宇宙（2007）

The Universe S05E02

Part 2 April 22, 2021, 1:48 p.m.

and when light interacts with it,
当光与之作用时
it reemits that light in a very specific way
它会以一种特有的方式
that's characteristic to that given element
将光反射回来
and so that's telling you what things made of
因此只需观察元素反射的光
by just looking at the light they emit.
就可以知道元素的组成了
It's similar to the way the human ear
这与人耳能分辨
can pick out specific vibrations.
特定的震动是同一个道理
Some notes boom out
一些音符声音洪亮
other notes are not so loud.
另一些音符却很低沉
In much the same way,
同理
spectroscopists are interested in
光谱学家对于筛选
selecting out those particular lines.
那些特定的光线非常感兴趣
The surveyor spacecraft,
勘探者太空船偶然发现了
hits spectrographic paydirt:
可反射光线的矿土
hematite, a combination of iron and oxygen.
赤铁矿一种铁与氧的化合物
Hematite shows that
其存在表明
ancient Mars could have had flowing water
远古时代的火星可能有液态水存在
because the mineral is also found on Earth,
因为这种矿物在地球上也有
in environments that once interacted with liquid water.
就存在于曾有液态水作用的环境下
These round rocks from Utah,
这些圆石来自犹他州
they formed in a sandstone
它们是在砂岩中形成的
by fluid water flowing inside the pores of the rock
液态水从岩石中的小孔流过
and moving iron around
带来了铁元素
so that the iron actually
这事实上是铁元素
cements together these little spheres
将小球粘合成型的
and the ones on Mars are quite
火星上发现的小球
a bit smaller than these,
要比这个小的多
but they're thought to form the same way.
但形成的过程应该是相同的
The Surveyor's mission is over,
勘探者号♥的任务结束了
but today,
如今
five probes are taking pictures and measurements of Mars.
有5个探测器在对火星进行拍照及测量
Europe's Mars Express
欧洲航♥天♥局的火星快车探测器
circumnavigates the equator;
环绕着火星的赤道航行
NASA's Mars Odyssey
美国宇航局的火星奥德赛
and the more a recent Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
还有更加现代化的火星探测轨道卫星
or MRO,
简称MRO
soar over the poles.
在两个极点上方遨游着
Meanwhile, two robot rovers
同时两台机器人探测器
explore the surface,
负责表层探测
seeking evidence of ancient water in the rocks.
寻找岩石中古代水的痕迹
Spirit is in a very highly, rocky, dusty,
勇气号♥在一个高海拔岩石满布的
rugged kind of place.
崎岖不平的地方
It's very sort of reddish and bright
看探测器发回的照片就会发现
when you see the picture from that rover.
那里有些泛红并且很明亮
Opportunity on the other side of the planet
机遇号♥在火星的另一面
is in a very flat place, darker,
那是个平坦阴暗
more kind of chocolaty brown color
颜色更接近巧克力棕色
than a reddish color.
而不是红色
In the spring of 2008,
在2008年春季
the five probes are joined by a sixth.
探测器队伍又添新成员
Lift off.
发射
NASA's Phoenix Lander.
美国宇航局的凤♥凰♥号♥探测器
May 25, 2008.
2008年5月25日
As anxcious men and women on Earth
身处地球的人们正焦急地
watch their monitors,
注视着他们的监视器
the Phoenix Lander ends
凤♥凰♥号♥探测器结束了
a nine-month space journey,
为期九个月的太空旅程
flaming through Martian atmosphere
以12500英里的时速
at 12,500 miles an hour.
燃烧着穿过了火星的大气层
We taught that baby to fly,
我们让这个宝贝飞翔
you know, we give him all the wisdom
我们给予它智慧
and now, we have to let it go
现在我们要放飞它
and do the job.
让它完成使命
Any landing on Mars is incredibly difficult
火星登陆异常困难
and the chaos happens within six or seven minutes,
