We live on a world of wonders.
我们生活在一个奇妙的世界中
A place of astonishing beauty and complexity.
一个美妙而复杂的世界
We have vast oceans
我们有广阔的海洋
and incredible weather.
和惊人的天气
Giant mountains and breathtaking landscapes.
巨大的高山和激动人心风景
If you think that this is all there is,
如果你觉得所有的这些宏伟的景观
that our planet exists in magnificent isolation,
仅仅是存在于我们星球上
then you're wrong.
那么你就错了
As a physicist,I'm fascinated by how the laws of nature
作为一个物理学家 我着迷于这些自然规律是如何
that shaped all this also shaped the worlds beyond our home planet.
造就这一切的 以及塑造地球以外的世界的
I think we're living through the greatest age of discovery
我认为我们生活在一个最能够探索与发现
our civilisation has known.
我们已知文明的时代
We've voyaged to the farthest reaches of the solar system.
我们的航天器早已飞越太阳系最远的地带
We've photographed strange new worlds,
我们已经拍下陌生的新世界
stood in unfamiliar landscapes,tasted alien air.
站在这不熟悉的地方 呼吸着陌生的空气
And at the heart of it all is the powerhouse.
所有的这些都来自于这个"动力房"
A vast wonder that we greet each day.
一个我们每天都要迎接的奇迹
A star that controls each and every world in its thrall.
一颗控制着一切 束缚着一切的星球.
Look at that!
看那边!
'The sun.'
太阳
And when it goes,it really will be the end of us all.
当它"去世"的时候 也是我们的末日
太阳系的奇迹
太阳帝国
This is Varanasi.
这是瓦腊纳西(印度东北部城市)
For Hindus,it's one of the holiest sites in all of India.
对印度教徒来说 这是最神圣的地方之一
Part of what makes it so special
原因在于
is the orientation of its sacred river as it flows past the city.
一条神圣的河 正好经过这个城市
This is the one place on the Ganges where you can bathe in the river
这是一个你能在恒河沐浴的地方
on this shore and you can see the sunrise on the eastern shore.
在这岸边 你可以看见东部海岸的日出
It's the only place where the Ganges turns around to the north so you can do that.
这是恒河转北唯一的地方 所以你可以做到(看日出)
When the sun rises tomorrow,
当明天太阳出来的时候
a truly extraordinary phenomenon will take place:
一个真正的 非常特别的现象将会发生:
a total eclipse of the sun.
日全食
It's an auspicious occasion
对于这个地方来说 这是一个吉祥的时刻
for a place that ancient Hindus knew as the Solar City.
年老的教徒都知道 这就是所谓的太阳城
Science is different to all the other systems of thought,
科学不同于其他学科系统的理论
the belief systems that have been practised
这种信念已经实践
in this city for millennia,because you don't need faith in it.
在这个城市有数千年 因为你不需要去信仰它
You can check that it works.
你只是去检查下它是否正常运作
So,for example,I can tell you that tomorrow morning at precisely 6:24am
所以 举例来说 我可以告诉你 明天早上6: 24
the moon will cover the face of the sun
月球将覆盖太阳的表面
and there will be a total solar eclipse.
而且是日全食
I can tell you that in 2904
我可以告诉你 在2904年
there will be five solar eclipses on the earth
地球将会有5次日食
and I can tell you that on July 16th,2186
我也可以告诉你在2186年 7月16日
there will be the longest solar eclipse for 5,000 - seven minutes.
将有5000年以来持续时间最长的日全食 - 整整7分钟
The sun reigns over a vast empire of worlds,all moving like clockwork.
支配着整个世界的太阳 一切的运作都像钟表一样分毫不差..
Everything within its realm obeys the laws of celestial mechanics
一切的物质都要服从其领域内的天体力学定律
defined by Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century.
由艾萨克牛顿在17世纪定义的法则
These laws allow us to predict exactly where each world will be
这些法则能使我们准确预测世界
for centuries to come.
在未来的几百年发生的事
And wherever you happen to be,
无论你在何方
if there's a moon between you and the sun,there will be an eclipse.
