此我们将一束黄-白激光 射入大气层
SO WE SHINE A YELLOW-WHITE LASER INTO THE ATMOSPHERE
这些钠原子会反光
THAT SODIUM ATOMS RERADIATE THE LIGHT.
通过这种办法 我们能 在天空中的任何一处
AND THAT WAY,WE CAN MAKE AN ARTIFICIAL STAR
造成一颗人造星
ANYWHERE IN THE SKY.
解说：天文学家将很快能利用 新仪器的
(narrator) ASTRONOMERS WILL SOON USE THE ADAPTIVE OPTICS CAPABILITY
自适应光学能力
OF A NEW INSTRUMENT,
先进技术的 太阳望远镜
THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY SOLAR TELESCOPE,
研究在太阳狂暴表面 的迅速变化
TO STUDY RAPID CHANGES IN THE SUN'S TURBULENT SURFACE.
詹帕帕：ATST看起来会像 一具夜间望远镜
(Giampapa) THE ATST WILL LOOK LIKE A NIGHTTIME TELESCOPE.
它的直径 将达到4米
IT WILL HAVE A DIAMETER OF FOUR METERS.
而以这种尺寸的镜径
AND WITH THAT SIZE OF APERTURE,
可解决太阳上 所有的动力现象
IT COULD RESOLVE ALL THE DYNAMIC PHENOMENA IN THE SUN
在光谱的领域 空间的领域
IN THE SPECTRAL DOMAIN, THE SPATIAL DOMAIN,
和时间的领域
AND THE TEMPORAL DOMAIN,
探索太阳周期的起源
TO DISCOVER THE ORIGINS OF THE SOLAR CYCLE,
导致太阳亮度变化的原因
THE CAUSES OF THE VARIABLE BRIGHTNESS OF THE SUN,
以及太阳上的
AND THE ORIGINS OF EXPLOSIVE FLARE EVENTS
耀斑爆发的起源
ON THE SUN
它影响地球上人类的活动
THAT CAN AFFECT HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON THE EARTH
也包括我们的近地环境
AND ALSO ON OUR NEAR EARTH SPACE ENVIRONMENT.
解说：但太阳黑子周期 仅揭示了太阳的磁环境
(narrator) BUT THE SUNSPOT CYCLE REVEALS JUST ONE ASPECT
巨大秘密的
OF THE GREAT MYSTERY
冰山一角
OF THE SUN'S MAGNETIC ENVIRONNT.
天文学家仍然不知道
ASTRONOMERS STILL DON'T KNOW
这些不断变幻的磁场
HOW THESE EVER-CHANGING MAGNETIC FIELDS
如何影响太阳的 总能量输出
AFFECT THE SUN'S TOTAL ENERGY OUTPUT.
在这一区域的研究 对我们如何将全球暖化模型
RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS CRUCIAL TO HOW WE MODEL GLOBAL WARMING
在地球上建立是决定性的
HERE ON EARTH.
在我们观察所有的天体中
AMONG ALL THE CELESTIAL OBJECTS THAT WE OBSERVE,
太阳无疑是全人类
THE SUN IS CERTAINLY
最重要的天文学目标
THE MOST IMPORTANT ASTRONOMICAL OBJECT TO ALL OF HANKIND.
太阳提供维持地球上所有生命
THE SUN SUPPLIES THE ENERGY THAT SUSTAINS ALL LIFE ON EARTH
及带动地球气候现象所需的能源
AND THE ENERGY THAT DRIVES THE CLIMATE OF THE EARTH.
所以全方位了解善变的太阳
AND SO IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND
对我们来说 是如此事关重大
ALL ASPECTS OF THE VARIABILITY OF THE SUN.
天文学家知道 唯一可以排除
ASTRONOMERS KNOW THAT THE ONLY WAY
大气层影响的办法
TO REMOVE ALL THE DIFFICULTIES IMPOSED BY OUR ATMOSPHERE
是将望远镜 送入太空
IS TO SEND TELESCOPES INTO SPACE.
一台太空望远镜 不单能避免
A SPACEBORNE TELESCOPE CAN NOT ONLY AVOID
大气层造成的影像模糊
THE BLURRING EFFECTS OF OUR ATMOSPHERE
还能观察到大量
BUT CAN ALSO OBSERVE BANDS OF LIGHT
来不到地面的光线
THAT DO NOT REACH EARTH'S SURFACE.
即便一具小型的太空观测仪
EVEN A SMALL SPACE-BASED INSTRUMENT
其解析度也能超过 大迦纳利岛上的望远镜
WILL SURPASS THE RESOLVING POWER OF THE GRAN CANARAY TELESCOPE.
整个1970和80年代
THROUGHOUT THE 1970s AND '80s,
天文学家 工程师 和技术人员
ASTRONOMERS,ENGINEERS, AND TECHNICIANS
为光学天文学的一个新时代 创造了条件：
SET THE STAGE FOR A NEW ERA IN OPTICAL ASTRONOMY：
哈勃太空望远镜
THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE.
贝克维斯：为了利用
(Beckwith) TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
真空的太空赐予的
OF THE REALLY EXQUISITE RESOLUTION OFFERED BY SPACE,
真正精细的高分辨率
WHERE THERE'S NOT ATMOSPHERE,
工程师必须完成一些 以前未做过的事情
THE ENGINEERS HAD TO DO THINGS THAT HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE
以后也不会再做
AND HAVE NEVER BEEN DONE SINCE.
太空望远镜在轨时
THE TELESCOPE, WHEN IT'S IN ORBIT,
每小时运行17,000英里
IS GOING AROUND AT 17,000 MILES AN HOUR,
我的意思是 这对我们而言 是一个不可想象的高速度
I MEAN,JUST AN UNIMAGINABLY RAPID SPEED FOR US.
而不论望远镜在太空中任何地方 你必须对着它
AND YET YOU HAVE TO POINT THAT TELESCOPE ANYWHERE IN THE SKY,
你必须让它有数毫秒 稳定在弧线上
AND YOU HAVE TO STABILIZE IT TO A FEW MILLISECONDS OF ARC.
因此他们做的是
SO WHAT THEY DID IS,
发明了一系列 回旋装置
THEY INVENTED A SERIES OF GYROSCOPES
不可置信的精确
THAT WERE INCREDIBLY PRECISE
能让他们 将望远镜回转
THAT ALLOWED THEM TO SLEW THE TELESCOPE
到太空中某点
TO A SPOT ON THE SKY
并让它去到他们希望的足够近的地点
AND GET IT CLOSE ENOUGH TO WHERE THEY WANT IT
来方便他们提取星球信息
THAT THEY COULD THEN PICK UP STARS.
使用一个ST目录
AND USING A ST CATALOG,
他们能前进到完全正确的地点上
THEY COULD HONE IN ON EXACTLY THE RIGHT SPOT.
然后借助一个星体追踪器
AND THEN WITH A STAR TRACKER,
他们会让望远镜保持稳定
THEY COULD STABILIZE THE TELESCOPE