哈勃 Hubble.
开启我们了解宇宙奥秘的标志性望远镜 The iconic telescope that's opened our eyes to the secrets of the universe
拓展了我们关于星系命运的认知 Expanding our understanding about the fate of galaxies...
向我们展示了我们以前从来未知的巨大力量 And introducing us to massive forces we never even knew existed.
这是哈勃观测到的令人惊叹的宇宙... This is Hubble's amazing universe...
这个最著名的望远镜从未在地球上运行 The most celebrated telescope on earth never touches the planet.
哈勃太空望远镜运行在地球上空大约650公里的轨道 Hubble Space Telescope orbits nearly 650 kilometers above the earth,
每97分钟环绕地球一周 racing around the globe every 97 minutes
它强大的镜片视野看到了所有的一切 Its powerful mirror sees it all.
从恒星工厂产生的新世界 Soaring star factories where new worlds are made.
到猛烈爆炸的恒星 The violence of exploding stars.
再到黑洞上的新生光线 And a new light on black holes.
哈勃是解开宇宙某些巨大奥秘的钥匙 Hubble is the key that has unlocked some of the greatest mysteries of the universe.
但是现在这个望远镜正处在失效的危险中 But now, the telescope is in danger of being lost forever.
关键部位停止了工作 Crucial instruments have broken down.
主摄影机和名叫光谱摄制仪的光谱分解设备不再管用 A main camera and light-splitting device called a spectrograph no longer function
保持哈勃正确导向的纵舵调整器失灵 Gyroscopes that keep Hubble properly oriented in space are failing.
最糟糕的是，哈勃在下坠 Worst of all, Hubble is falling.
这个和一辆学校大巴一样重12吨的望远镜 The 12 ton telescope,as big as a school bus,
正在慢慢旋转着坠向地球 is slowly spiralling toward the earth.
我们是让哈勃能幸存的唯一希望 We are Hubble's only chance for survival,
但修复它的过程会很危险 but a mission to save the telescope can be perilous.
我不知道我该不该让宇航员冒生命危险去修复哈勃 I don't know if I could ask an astronaut to risk his or her life to go up to fix Hubble.
那是个很艰难的选择 That is a, you know,it's a tough personal choice.
不过你要问宇航员，他们会毫不犹豫的去 But if you ask the astronauts,they do not even hesitate.
宇航员 约翰 格朗斯费尔德 Astronaut, John Grunsfeld,
被指派乘航天飞机对哈勃进行最后一次维修 was assigned to the space shuttle's final servicing mission to Hubble
航天飞天在2008年10月发射升空 that launches in October 2008.
2,1，发射 2, 1 and lift off...
维修哈勃应该是有风险的 Going to Hubble is a calculated risk.
外太空出舱本来就很危险 Space flight is risky by any means.
那么按情况 So in the scheme of things,
我得做出决定 this is something that I have determined
于是我代表我的家庭决定为此去冒一下生命危险 and on behalf of my family,that it's worth risking my life for.
为什么一架如此老化的望远镜 Why is an aging telescope
使用都快20年了值得冒这么大危险去维修呢？ that's nearly reached its 20 year life expectancy worth the risk?
因为哈勃一直让我们惊喜不已， Because Hubble continues to astound us
从1990年发射升空后，它一直向我们展现我们宇宙的方方面面 with surprising details about our universe as it has since its 1990 launch.
天文学家们一直想知道象太阳一样的恒星到底来自何方 Astronomers have long wondered where stars like our sun come from.
杰夫 海斯特 亚利桑那州立大学 Jeff Hester of Arizona State University
他知道气体云和尘埃演化出了恒星 knows that stars evolve from clouds of gas and dust.
他想知道的是这些星云到底是如何演化成恒星的 What he hopes to discover is how these clouds give life to stars.
天文学家觉得老鹰星云也许能提供线索 Astronomers suspected that the Eagle Nebula might provide clues,
但即使地面最强大的望远镜也无法拍出清晰的图 but even the most powerful earth-bound telescopes couldn't get a clear view.
1995年春 Spring, 1995.
海斯特将哈勃太空望远镜对准老鹰星云 Hester aims Hubble Space Telescope toward the Eagle Nebula.
等他看到从哈勃下载的图后，他几乎不能相信自己的眼睛 As he downloads his images from Hubble,Hester can hardly believe his eyes.
这是哈勃拍摄的老鹰星云的第一张图 This is Hubble's first picture of the Eagle Nebula,
离地球6500光年 some 6,500 light-years away.
那有3个由气体和尘埃组成的巨型柱子 It shows three gigantic pillars made of gas and dust.
左边的柱子大约有4光年高 The tower on the left is about 4 light-years tall.
让柱子拥有如此外观的是--- What gives them their shape is the fact
离柱子非常近，质量极度巨大，极其明亮， that fairly nearby there are some very, very massive, very luminous,
也极其炙热的许多恒星；这些恒星释放出巨量的紫外辐射， very hot stars that are dumping out huge amounts of ultraviolet radiation.
塑造出了它们周边的景象。 And it's sculpting the surroundings.
这些空间巨柱从来没有被揭示的如此清晰 These celestial pillars have never been revealed in such stunning detail.
有史来第一次， For the first time,
科学家们知道了这些巨柱每一个都是由许多小气团拼凑而成。 scientists see that each pillar is dotted with small clumps of gas.
这些气团会是我们寻找的恒星诞生的缺失环节吗？ Could such clumps be a missing link in the birth of stars?
海斯特将这些气团称作蒸发性气体团状物 Hester calls the clumps,Evaporating Gaseous Globules.
简称EGGs EGGs, for short.
图象显示一些EGGs的内部形成的是胚胎阶段的恒星 The image reveals that forming inside some of the EGGs are embryonic stars.
我们看到的是天体正在形成阶段的图片， What we are looking at is a snapshot of a very dynamic process.
是正在经历变化的天体的图片 A snapshot of something that's changing.
做为变化的一部分， As part of that change,
就是下一代的恒星正在形成 you know,a next generation of stars is emerging
举个例子，你看到的那个小红点实际上是个恒星 This one for example, you can see the little red dot in there which actually is the star.