如果月球在你和太阳中间 日食就会发生.
Of course,Jupiter,plenty of moons,and this is a rare picture
当然啦 木星有众多的卫星 这里有张少见的照片
taken by the Hubble space telescope in spring 2004
是哈勃太空望远镜在2004年春季拍摄的
where you can see the shadows of three moons on the surface,
这里有3个卫星影子在木星表面
three eclipses simultaneously.
3个日食同时发生
Now,this kind of event only happens once every few decades.
这种事件几十年只发生一次
Saturn,plenty of moons.
土星 也有很多卫星
I think these are my favourite of all the pictures of eclipses
这是我所有日食照片中的最爱
in the solar system
在太阳系中
because these are pictures taken from the surface of Mars
因为这些照片是从火星表面
by the Opportunity rover looking up at the sun.
由"机遇号"对着太阳拍摄的
And you can see Mars's moon,Phobos,
看这里 火卫一
as it makes its way across the disk of the sun.
像它这种方式 掠过太阳
So this is a solar eclipse,partial solar eclipse,
所以这是日食 日偏食
from the surface of another world.
从另一个世界的表面看到的
The astronomers of the future will discover that these partial eclipses
未来的天文学家会发现 这些日偏食
can never measure up to the ones back home.
永远也比不上在地球看得爽
And that's because,here on Earth,
因为 在地球
humans have the best seat in the solar system
人类已经在太阳系的最佳座位
from which to enjoy the spectacle of a total eclipse of the sun.
从中享受日全食的奇观
All thanks to a wonderful quirk of fate.
所有的这些都要感谢上天精妙的安排
The sun is 400 times the diameter of the moon but,
太阳的直径是月亮的400倍(更准确是396倍)
by sheer coincidence,it's 400 times further away from the earth.
但巧合的是 日地距离也是月地距离的400倍(396倍)
So when our moon passes in front of the sun,
所以 当我们的月亮经过太阳前面
then it can completely obscure it.
月球就能够完全地掩盖住太阳
Now there's something like between,what,
现在呢 嗯
145 and 167 moons in the solar system,
在太阳系 大概有145或者167个卫星
depending on how you count them,
看你怎么计算了
but none of them produce such perfect eclipses as the earth's moon.
它们都没有像地球与月亮那样完美的日食
This accidental arrangement of the solar system
太阳系的意外安排
means we're living in exactly the right place
意味着我们在完全正确的地方生活
and,tomorrow morning,exactly the right time
明天早上 准确说是那个时间段
to enjoy the most precious of astronomical events.
来享受这最珍贵的天文事件
Our closest star is the strangest,
太阳系中
most alien world in the solar system.
太阳是最奇怪最陌生的
It's a place we can never hope to visit but I want to show you that,
那是一个我们不敢奢望去游览的地方
through space exploration and a few chance discoveries,
但是通过空间探索和一些偶然的发现
our generation is getting to know the sun in exquisite new detail.
我们这一代越来越了解太阳的细节
For us,it's everything and yet it's just one ordinary star
对我们来说 它是我们的一切 但实际上它只是一颗普通的恒星
amongst 200 billion starry wonders that make up our galaxy.
在2000亿的星星中 一起构成了我们如此美妙璀璨的银河
This is the remote frontier of the solar system,
太阳系边陲
a dwarf planet known as Sedna.
一颗称为Sedna的矮行星
Seen from out here,13 billion kilometres away from Earth,
从这里看去 离地球130亿公里远
the sun is just another star.
而太阳仅仅只是另一颗恒星
Uranus is 10 billion kilometres closer in,
天王星近了点 100亿公里远
but even so,sunrise is barely perceptible.
即便如此 日出还是能勉强察觉到
The sun hangs in the sky 300 times smaller than it appears on Earth.
星空上的太阳比在地球上看到的小300倍
Further in,we come to Saturn.
进一步 我们来到土星
Its spectacular rings reflect the sun's light onto its dark side.
它壮观的光环反射着日光到它黑暗的地方
This planet is bathed,not just in sunshine,but in ring-shine.