混沌状态就发生在6至7分钟之内
from the top of the atmosphere to the surface.
从大气层顶端到火星表面
We call it seven minutes of terror.
我们称之为恐怖七分钟
That's how much time Phoenix has
凤♥凰♥号♥必须在此时间内
to cut its decent speed from 12,500 miles an hour to five.
把时速从12500英里降至5英里
If not, Mars will
如果失败火星
have one more impact crater.
又会多一个环形山了
Years of effort is being tested,
多年努力终于等到了
whether it's gonna happen or not.
检验成果的时刻
The parachute deplpoys,
降落伞的展开过程
caught live by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
被火星轨道探测器拍了下来
Thrusters slow the plummet
推进器使其减速
for a near-perfect landing
近乎完美地
near Mars north pole.
在火星北极点附近降落
Touch down, signal detected.
着陆信♥号♥♥检测正常
Phoenix will search for frozen water under the surface,
凤♥凰♥号♥将负责搜索地表下的凝结水
but it has already found more than was expected?
但是它能比预期有更多的发现吗
A phothgraph of one of lander legs
一幅照片中探测器的一个支架上
seems to show something that should not be there.
似乎有些本不该出现在那的东西
There is new evidence that
这个新证据能够证明
Mars could once have supported life.
火星可能曾有生命存在
Mimineral deposits show
矿床显示
that water once flowed on the surface.
地表曾有水流过
NASA scientists look for
美国宇航局的科学家们
evidence of water wherever
在火星上寻找着任何
they can find it on Mars,
能证明水寻在的证据
but in the spring of 2008,
但是在2008年春
they may have found it
他们在一个意想不到的地方
in an unexpected place.
发现了可能的证据
The Phoenix Lander,
凤♥凰♥号♥探测器
newly arrived near Mars' north pole,
重新到达火星北极点时
has something strange
在它的一个支架上
on one of its legs.
出现了一些奇怪的东西
Some colleagues think that those are water droplets
一些同事认为那是在火星特有的
forming in that environment,
环境下形成的小水滴
which is a little curious
这有点奇怪
because it's very cold.
因为火星上温度很低
It's not at all obvious that
水在那里
water should be stable there,
很难稳定
but it could be really salty, could be briny,
但它有可能是咸的可能是海水
and so it has a lower melting point.
所以它的熔点更低
That's possible.
这是有可能的
I don't know what the blop of water on the
我不知道在凤♥凰♥号♥探测器
Phoenix Lander leg was,
支架上的水的构成
or the thing that looked like that.
或者是否有相类似的物质
Scientists are split and
科学家们各抒己见
internet blogs run wild with speculation,
网上的博客开始大肆猜测
but in the end, it's all speculation.
但是最后所有都只是猜测
The unfortunate thing is
不幸的是
the data that we have are really kind of fuzzy.
我们现有的数据实在有些模糊
We're at the limit of resolution.
我们的解决方案很有限
You really wanna go up there and
真是恨不得亲自上去
take a much better picture of it.
拍张更好的照片
but it may ultimately
这可能最终
be a question that can't be answered.
成为一个没有答案的问题
Although the droplets on its leg
尽管到现在支架上的
remain a mystery to this day,
水滴仍是个谜
when Phoenix's robot arm
当凤♥凰♥号♥机械手臂
digs two inches under the Martian surface,
在火星表面挖出2英尺后
it confirms a prediction,
证实了一个预测
as it hits hard icy soil,
因为它挖掘到了冻土
containing frozen water.
当中含有凝结水
Mars Odssey predicted that Phoenix would
火星奥德赛预测凤♥凰♥号♥
land on icy soil, with a little bit of dust on top.
会在少许灰尘覆盖的冻土上着陆
Phoenix went, touched it.
凤♥凰♥号♥到达了找到了冻土
We got anonther key part of planetary science
我们得到了行星学的另一个重要部分