那真非常美的一个恒星， And that one is an especially nice one,
恒星处于EGGs的顶端已经说明了它的来历 where the star at the tip of the EGG is actually pronounced.
在图片里，EGGs都显的很小 In the photograph,the EGGs appear small.
其实任何一个EGGs里把我们的太阳系放进去都绰绰有余 But our entire solar system could fit comfortably inside each one.
这些炙热的气团是恒星形成的初始阶段 These hot clumps of gas are the first stage of the formation of a star.
气团所处的巨柱应该称做--- And the towers where they hang are rightfully called,
---“创始之柱” "The Pillars of Creation".
哈勃拍的老鹰星云图片 Hubble's image of the Eagle Nebula
向我们展示了恒星产生的初始阶段 shows us an early stage in the creation of stars.
但是没有展示出初始阶段的下一阶段--- What it doesn't show is the next stage.
---恒星是如何从EGGs演化出来的 How stars hatch from EGGs.
答案来自于哈勃1994年捕捉到的图片 That answer came from images Hubble captured in 1994.
来自于离地球1500光年的猎户座星云 Some 1,500 light-years away from Earth lies the Orion Nebula.
象老鹰星云一样，猎户座星云也是恒星的产生地 Like the Eagle Nebula, Orion is a birthplace of stars.
当科学家们仔细的察看了这些图片后，他们发现了一些小黑点 When scientists closely examined this image, they discover tiny dark spots
那是由EGGs刚刚演化出来的扁平的碟状气体、尘埃点 Flattened discs of gas and dust spots created by recently hatched EGGs.
这些点被称做“原生行星碟状物” The spots are called proto-planetary discs.
简称“原星碟” Proplyds, for short.
炙热、桔黄色的气团在“原星碟”的中央 The warm, orange clump in the center
将周边松散的物质拉进来， pulls in loose material from the surrounding disc.
并向气团中央挤压物质， This squeezes the matter in the center of the clump.
压力越来越大 The pressure grows.
气团的温度也越来越高 The clump heats up.
最终，越来越高的温度触发了核子反应 Eventually it will become so hot that it triggers nuclear fusion.
就这样，一颗恒星就诞生了 And, a star is born.
核反应发出的热和辐射引发了恒星风 Heat and radiation from the nuclear fusion generates a stellar wind,
将“原星碟”中的大部分松散物质吹走 sweeping away most of the loose matter in the disc.
但是有些松散物质却依然停留在新生恒星的周边轨道上 But some of this loose matter remains in orbit around the newborn star
随着时间推移，这些残留物结合在一起形成一些团状物 Over time, the debris gathers into more knots and clumps,
成长并演化成行星 growing and evolving, into a planet.
如果你回到45亿年前， It really is the case that if you could go back 4 1/2 billion years ago,
观看太阳和太阳系的形成， and look at the formation of the sun and the solar system,
你将看到和上述情形一样的状态。 that it would be that kind of an environment that you would find us in
哈勃向我们展示了一个新的星系的起源过程 Hubble has shown us the genesis of a new solar system
回答了我们一个古老的问题：我们的星球--- and answered an age-old question of how our own star,
---太阳、地球是如何形成的 the Sun, and our Earth, came into existence.
除了老鹰和猎户座星云 Beyond the Eagle and Orion Nebulae,
银河里存在更大的恒星生成区域 even larger star forming regions lie within the plane of the Milky Way.
科学家们猜想---在这些遥远的区域，恒星生命过程是否也是一样的 Scientists wonder if the life cycle of stars is the same in these distant regions.
2005年3月 In March 2005,
哈勃开始传送一个新区域的图片--- Hubble began relaying images of a new target.
---船底星云 The Carina Nebula,
宇宙中最大的恒星形成区域之一 one of the largest star-forming regions in the sky.
但是哈勃传送回来的原始图像数据却不是我们现在看到的这样 But the raw data sent by Hubble looks nothing like this.
图片处理技术帮助科学家们解决了原始数据的问题 Creating images that help scientists unlock the mysteries with this data,
帮助来自于图像专家---佐特 李维 falls to imaging expert, Zolt Levay.
我对这幅图像怀有深厚的感情， I have emotional attachment to that image
不仅仅因为它美学上的价值， not only because of its asthetic value,
还因为我在它上面花费了大量时间。 but because of the amount of time I spent on it.
哈勃传送来的图像数据是黑白的 Picture data comes in from Hubble in black and white.
李维给图片配上了颜色 Levay assigns colors to these images
根据哈勃上的器械探测到的化学元素成分， according to the chemical elements detected by Hubble's instruments.
蓝色代表氧， Blue shows oxygen.
红色代表硫磺， Red shows sulphur.
绿色代表氢。 And green is hydrogen.
处理图片大概花了李维一年时间， Levay works for about a year
做出的图片由48块区域拼凑而成。 to produce the full mosaic out of 48 separate pictures.
哈勃拍摄的船底座星云有50光年宽 Hubble's image of Carina shows a region over 50 light-years across.
这里也有EGGs，终有一天会演化成行星环绕的恒星 Here too are the EGGs that will one day become stars encircled by planets.
在数以千计的新生恒星中潜藏着一个意外惊喜， Among the thousands of newborn stars lurks a surprise.
在船底座星云云雾遮挠的中心， Within the cloudy halls of Carina,
哈勃探测到一个正在死亡的巨型恒星。 Hubble detects the death throes of a massive star.
对科学家来说， For scientists,
观测一个濒死的恒星是了解我们太阳系的未来的机会。 a dying star is an opportunity to see the future of our own solar system.
哈勃图片显示气态外壳向墓碑一样包裹着濒死的恒星 What these Hubble images show are shells of gas that serve as tombstones.
表面的沉静是假象 Their quiet beauty is deceptive.
这些彩色外壳是恒星的外层，就象我们的太阳一样 These walls of color are the outer layers of a star much like our sun.
当恒星的能量耗尽，它的外层就会开始扩展 As a star runs out of fuel, these layers expand,
直至恒星的重力无法吸引住它们 until the gravity of the star can no longer hold them.
最终，它们被释放至太空中 Eventually, they are released into space
在2004年 In 2004,
哈勃捕捉的一张图片让我们知道了我们的最终宿命 Hubble captures an image that gives us a glimpse of our eventual demise.