这个星球不仅洗着阳光浴 还洗着光环浴
230 million kilometres out,
离太阳2.3亿公里
we arrive at the first world
我们来到了第一个
with a more familiar view of the sun.
看到的太阳更正常一点的世界
This is sunset on Mars,as seen by the robotic rover,Spirit.
这是火星上的日落 从"精神号"火星探测车观察到
Past Earth,150 million kilometres out,
地球 离太阳1.5亿公里
we continue to head to the heart of the solar system.
我们继续前往太阳系的中心
Mercury is the closest planet,just 46 million kilometres out.
水星是最靠近的行星 仅为4600万公里
It spins so slowly that sunrise to sunrise lasts for 176 Earth days.
它缓慢的自转使得日出到日出的时间为176个地球日
Beyond,there is nothing but the naked sun,
再往前 除了赤裸裸的太阳 什么都没了
a colossal fiery sphere of tortured matter,
一个燃烧着物质的巨大炽热的火球
burning with a temperature at its core
其核心燃烧的温度
of over 15 million degrees Celsius.
超过1500万摄氏度
Throughout human history,this majestic wonder
纵观人类历史 如此雄伟的奇迹
has been a constant source of comfort,awe and worship.
人们一直不变地感谢 敬畏和崇拜它
This is Death Valley in California,
这里是加州的死亡之谷
regularly the hottest place on the planet,
地球上最热的地方
and today the car says it's 111 degrees Fahrenheit,
今天汽车的显示 有111华氏度
45 degrees Celsius.
也就是45摄氏度
For centuries,the finest minds in science struggled to understand
几个世纪以来 最优秀的科学家都努力去了解
the origin of the sun's seemingly endless heat and energy.
太阳看似无尽的热量和能量的来源
What is it made of?
它是什么做的?
Where did it come from?
它从哪儿来?
And what is the source of its phenomenal power?
它的能量来源是什么?
Then,in 1838,British physicist John Herschel,took on the endeavour
然后 在1838年 英国物理学家 John Herschel
in his experimental attempt to catch a sunbeam.
使出十八般武艺 试图在他的实验中捕捉阳光
So how much energy does fall on the surface of the earth from the sun?
到底有多少能量从太阳降落到地球表面呢?
You can work it out with a beautifully simple experiment
你可以做一个简单漂亮的实验来解决这个问题
using only a thermometer,a tin full of water and an umbrella.
只用一个温度计 一罐装满的水和一把雨伞
Basically,you let the water heat up in the tin to ambient temperature
基本上 水能加热到环境的温度
which,here in Death Valley today,is about 46 degrees Celsius.
今天死亡之谷的温度 大约是46摄氏度
And then you put the thermometer in the water
然后你把温度计放在水中
and you take the shade away
拿开伞
and let the sun shine on the water.
让阳光照在水上
In direct sunlight,the water temperature begins to rise.
在阳光直射下 水温开始上升
By timing how long it takes the sun
通过计时来算出太阳要多长时间
to raise the water temperature by one degree Celsius,
才能提高一摄氏度的水温
you can figure out exactly how much energy
你就可以精确计算出到底有多少能源
the sun has delivered into the can of water,
从太阳传递到水中
and from that,how much energy is delivered
从而算出有多少能量传递
to a square metre of the surface.
一平方米的地面上
It turns out that,on a clear day when the sun is vertically overhead,
事实证明 在一个晴朗的日子 当太阳垂直头顶
that number is about a kilowatt.
这个数字大约是1千瓦
That's ten 100 watt bulbs can be powered by the sun's energy
也就是说10个100瓦的灯泡可以通过照射在
for every metre squared of the earth's surface.
地球上每一平方米的太阳能来提供动力
In an audacious leap of imagination,Herschel used this figure
大胆设想下 Herschel用这个数值
to calculate the entire energy given off by the sun.
来计算整个太阳赋予的能源
So imagine adding up those kilowatts over this entire landscape.
因此 可以想象这些千瓦能量散落早这里
And then imagine following the sun's rays
接着 跟随着太阳光继续想象
as they cover the entire surface of the earth.
