宇宙（2007）

The Universe S05E01

Part 1 April 22, 2021, 1:48 p.m.

In the beginning, there was darkness,
最初宇宙是一片黑暗
and then, bang, giving birth
紧接着一声巨响混沌初开
to an endless, expanding existence
时间空间和物质
of time, space and matter.
开始不断膨胀
Every day, new discoveries are unlocking the mysterious,
每天我们都在解密这神秘莫测
the mind-blowing, the deadly secrets
令人疯狂的极端之地
of a place we call the Universe.
宇宙
This cosmic world is unlike
这片广博寰宇
anything you've ever seen or learned about.
不同于我们之前所见所学任何事物
Our galactic neighborhood
银河系包含了宇宙中
is home to seven of the most mesmerizing, violent,
最壮美绚丽
and otherworldly phenomena in the universe.
最超脱尘俗的七大奇观
A stunning planet
有一座神奇星球
whose iconic rings contain mountain ranges
其光环中的山脉
that rival the Alps,
可媲美阿尔卑斯山
a shimmering moon
一座闪闪的卫星上
where massive geysers of water and ice spew from its surface.
间歇喷涌出大量水和冰
Scale a mega volcano,
我们先去看一个超大火山
then zigzag through a family of Asteroids
然后穿越小行星带
before diving into the eye of a super-sized hurricane.
去领略巨型旋风
Experience the newest, most mind-blowing discoveries
我们将见识太阳系中
revolving around our sun
最新奇刺♥激♥的发现
as we venture to the seven wonders of our Solar System.
体验其中的七大奇观
If you think science has already uncovered every dangerous,
如果你觉得已看遍
strange and extraordinary phenomenon under the sun,
太阳系中危险神秘的奇异现象
think again.
那你大错特错
We are right now in the midst
我们正处在
of the greatest era of space discovery,
宇宙探索大时代中
And many of the weird and wondrous things
许多光怪陆离奇妙万千的现象
are happening right here in our own cosmic backyard.
就发生在我们身处的这个宇宙里
Our Solar System is a really fantastic place.
太阳系真的是一个奇妙的地方
You know, we've now found other planetary systems,
我们已经发现了许多其他行星系统
and we've not yet found anything quite like our Solar System.
但还未找到任何和太阳系相似的系统
You've joined us on a magical journey
我们将开启一段神奇之旅
through the seven wonders
去探索太阳系
of our Solar System.
七大奇观
We first head for the Orbit of Saturn.
我们首先前往土星环
Number seven, Enceladus.
第七奇观土卫二
It's midnight, November 2, 2009.
2009年11月2日午夜
NASA's Cassini spacecraft
美国卡西尼号♥宇宙飞船
orbits the planet Saturn.
正沿土星轨道飞行
Its cameras capture something bizarre
它拍摄到了土卫二
on one of its outer moons named Enceladus.
表面的奇异现象
Most of the Solar System's moons
从地质学角度讲
are geologically dead,
太阳系中卫星都是死寂的
and looking at the glistening, icy surface of its south pole,
而土卫二南极表面虽被冰层覆盖
Enceladus seems like a peaceful world.
看起来宁静如常
Then suddenly, without warning,
突然毫无征兆地
gargantuan geysers of water and ice
从地表裂缝中
eject from cracks on its surface.
喷射出大量水和冰
Enceladus is a fantastic moon of Saturn.
土卫二是土星一个奇妙的卫星
Though it's relatively small,
虽然体积很小
Enceladus is different from the volcanism that's here on Earth
但其火山活动与地球毫不相同
where hot magma, which is basically molten rock,
地球上的火山从地下喷射出
comes out from underneath Earth's surface.
熔融岩石形成的炽热岩浆
Enceladus has water, basically, liquid water
土卫二喷射出的基本都是液态水
coming out and freezing
喷射出后即冻结成冰
and so it's called Cryovolcanism.
因此也称之为冰♥火♥山
The Cassini spacecraft flies directly
卡西尼号♥宇宙飞船
through the energetic plumes that blast hundreds of miles into space
以1400英里时速穿过高达几百英里的
at 1,400 miles per hour.
喷射水柱
Enceladus has really caught our imagination recently
土卫二着实吸引住了我们关注
because we see geysers coming out of the south pole.
虽然卫星南极间歇冰泉非常普遍
We haven't seen anything like that
但在太阳系外♥围♥ 我们还从未
on any of the icy moons in the outer Solar System.
在任何冰化卫星上发现此现象