在旋状星云， The Helix Nebula.
当一颗恒星的外层扩展后， As these outer layers of a star expand,
只留下中心由固体氧和碳构成的炙热的球体 they leave behind a searing hot ball of solidified oxygen and carbon,
天文学家称其为“白矮星” astronomers call a "white dwarf".
早晚有一天，太阳也会发生同样的事 Someday, the same thing will happen to our own sun.
太阳也会耗尽能量， The sun will run out of fuel
然后太阳扩展成为一颗“红巨星”， and that will cause it to expand into a giant red star.
那对我们来说可真是个坏消息， That's bad news for our world.
到时地球表面的温度会超过1000度， The temperature on the surface of our planet will rise over a thousand degrees
地球上所有的生命都会灭亡， All life on earth will perish.
炙热的气体会在席卷整个地球、 A wall of hot gas will sweep over the earth,
整个太阳系后进入太空， through our solar system, and into space.
在其扩展路径上的所有行星和卫星都会被烤焦， Every planet and moon in its path will be incinerated.
太阳能留下的唯一印记， The only thing left of our Sun will be a splash of color
将会在数千光年以外的地方被看到， visible from thousands of light-years away.
就象这样。 Like this.
人类由此得到了警示 So the human race has its warning.
我们还有50亿年的时间来逃离太阳系 We have 5 billion years to clear out of town.
不过太阳死亡的可怕还无法与一些更大质量的恒星相比 But even the death of our own sun hardly compares to a more powerful downfall.
一些恒星的质量要比太阳大几百倍 Some stars are over a hundred times more massive than our sun.
恒星质量越大，寿命越短，死亡时的变化也更狂暴 The bigger the star, the shorter its life, and the more violent its death.
大质量恒星死亡时会爆炸成一个巨型火球，叫做“超新星” These stars explode in a massive fireball called a supernova.
不是每一种恒星都会爆炸成“超新星” Not every kind of star can explode as a supernova.
太阳就不行，因为太阳的能量不够大 The sun can't for example. It just lacks the oomph.
太阳的质量不足以让其--- It doesn't have the mass that you need to be able to get
---内核发生爆炸而成为“超新星” what happens in the core to make a star blow up.
但是银河系里有一大堆恒星绝对可以爆炸成“超新星”的 There are a handful of stars in the galaxy that are definitely capable of doing this.
每个恒星都在小心的保持着其内部重力的牵引力--- Every star is carefully balanced between the inward pull of its gravity
---和其核聚变产生的热张力之间的平衡。 and the outward pressure of the heat it generates from nuclear fusion.
当恒星的能量耗尽，热张力消失 When it runs out of fuel, the pressure needed for balance is gone
重力就开始主导一切 Gravity now reigns supreme.
恒星就会向内塌陷、爆炸 The star caves in and explodes.
“超新星”爆炸的狂暴力量会毁灭它周围的一切，包括恒星 The full fury of a supernova destroys the star and everything around it.
如果爆炸的“超新星”越地球不远， If the star was near enough to Earth,
致命的伽马射线和X射线就会向我们席卷而来， a wave of deadly Gama and X-rays would flood toward us,
使我们的卫星通讯中断，并让全球电力中断 it could knock out satellite communications and cause global power outages.
实际上，已经有一颗巨型恒星在银河系爆炸过 In fact, one such giant star has already exploded in our own galaxy
哈勃记录下了爆炸后的景象 Hubble Space Telescope recorded an image of the aftermath.
蟹状星云就是“超新星”爆炸的受害者 The Crab Nebula is the expanding wreckage from a supernova
那次爆炸发生在公元1054年 that occurred in the year 1054.
那次“超新星”爆炸被中国古代天文学家记录了下来 The explosion of the supernova was recorded by Chinese astronomers,
所以我们才能知道爆炸是在何时发生的 so we know exactly when the explosion was.
那个有上千年历史的“超新星”爆炸的残留物 The expanding debris from this thousand year-old supernova
至今还在以5百万公里/小时的速度向太空中飞散 is still moving into space at about 5 million kilometers per hour
不过哈勃的图像不光是远古历史的快照 But the image is more than just a snapshot of ancient history.
对于科学家来说 For scientists,
这种相互关联、往复循环的结构也是生命的本质 the inter-connected web-like filaments offer a clue as to the nature of life itself.
产生生命的基本元素也在恒星的中心部位产生了 The basic elements needed to create life are formed in the heart of stars.
当恒星爆炸时， When stars explode,
这些基础元素会散落于宇宙之中 these fundamental elements are scattered throughout the universe,
并在遥远的星云中播下产生新恒星和新生命的种子 seeding distant nebula clouds which give birth to new planets and new life
你身体中的血色素在你流血是会显现出红色 The hemoglobin in your blood, when you bleed and it's red,
那是因为血液中充满了氧元素--- that red color is due to oxygen,
---和铁元素，正是“超新星”造就了这些元素 and is due to iron that is in your blood that was created in a supernova.
你的结婚戒指中的黄金是由“超新星”产生的 The gold on your wedding ring is created in a supernova.
你骨头中的钙也是由“超新星”产生的 The calcium in your bones was created in a supernova.
我们已经了解了不少宇宙中恒星死亡时的事情 And so we learn so much about the universe itself when these stars die
哈勃现在正在科学家们提供最后的学习机会， Hubble is giving scientists the ultimate learning experience
通过观测一个特殊的恒星 by monitoring one particular star,
船底座星云7号星 Eta Carina, back in the Carina Nebula.
这颗恒星有点神秘 This is a star that is a bit of a mystery.
它的质量大概是太阳的100倍 It appears to have about a hundred times the mass of the sun
这是恒星质量的上限 and that is the upper limit.
恒星质量越大，其温度也越高 The more massive a star is, the hotter it is,
这颗恒星的表面温度高到 and the surface of the star is so hot,
甚至其难以掌控自身的气体 that it can't even hold its own gas.
它不断的爆出气体流 It's constantly blowing off a stream of gas.
10多年来， For over a decade,
哈勃拍摄了一系列关于船底座7号星的图片 Hubble creates a series of photos of Eta Carina.
