The Hubble

The Hubble

When most people think of space, what comes to mind are names like 1)John Glenn and Neil Armstrong. When scientists think about space, the name that comes to mind is Hubble, a space telescope we sent on a twenty-year journey to explore the 2)origins of the universe. It's already being called the most scientifically significant space project we ever 3)embarked on. Taking pictures of the universe that literally 2 let you and me and everyone else look back in time and see what the universe looked like 13 billion years ago.

The images are like nothing ever seen before, as much art as science, visions of a universe more violent and fantastic than anyone had dared to imagine. Everything from razor-sharp views of the planets in our own 4)solar system, to the vast stellar nurseries where stars and planets are born. Some show us the 5)explosive 6)outbursts of dying 7)suns, others the 8)swirling 3 9)masses of stars that make up the 10)galaxies 4. But Hubble isn't just giving us extraordinary pictures, it's helping 5 astronomers 6 unlock the secrets of the universe. 

Morgan: You know, people have been wondering about how the universe began probably since the caveman, right. The caveman wandered out, looked up and saw those little dots of lights, and he had no clue.

Dr. Bruce Morgan is the Associate Director for Science For The Hubble Space Telescope. 

Morgan: Generations of humans have gone by with absolutely no clue about how the universe started. When my father went to school, no matter how smart he was or how smart his teachers were, nobody had a clue how old was the universe, how were 11)atoms made, how are stars formed. No one knew.

The Hubble space telescope is the size of a 12)greyhound bus, it weighs ten tons and flies 400 miles above the earth, moving five miles a second. Its cameras and scientific instruments are so 13)sophisticated that they can capture light that began traveling through space more than 13 billion years ago. By the time that light finally enters the telescope and is transformed into an image, the picture it shows is of the universe as it was back when the light began its journey in the unimaginably distant past, in effect turning the telescope into a time machine. 

Dr. Mario Livio is the head of the science division for the Hubble space telescope. 

Livio: When we look back in time, using Hubble, we can see the universe, how it looked when it was less than a billion years old. And we can see what galaxies looked back then, when they were the building blocks of today's galaxies.

But why is knowing this important today?

Livio: Because we want to understand our origins. I mean, it's a very 14)fundamental thing. 

一只望远镜的革命

很多人想到太空时，首先在脑海中出现的名字不是约翰·格林就是尼尔·阿姆斯特朗。而当科学家想到太空时，他们脑海中出现的是哈勃太空望远镜。二十年来哈勃望远镜一直在为我们探索宇宙的起源之谜，它被称为是人类所进行的最具科学意义的太空项目。从它拍摄的宇宙照片上，我们每人都能回顾到宇宙在130亿年前的模样。

    照片所展示出的图像是我们前所未见的：科学犹如艺术，宇宙图像比任何人所敢想的还要更火烈、更奇异。照片内容包罗万象，有太阳系各行星的精彩绝伦的景致，也有孕育出星球、行星的巨大恒星。一些图片展现了恒星毁灭前大爆炸的情景，还有一些展现了组成银河的群星星云。但是哈勃望远镜不只为我们提供了优秀的图片，它还帮助天文学家去解开宇宙的奥秘。

摩根：人类可能从穴居时候起就一直在猜测宇宙是怎样开始的。穴居人走到野外，抬头看天，看到星星点点的光，茫然一片，空无头绪。

布鲁斯·摩根博士是哈勃太空望远镜科学研究所的副主任。

摩根：多少代人以来都不知道宇宙是怎样开始的。当年我父亲读书的时候，且不论他有多聪明和他老师有多聪明，谁也不知道宇宙的年龄，原子是怎样产生的，星星是怎样产生的。谁也不知道。

哈勃太空望远镜的大小和灰狗巴士差不多，重达10吨，在地球400英里高空上飞行，每秒钟移动5英里。它的镜头和科学设备实在太精密了，连130亿年前太空中的光线也能捕捉得到。当光线最终进入望远镜里转成图像后，图片上能看到宇宙的从前，光线在无法想像的遥远过去开始旅行的情景。从效果上说，哈勃就是一架时光机器。

马里奥·里维奥是哈勃太空望远镜科学部的部长。

里维奥：我们用哈勃望远镜回顾过去，能看到宇宙在差不多十亿年前的样子。我们也可以看到当年的银河，看到它们怎样演化成今天的银河。

但是为什么知道这些对今天意义重大呢？

里维奥：因为我们想知道自己的起源。我的意思是，那是人之本啊。

注释:

1) John Glenn和Neil Armstrong都是美国第一批登月的宇航员。

2) origin [5CridVin] n. 起源，由来

3) embark 1 on 从事，着手

4) solar system 太阳系

5) explosive [iks5plEusiv] a. 爆炸的

6) outburst [5autbE:st] n. 爆发

7) sun [sQn] n. 太阳，有卫星的恒星

8) swirling [5swE:liN]n. 旋涡，涡流

9) mass [mAs] n. 大量

10) galaxy 7 [5^AlEksi] n. 星系，银河

11) atom [5AtEm] n. 原子

12) greyhound [5^reihaund] n. 灰狗，快速船

13) sophisticated [sE5fistikeitid] a. （武器）很复杂的，高尖的

14) fundamental [7fQndE5mentl] a. 基础的，基本的