So something is going on in Enceladus,
土卫二非常奇特
and it's active and we want to know why.
我们想探究它如此活跃的原因
Scientists have counted at least 30 geyser jets
科学家计算得出土卫二南极
spouting from narrow geological fractures called Tiger Stripes
"老虎条纹"地质裂缝中
located along Enceladus' south polar region.
存在至少30处间歇冰泉
A new infrared map of the area
最新红外扫描地图显示
reveals warm surface temperatures.
此区域地表温度极高
The heat emanating from the Tiger Stripes
从地底喷射出的水蒸汽
may be due to the upwelling of water vapor that propels the jets.
使"老虎条纹"常年保持高温
One of the few other places to witness truly fascinating wonder,
有类似奇观的地方就是
is on Earth.
地球
At a freshly groomed ski slope
在撒雪堆积的滑雪坡
or on a movie set.
或是电影拍摄场地
Look at this snowmaking machine.
看看这台造雪机器
It's like a geyser from Enceladus.
就像土卫二上的间歇冰泉
All these ice particles and water droplets
喷出的冰粒和水珠
freeze when they encounter that outside air,
遇到外界空气后冻结成冰
and the expanding gases also help cool the dropls
膨胀的气体也会使水珠冷却
and freeze them.
最后冻结成冰
In the case of Enceladus,
在土卫二上
heated liquid water in a cauldron below the surface
液态水在地底空间内加热
goes squirting out through some vents in the south polar region.
随后从南极火山口喷涌而出
And when that water comes out
水喷射出来
and encounters the cold surrounding space
进入外界低温环境
it freezes, forming snowflakes and ice particles,
就会冻结形成雪花和冰粒
much like the ones coming out of this snowmaking machine.
就像这些造雪机造出来的雪一样
So wow, I might as well be on Enceladus right now.
所以我现在就像在土卫二上一样
Scientists think there must be two internal heat sources
科学家认为土卫二上有2个内部热源
driving this icy volcanism on Enceladus.
才会形成这种冰♥火♥山
One source could be radioactive elements
第一个热源是放射性元素
that decay and heat up the interior,
其衰变后会加热内部温度
thereby keeping the water in a liquid state.
从而保持水的液体形态
The second could be tidal heating.
第二个就是潮汐加热
Suppose Enceladus is like this squishy balloon.
假设土卫二就像这个气球
Now Enceladus orbits Saturn in a slightly elliptical,
土卫二以椭圆偏心轨道
eccentric orbit.
围绕土星运动
So sometimes it's closer to Saturn,
有时离土星较近
sometimes it's farther away.
有时离土星较远
When it's close to Saturn,
当距离较近时
Saturn's gravitational pull
土星的引力
creates a greater tidal stretching of Enceladus
对土卫二形成潮汐引力作用
than when Enceladus is farther away.
距离较远时就不会有这种现象
That leads to a rubbing
潮汐引力作用
of the interior materials
使卫星内部失去平衡
and a release of energy.
因此释放出能量
This tidal friction, as it's called,
这种潮汐力
helps melt the interior of Enceladus
促使土卫二内部融化
and keep the water in this molten or partly molten state.
从而使水保持液态或半液体形态
One mystery is,
另一个未解之谜
how much water actually exists beneath the surface.
就是土卫二地表下储存有多少水
Could the miniature moon
这个小型卫星下
be hiding an underground ocean?
会不会隐藏着一个海洋
We infer that there is a liquid ocean
我们推断地下有一个液态海洋
because there needs to be a source of water to power these geysers.
因为间歇性冰泉必须要有水源
The ocean may not extend
海洋可能没有遍布
under the entire globe of Enceladus.
整个土卫二的内部
It may be just beneath these regions where the geysers are going off,
可能只存在于间歇冰泉所在的区域
but there has to be
但肯定的是
a significant reservoir of liquid water
土卫二冰层下应存在
beneath the surface of Enceladus.
一个重要的"地下水库"
If liquid water exists beneath the surface,
如果土卫二地表下真的存在液态水
It could be teeming with organic molecules.
其中可能蕴含着大量有机分子
These, along with relatively warm temperatures,
有机分子以及适宜温度
are the essential ingredients for creating life.
都是创造生命的重要因素
It would be incredible
如果能在土卫二地表下