图片显示---2个巨大的超高温气体流 The photos show two enormous lobes of superheated gas
由恒星的表面喷射而出 erupting from the surface.
虽然船底座7号星是一颗年轻的恒星 Although Eta Carina is a young star,
但是它巨大的质量使其非常不稳定 its huge mass makes it unstable.
这颗恒星不会存在太久了 This star will not survive for long.
船底座7号是极少数我们能指着它说： Eta Carina is one of the very few stars that we can point at and say,
“啊，这颗恒星快爆灭了。” "Yeah, that one's gonna go."
当船底座7号爆灭时， When Eta Carina goes,
它会成为有史以来最具破坏性的“超新星”之一 it will become one of the most devastating supernovae ever recorded.
当我们看到它爆炸的光的时候， When the light from the explosion reaches us,
那将是一种极其特别的景象 it will be an extraordinary sight.
它的亮度将和满月的亮度差不多 It will be almost as bright as the full moon.
它的爆炸光将会在天空汇集成一个小亮点 All that light concentrated into a point of light in our sky.
如果在夜间，它的光亮会投射出影子 It will cast shadows at night.
这场烟火大戏将会在它耗尽了自身能量后发生 The fireworks will begin when the star runs out of fuel.
这颗巨型恒星将会在几秒内被毁灭 The gigantic star will destroy itself in just a few seconds.
恒星的内核将承受爆炸的全部能量 The core of the exploding star will bear the full brunt of the catastrophe.
那时候 When that happens,
它会在太空中留下一个特别的现象--- it will leave behind one outer space phenomenon
---一个长久以来引起天文学家无尽想象的现象--- that has long captured the imagination of stargazers...
---黑洞 A black hole.
神秘的黑洞现象 The mysterious black hole phenomenon
来自于剧烈的、巨量的“超新星”爆炸 is the product of the violent and powerful explosion of a supernova
至少在理论中是这样 At least in theory.
在有哈勃望远镜之前 Before Hubble,
没有确实的证据能证明黑洞真的存在 there was no conclusive proof that black holes existed at all.
现在黑洞的理论 The modern concept of a black hole
来自于爱因斯坦的广义相对论--- comes from Einstein's theory of general relativity.
---如果你获取了物质 If you take matter
然后使其拥有足够的质量和密度 and you make it massive enough, dense enough,
那么它的重力就会大到 the gravity will be so strong,
创造一个连光都不能逃离出去的区域 that you will create a region of space that light can't get out of.
真的是在太空中制造出了一个洞 It truly does make a hole in space.
你不能进去，进去了就不可能出来 You can get into it, you can't get out of it.
有点象是个太空中的捕虾器 Sort of like a cosmic lobster trap.
根据爱因斯坦的理论 According to Einstein,
黑洞是由非常巨大的恒星演化而来 a black hole begins with a very large star.
这颗恒星要至少比太阳大4倍 It must be at least four times bigger than our sun.
黑洞是很简单的理论 A black hole is a simple thing.
一个巨型物质缩变得其极小 It is a hunk of matter which somehow has gotten so small
围绕它的重力场 that the gravitational field right around it
力度强到连光都无法逃脱其重力 is so strong that light cannot escape from it.
就算这个物质试图散发辐射，光子也会被重力拉回来 So even if it tried to emit radiation, the photons would fall back.
它们会被黑洞的重力吸引回去 They would be sucked back by the gravity of the black hole,
于是你就无法看到这个超重力物质 and it would look invisible.
在“超新星”爆炸过程中 During the blast of a supernova,
恒星的内核会塌陷成一个小点 the inner core of a star collapses into a single point.
比针头还小的点 Smaller than a pinhead.
天文学家将这个小点称做“独点” Astronomers call this single point, a "singularity".
“独点”是个没有长、宽、高的物体 A singularity is an object with no length, width or height.
但是它保留了原来恒星的大部分重力 Yet it retains most of the gravity of the original star.
发射哈勃的主要目标之一 One of the primary goals for Hubble
就是断然的证明黑洞是否存在 was to prove once and for all whether or not black holes exist.
但是如何找寻一个看不见的点呢？ But how does one search for an invisible point?
天文学家决定把哈勃对准星系的中心进行观测 Astronomers decide to direct Hubble to examine the exact centers of galaxies
这是个明智的决定 It is a wise decision.
发现的结果是：靠近星系的中心的恒星都在围绕着进行高速旋转 What they discover is that the stars close to the center of galaxies zoom around at very high speed.
这不是恒星正常的状态 This is not how stars normally behave.
大多数恒星都以相对较慢的速度运动 Most stars move along at relatively slow speeds.
但是在星系的中央 But down in the central hub of galaxies
恒星被抛来抛去的 stars are being thrown around
这肯定是因为有质量超大而且体积超小的东西存在 by the gravity of something that is massive, yet ultra compact.
只能有一个理由来解释这种现象--- There can be only one cause for this effect.
---传说中的黑洞 The fabled black hole.
更多关于黑洞的证据 Further evidence of black holes
来自于哈勃拍摄的神秘的、5000光年长的喷射柱 comes from Hubble's images of a mysterious jet some 5,000 light-years long.
这个喷射柱穿过了一个叫做M-87的椭圆星系的中心 The jet is piercing the heart of a giant elliptical galaxy called M-87.
在星系M87中的这个喷射柱 The jet in the galaxy M87
是由堆积在黑洞上的巨量气体和尘埃构成 is caused by enormous amounts of gas and dust piling onto the black hole.
物质太多，都发生拥堵了 There's so much material that a traffic jam occurs.
气体和尘埃退了回去，形成了一个碟形 The gas and dust back up, forming a disc.
一些物质逃逸了出去，并形成了喷射柱 Some of this material escapes and creates the jet.
黑洞以光的形式展示了自己的存在 The black hole is showing itself with a parade of light.
星系与其中心的黑洞的关系 The connection between a galaxy and the black hole in its heart
到现在为止还没研究清楚 is not yet well understood.
但是天文学家认为黑洞为星系的形成作出了贡献 But astronomers believe that black holes play a part in the formation of galaxies
现在我们知道，超大星系的正中央有黑洞 As far as we know, every big galaxy has a black hole at its very center.
但是我们不知道这种现象是如何产生的 We don't know exactly how this happens.
这一定与星系进化时气体的沉降有关系 It must have something to do with gas falling in as the galaxy evolves.
哈勃望远镜所揭示的事项之一： This has been one of the revelations come through the Hubble Space Telescope,
黑洞与星系之间有深层的、基本的联系， is the real deep and fundamental connection between black holes and galaxies,
这是由观测M-87 done by looking at M-87.
和其它大量星系得出的结论 But also dozens of other galaxies.
在有哈勃之前，黑洞仅仅是理论上的概念 Before Hubble, black holes were merely a concept,
一项未经证实的天文知识 an unproven part of astronomical lore.
哈勃望远镜将之永远改变 Hubble Space Telescope has changed that forever.
剧烈的能量在遥远的太空中创造出恒星 The violent forces that create stars far off in space
也塑造出了我们的太阳系 also shape our own solar system.
1992年夏 In the summer of 1992,
舒梅克.李维9号彗星(简称SL-9)超近距离掠过木星 comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, or SL-9, passes too close to Jupiter.
这颗1.8公里的彗星被木星的重力捕捉到 The 1.8 kilometer comet is trapped by the giant planet's gravity.
然后SL-9碎裂开来 Then SL-9 breaks apart.
碎片沿一条长线分散，在哈勃拍摄的图片中叫做 The fragments spread into a long single line which Hubble showed in an image called
“珍珠串” "the string of pearls".
当时数据显示这些碎片很快会撞上木星 Data suggests that these pearls would soon collide with Jupiter.
行星天文学家-海蒂.海莫向NASA递交了一项建议 So planetary astronomer, Heidi Hammel, submits a proposal to NASA.
很久以前我们就已经知道 We had known for many, many decades
碰撞对太阳系的演化是极其重要的 that collisions are an incredibly important part of solar system evolution
当你看到月球，你就会看到许多陨石坑 You look at the moon and you see craters
所以碰撞是很重要的 So you know that collisions are important
数十年前我们已经知道，甚至在地球上，碰撞也扮演了重要角色 Even on the earth, we've known for decades that collisions have played a big role.
但是我们还从来未有过亲眼看到碰撞的机会 But we never have had the opportunity to see a collision.
舒梅克.李维9向我们展示了碰撞不仅在过去发生 Shoemaker-Levy 9 would show that such collisions are not just part of the past,
而且会在现在，也许还会在未来发生 but the present and maybe the future
实时拍摄舒梅克.李维9号彗星的坠落过程 Part of the challenge of shoemaker-Levy 9
对哈勃望远镜来说是一项挑战 is getting Hubble to follow an event in real time.
哈勃通常都是拍摄的数百万年前的图像 The Telescope usually looks at processes that unfold millions of year.
而彗星的坠落过程将会在瞬间发生 But a comet's death would happen rapidly
1994年7月 In July 1994,
观测组聚集在巴尔的摩的太空望远镜科学研究院 the team gathers at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore,
观测彗星与木星的碰撞过程 to watch the comet make contact with the planet.
当时我们不知道舒梅克.李维9撞上木星会有什么后果 We didn't know what was gonna happen when Shoemaker-Levy 9 hit Jupiter.
极有可能什么都观测不到 And it was really possible that nothing would happen at all.
舒梅克.李维9的第一的图片传送了过来 The first image of Shoemaker-Levy 9 came in.
似乎看不到碰撞的迹象 It seemed to show no signs of impact.
然后，新的图像传送了过来 But then, new images came in
看!看...哦，我的天啊! Look! Look... Oh my god!
看那啊! Look at that!
等木星转过来后 The planet had rotated enough
碰撞的痕迹显现了出来 that the impact site was visible on the disc.
碰撞的痕迹很大! And it was huge!
观测组实时的看到了彗星撞向木星的过程 The team was watching the comet hit the planet in real time.
那可真是实时的宇宙历史 This was cosmic history in action.
记者们架着相机在楼上的礼堂中等着 Reporters and cameras were standing by in an auditorium above.
与此同时，吉恩.舒梅克在记者发布会的大屏幕上说： And at the same time on the screen of the press conference, Gene Shoemaker was saying,
不知道我们能不能看到碰撞过程 If we should see these things at all.
而我们却在楼下大叫：看这!赞啊! And we were downstairs going, "Look at this! Amazing".
然后，我们得去通报这些情况 And we are, we have to show this.
你不能让吉恩.舒梅克坐那说：我们不知道情况。其实我们已经知道了! You can't let him sit up there saying we don't know. We know!
然后我站在主席台小桌子边上... And I stood aside and they were all on a little table...
我想海蒂.海莫为我们带了最新的消息 And I think we might have some up-to-date information from Heidi Hammel
我有一台原始数据激光打印机，这就是从哈勃传来的原始数据图像 I have a raw laser printer output, this is as raw as it gets.
我们能清楚的看到碰撞点 We can actually see the impact site itself.
整整一周 For an entire week,
哈勃都在拍摄舒梅克.李维9猛烈撞击木星的图片 Hubble captures images of Shoemaker-Levy 9 as it mercilessly hammers Jupiter.
我们计算出撞击炸出的烟柱 We calculated the heights of these explosive plumes out of Jupiter
高出木星大气3000公里之多 to rising something like 3,000 kilometers out of Jupiter's atmosphere.
非常大，绝对是行星级的 It's huge. It's planetary wide scale.
爆炸产生的云层 But what was left was clouds
高达数千英里 that have seriously been disturbed over thousands and thousands of miles.
温度则高达几万度 Seriously disturbed up to temperatures of tens of thousands of degrees.
如果一个象SL-9的物体撞入了地球 So if an object like SL-9, had it hit the Earth,
那将成为毁灭日 it would have been a bad day.
哈勃拍摄的关于彗星碰撞的图片 Hubble's pictures of the comet impact
证明了正是这种猛烈的能量在数十亿年前形成了我们的地球 prove that the kind of violence that formed our planet billions of years ago,
并且持续至今日 continues through this day.
舒梅克.李维9给我们邻近的木星带来了灾难性的一天 Shoemaker-Levy 9 shows a devastating day on nearby Jupiter.
但是当哈勃将镜头转向深度虚无空间时 But, when Hubble turns toward an empty patch of distant sky,
发现的东西将震动整个科学界 what it finds will rock the scientific community.
1995年冬 In the winter of 1995,
一个系列指令发送到哈勃的电脑中 a series of commands are sent to Hubble's on-board computer
将轨道上运行的哈勃转向了 that turn the orbiting telescope toward what is apparently
应该是“虚无”的一片太空 an "empty" part of the sky.
哈勃的强大的镜头， Hubble's powerful gaze
连续10天被锁定在这个单独区域， locks onto this single region of space for ten consecutive days,
拍摄下了一系列的图片 creating a series of exposures
后来称这区域为“哈勃深度区” that would be known as "The Hubble Deep Field".
“哈勃深度区”真是个非常令人惊异的想法 The Hubble Deep Field was a pretty astonishing idea.
将一部望远镜送进太空 Take a telescope out in space
再将其对准太空中的一部分，然后就定在那 and point it at one part of the sky and let it sit.
拍照 Just take an exposure
拍完一张再拍一张，拍完再拍，拍完再拍 and then take another one, and then another one, and another one
然后将这些照片叠加起来 And then add them all up
最后你做了这些后，能看到什么呢？ and what do you see when you do this?
看到的就是“哈勃深度区” That's what Hubble Deep Field is.
你会看到宇宙中非常深的区域 You would see very deep into the universe
你会看到星系，成千上万的星系 And you see galaxies, thousands and thousands of galaxies.
这个区域星系稠密到像你在夏天夜空里拍的萤火虫 A crowded dense field that looks like you're taking a picture of fireflies out in a field at night.
但是，你知道，这应该是太空中的“虚无”区 And yet, this is a, you know, an "empty" patch of sky.
哈勃图片中的每一个模糊的光点就是一个包含有数十亿恒星的星系 Every smudge of light in this Hubble picture is a galaxy containing billions of stars.
图片中的星系处于演化的不同阶段 These galaxies are captured at various stages of evolution.
从宇宙诞生的初期 From a time near the birth of the cosmos
到像银河系一样的旋状星系的兴起 to the rise of spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way.
分散在“哈勃深度区”的各个角落 Scattered here and there in the Hubble Deep Field
太空中的大对撞--- are the smash-ups of space.
---星系相互碰撞，相互吞噬 Galaxies crashing into and cannibalizing each other.
我们估计宇宙中应该有数百亿个星系 We estimate that there are hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe,
在看过“哈勃深度区”后 but its only until you see that Hubble Deep Field
你会明白我们所看到的只是太空中的一小块 and you understand you are seeing a tiny little patch of sky
即便如此，它也被星系塞的满满的 and yet it is filled to the brim with galaxies.
这告诉你我们的宇宙 And that's telling you that this universe
是个令人惊异的、拥挤的、奇妙的地方 is an astonishing and crowded and wonderful place.
关于星系成长、变化的整部历史 The entire history of growth and change in galaxies
都收录在“哈勃深度区”的一张图片上 is written in this single image of the Hubble Deep Field.
可能成为哈勃意义最为深远的发现 What may be Hubble's most profound discovery
无论如何用肉眼是看不到的 cannot be seen at all, by any means.
某种东西能量奇大，能让整个宇宙保持聚集状态 Something with so much power, it holds the entire universe together.
数年来，像金.威弗一样的天文学家 For a number of years, astronomers like Kim Weaver
对星系运行的方式感到惊讶 have been surprised by the way galaxies behave.
我们观测到的如星系这样可见的东西 Our observations of things we could see, like galaxies,
对我们意义不大 weren't making a lot of sense to us.
比如，星系如何旋转 For example, how a galaxy rotates.
旋状星系的旋臂 The arms of spiral galaxies
运行的速度似乎比用物理法则算出的速度快 seem to move faster than the laws of physics would allow.
天文学家还观测到其它一些奇异的事情 Astronomers spotted other oddities as well.
你能看到星系簇中有数百至数千个星系 You can have clusters of galaxies that have hundreds to thousands galaxies in them.
星系簇始终能让星系束缚在一起 These clusters of galaxies are still bound to each other.
这些星系历经许久始终在它们初始轨道上运行 The galaxies are still orbiting after all this time.
它们为什么会被束缚在星系簇上？ Why are they bound to the cluster?
一定有什么东西在制造引力， There's something there creating gravity,
在弯曲空间，以此让星系保持在原来位置 creating the bending of space to hold these galaxies in place
保持星系做出我们看不见的自转运动 and to hold galaxies in their rotation that we are not seeing.
天文学家做出假设 Astronomers hypothesize
星系被不知名的物质构成的圆圈所包围着 that galaxies are surrounded by a halo of unknown forms of matter.
这种物质象胶水一样把宇宙聚集在一起 This matter acts like a glue that holds the universe together.
天文学家将其称做“黑暗物质” They call it, Dark Matter.
虽然我们看不见黑暗物质 Though we can't see Dark Matter
但一位天文学家想出了一个办法找出它 one astronomer has discovered a way to find it.
我们用哈勃望远镜观测了2年 So we took the Hubble Space Telescope and over two years,
慢慢的将600张图拼凑在一起 slowly pieced together a mosaic of 600 images
他们拼出了太空中的一大块区域 They were tiled together, a large patch of sky
在其中我们能看到大概2百万个星系 in which we could see about 2 million faint galaxies.
这是哈勃太空望远镜的宇宙勘查 And this was the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmos Survey
有史以来最大的太空勘查 The largest ever survey taken from space.
勘查显示恒星和星系都产生自普通的物质 The survey revealed that stars and galaxies are born from ordinary matter
这些普通物质被黑暗物质云中的引力捕捉 trapped by gravity inside clouds of Dark Matter.
这幅黑暗物质云的3D图--- This 3-D plot of Dark Matter clouds,
---史上第一张由哈勃望远镜制作的黑暗物质云的3D图 charted by Hubble for the first time in history,
向我们展现了黑暗物质是如何形成宇宙的基础构造的 shows how Dark Matter forms the very structure of our universe.
宇宙大爆炸后不久 Soon after the Big Bang,
黑暗物质建造的重力框架 the gravitational scaffolding of Dark Matter
遍布整个宇宙，构成了演化的基础 formed the basis for evolutionary change throughout the cosmos.
实际上，我们能够存在也应该归功于 We, in fact, owe our entire existence
黑暗物质在宇宙形成初期架构的框架 to the scaffolding setup of Dark Matter in the early universe.
那对我们能够存在极其重要 As important as it is to our very existence,
天文学家目前还不知道黑暗物质到底是什么 astronomers so far have no idea what Dark Matter is.
这个图表显示了每种宇宙中我们知道的元素 This table shows us every element in the universe
这是我们日常生活中都能接触到的 that we commonly experience on a daily basis.
我们所能看、触、尝、感觉到的自然物质都包含在这个图表中 All of the physical matter that we can see, touch, taste or feel is on this table.
但是其中不包含黑暗物质 But not Dark Matter.
天文学家发现了一个办法定位、测量它，这要归功于哈勃 Thanks to Hubble, astronomers found a way to locate and measure it.
但是他们的发现 What they found is that
宇宙中的黑暗物质比自然物质多5倍 there is 5 times more Dark Matter in the universe than physical matter.
我们把所有的黑暗物质 But even if we add all the Dark Matter
与形成恒星、行星、人的自然物质相加 to all the physical matter that forms stars and planets and people,
发现还是有2/3的宇宙没算进来 it turns out that we are still missing about two-thirds of the universe.
那么那2/3的宇宙是由什么构成的呢？ So, what is the rest of the universe made of?
科学家又一次转向哈勃寻求答案 Once again, scientists turn to Hubble for answers...
哈勃望远镜正在改变我们对于真实的理解 The Hubble telescope is changing our understanding of reality.
从上世纪20年代起 Since the 1920's,
天文学家就知道了宇宙正在膨胀 astronomers have known that the universe is expanding.
当时他们认为到某个时候，引力会让膨胀慢下来 They assumed that gravity would one day slow the expansion down
也许能让宇宙停止膨胀 and perhaps even cause the universe to halt.
我知道宇宙正在减速膨胀 I know the universe is slowing down.
问题是减了多少？ The question just is how much.
这个问题的答案 The answer to this question
会引发关系宇宙的年龄和命运的辩论 would settle the debate about the age and fate of the universe.
这都成了一场竞赛了 And it became a race.
辩论分成2个组，都不太喜欢对方 There were two teams that didn't much like each other.
他们试图测量宇宙 They were trying to measure the rate at which the universe
在过去不同时期膨胀的速率 has been expanding at different times in the past
然后与现在膨胀的速率相比较 and compare it with the rate at which it's expanding now
证实的方法来自于哈勃 The way to check comes from Hubble.
哈勃发现在遥远星系发生的超新星爆炸 It finds supernova explosions in remote galaxies
再用爆炸发出的光做为量尺 and uses the light from the explosion as a yardstick
测量从地球到发生超新星爆炸的星系的距离 to measure the distance from earth to the galaxy.
但是哈勃的发现却不符合 But Hubble's findings do not fit the accepted model
宇宙的膨胀的常规的结果 for the expansion of the universe.
发生超新星爆炸的星系不仅仅是在远离我们 The galaxies with supernovae are not just moving away.
它们在加速远离我们 They are moving at an accelerated rate
哈勃的测量结果让天文学家们信服了 Hubble's results convinces astronomers
他们必须得以全新的方式来看待宇宙 that they must think of the universe in an entirely new way.
你向上抛出一个球，它会从空中落下来，或者向上飞的慢了 You toss a ball up and it comes back down or slows down.
但是你料想不到的是球加速向上飞了 What you don't expect is the ball to speed up
不停加速、加速，越来越快 and speed up and speed up more and more and more
这不应该发生的 It doesn't happen.
但是它的确发生了 But it does happen.
根据哈勃采集的证据 According to Hubble's evidence,
宇宙正在越来越快的膨胀 the universe is expanding more and more quickly.
对此唯一的解释简单到你不能相信 The only explanation is as simple as it is unlikely.
有什么东西使宇宙的膨胀在加速 Something is causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate.
一种看不见的能量，叫做“黑暗能量” An unseen force called, "Dark Energy"
黑暗能量是一种我们熟悉的能量的另一种展现形式 Dark Energy is another manifestation of a familiar force.
重力是一种我们熟悉的能量 So, gravity's a familiar force.
但是我们从来没有见过重力以如此的方式运行 But we've never seen it act this way before
但是这种神秘能量最黑暗的部分在其未来 But the darkest part of this mysterious force is its future
随着时间推移，它会越来越强 Over time, it will grow in strength.
这意味着总有一天 This means that one day,
黑暗能量会强过重力 Dark Energy will become stronger than gravity.
甚至比将原子结合在一起的能量还强 Stronger than even the forces which bind atoms together.
所有结合而成的物体都会被分裂 Every bound thing becomes unbound
最终亚原子层的物质都会被分裂 including, eventually at the most subatomic level.
我们的宇宙看起来已经超期服役了 Our universe, it seems, is living on borrowed time.
宇宙总有一天会在一场宇宙性的浩劫中被终结 The universe will one day end in a cosmic apocalypse
这浩劫被科学家称做“大解体” that scientists call, "The Big Rip".
这就是敢于探求真相的后果 It's what we get for daring to look at something.
我们超越了传统思维，我们没想到会有这种结果 We're outside the envelope. We didn't expect this at all.
这极大的改变了我们看待宇宙的方法 It is a tremendous change in how we think about the universe.
想象下如果我们从来不知道海，而某一天却突然发现了大洋 Imagine we know nothing of the sea and one day we discover the ocean,
更让我们惊奇的是这个世界3/4都被大洋所覆盖 we find to our surprise that three quarters of the world is covered by the ocean.
但是我们却对大洋里有什么毫无头绪，也不知道大洋能做什么 But we have no clue of what it is in the ocean or what the ocean does.
这就是今天我们面临的黑暗能量的困境 This is where we are today with Dark Energy.
对黑暗能量的持续研究 The continued study of Dark Energy
也许是让哈勃留在轨道上的最重要的原因 may be the single most important reason for keeping Hubble on orbit.
但我们还能让哈勃在那待多久呢？ But how much longer can we keep Hubble flying?
发射升空后快20年了 Nearly 20 years after its launch,
还在给哈勃望远镜扩展功能 the Hubble Space Telescope is still learning new tricks.
当亚特兰蒂斯号完成维修任务与哈勃脱离后 When the Shuttle Atlantis undocks at the end of the servicing mission
一部新的“宽区域行星级照相机3型”就可以使用了 a new "Wide Field Planetary Camera III" will become functional,
它可以拓宽哈勃的视野 widening Hubble's range.
另一个新设备是“宇宙起源光谱仪” Another new tool, the "Cosmic Origin Spectrograph"
它可以向我们展现更多关于黑暗物质是如何影响到遥远的星系的 will tell us more about the way Dark Matter affects distant galaxies.
但即便有了新型装备 But even with new hardware,
哈勃剩下的日子也不多了，航天飞机还给哈勃安装了另一个装置 Hubble's days are numbered for the shuttle will also be installing a device
这个装置会结束哈勃在太空中的长期旅程 that will end Hubble's long journeys into space.
在任务的最后 At the end of the mission,
当所有工作都完成了，在我返回太空舱之前 when all the work is done, before the final moment, when we go back in the airlock,
我绝对要最后一次触碰哈勃一次，最后看它一眼 I am absolutely sure I am going to take one last grab on the Hubble, one last look
因为我确信这是最后一次有人探访哈勃太空望远镜了 because I do believe this is the last time people will visit Hubble Space Telescope.
然后在那之后，那些众多为哈勃付出的人 And after all that so many people have invested,
我要代表他们，也为我自己 I'll be vicariously for them, and for real for me,
拥抱哈勃一下，在我们送它去展开 be kind of giving Hubble that last hug before we sent it on its way to what really will be
它的全新探索旅程之前 an entire new journey of discovery for Hubble.
想着哈勃的使命的终点真的让我很难受 It is difficult for me to think of the end of the mission for the space telescope
因为现在它的贡献正值高峰 because right now, it is in prime productivity,
或在我们把维护好之后 or rather will be once we are able to fix it up again.
对它的需求很强烈 Demand for it is strong.
它的功能也是独一无二的，还会是后无来者的 The capabilities are unique and will remain unique.
哈勃不能继续为我们进行观测将会是个损失 It will be a loss, when the Hubble can no longer take observations for us.
到了那一天 On the day that happens,
哈勃望远镜会收到最后一条指令：关机并返回地球 the telescope will receive one last command to shut down and return to earth
从太空轨道重返地球大气层时，哈勃会燃烧 The orbiting telescope will burn up as it re-enters the earth's atmosphere
然后成为历史 and pass into history.
控制人员希望确保将这个巨大的望远镜坠入太平洋 Controllers want to make sure that the enormous telescope falls into the Pacific.
对于我们这些曾经使用过哈勃的人来说那将是个难受的时刻 It will be a poignant moment for those of us who have used Hubble
它曾经是我们生命中令人惊异的一部分 It's just been such a fabulous part of our lives
让我们能完成如此多奇妙的工作 and allowed us to do so much wonderful work.
但是与此同时，我觉得我们应该向前看 But I think at the same time, we're looking forward.
下一代的太空望远镜叫做 The next generation of space telescope is called,
“詹姆斯.韦伯太空望远镜” "The James Webb Space Telescope"
按计划于2013年发射升空 and is scheduled for launch in 2013.
韦伯望远镜将会全面超越哈勃 The Webb telescope will go beyond Hubble, literally.
它将会被放置月球的后面 It will be placed beyond the Moon,
将会巧妙的处于地球、月球、太阳之间的引力平衡点上 poised in delicate balance among the gravitational pulls of the Earth, Moon and Sun.
继哈勃之后的詹姆斯.韦伯太空望远镜有希望 James Webb Space Telescope is coming along after Hubble has some hope
直接拍摄到环绕其它恒星的行星 of actually directly imaging planet around another star.
某一天，我们希望不仅是发现类地行星 Someday, we hope to not only find earth-like planets,
还能探测这些行星的大气，分析它们的大气化学成份 but to detect their atmospheres, chemically analyze their atmospheres.
再看看那里有没有生命的迹象 and see if there are signatures of, of life.
这不是科幻，也不是幻想 This is not science fiction, this is not fantasy.
我们正处在科技高速发展期 We are on a fast track.
韦伯将比哈勃把科学带到更高的高度 The Webb will take science beyond Hubble's range,
但哈勃将永远是第一个 but the Hubble will always be the first.
第一部太空望远镜 The first space telescope.
属于全人类的第一部望远镜 And the first telescope for Everyman
科学家使用它 Scientists use it,
但是大众有比以前更多的途径 but the public have more access
得到望远镜拍摄到的天文图片 to the pictures that were brought down from this telescope than ever before
这样因为大众的关注，同时也革新了天文学 And so it revolutionized astronomy as far as the public was concerned.
如果你从床上叫醒一个人 If you wake up someone out of bed,
随便这个国家的哪个人，然后问他：说一个望远镜的名字 a random citizen in this country, and say, "name a telescope".
他们肯定会说：哈勃 They're gonna name Hubble.
哈勃意味着新的领域 Hubble is about the frontier.
哈勃意味着探索 Hubble is about discovery.
哈勃意味着新事物 Hubble is about what's new.
在未来 Going into the future,
我希望我们能找到一种方法来保持这种观测能力 I hope that we find some way to maintain that capability
因为如果失去这种能力，我们就会成为盲人 because the instant it goes away, we're blind.
它已经环绕地球飞行了数千次 It has circled the earth thousands of times,
绕着我们一次又一次 whirling around us again and again
哈勃已经成为有着强烈好奇心的生物的大眼睛 Hubble has been the wide eyes of some very curious beings.
它给了我们令人惊叹的图像 It has given us astonishing images,
带领人类的思想去到时间的起点和终点 taking the human mind to the beginning and the end of time
让我们超越了猜想世界的能力 beyond our own ability to wonder at the world
字幕翻译：alanron 联系QQ：594705819 e-mail:alanron_lee@yahoo.com.cn