它们覆盖了整个地球表面
But then,imagine this,
但是 别忘了
the earth is 150 million kilometres away from the sun,
地球距太阳1.5亿公里
so actually,the sun is radiating energy out across a giant sphere
所以实际上 太阳辐射出的能量在一个巨大的球体范围
with a radius of 150 million kilometres surrounding our star.
半径1.5亿公里的球体范围
How much energy does that make?
这得产生了多少能量?
It's four x pi x the distance to the sun squared,which is about...
4乘以π乘以到太阳距离的平方 大概是...(多少捏? )
It's 400 million million million million watts.
400亿 亿 亿瓦 (吓呆了吧)
That is a million times the power consumption
这相当一百万倍于美国每年的消耗总量
of the United States every year,radiated in one second.
而这仅仅只是太阳辐射一秒钟的能量
And we worked that out by using some water,
我们算出这结果 只用了一些水
a thermometer,a tin and an umbrella.
一个温度计 一个铁罐和一把伞
And that's why I love physics.
那就是我喜欢物理的原因
It's a wonder of our star that it's managed to keep up
太阳一直保持着
this phenomenal rate of energy production for millennia.
这种惊人能量辐射速度有数千年了(太阳不是有几十亿年了吗 不解)
Stars like the sun are incredibly long-lived and stable.
像太阳这样的恒星都是极其长寿和稳定的
Our best estimate for the age of the universe is 13.73 billion years
我们最保守的估计 宇宙年龄也有137.3亿岁了
and the sun has been around for five billion years of that.
太阳也有50亿年了
That's more than a third the age of the universe itself.
这超过了三分之一宇宙本身的年龄
So what possible power source could allow the sun to shine
那么是怎样一个能源能够让太阳
with such intensity day after day for five billion years?
持续地高强度地日复一日地照耀了50亿年?
The best way to find the answer is to go back to the very beginning.
最好的解决方法就是回到混沌初开的时候
And it all began from,well,pretty much nothing.
一开始 哼哼 什么都没
There was a time when this corner of the galaxy was without light.
在银河系的角落 那是一段连光都还没有的日子
The sun had yet to begin.
太阳连毛都还没有
The story of how our star was born can be read in the night sky.
这是一个关于恒星诞生的故事
If you take a picture of the Milky Way,
如果你照一张银河系的照片
then one of the first things you notice are these dark lines,
你首先注意到的是这些黑线
these dark clouds running through it,an absence of stars and,
这些穿过它运行的黑云 没有恒星
in fact,those dark areas are called molecular clouds.
事实上 那些黑暗的地方被称为分子云
They're clouds of molecular hydrogen and dust
是氢分子和尘埃云
that are lying in between us and the stars of the Milky Way galaxy.
挡在我们和银河系恒星的中间
These dark clouds contain the raw material from which stars are made -
这些黑云包含的原材料就是用来制造恒星的
vast stellar nurseries
巨大的恒星托儿所
that are amongst the coldest and most isolated places in the galaxy.
那里是银河系最寒冷和最偏僻的地方
In the centre of some of those clouds,
在一些云层的中心
the temperature is as low as ten degrees above absolute zero.
温度只比绝对零度(-273.15℃)高10摄氏度
Now,that matters because temperature is a measure
因为温度是衡量
of how fast things are moving.
物质能运动得多快的尺度
So,in these clouds,the clumps of hydrogen and dust
因此 这些云中 氢分子团和尘埃团块
are moving very slowly.
移动得非常缓慢
Only in this extreme cold
也只有在这种极端寒冷的环境
can gravity grab hold of the clouds' constituent particles.
引力才能抓住组成黑云的粒子
Over millennia,they begin to condense.
数千年后 它们开始凝聚
That means that the weak force of gravity can take over
这意味着 引力微弱的力量可以接管
and begin to clump the hydrogen together.
和开始聚集氢分子团
Now,we have a name for clumps of hydrogen
现在 我们可以称呼这些
collapsing under their own gravity - stars.
在自身引力坍塌的氢分子团为 -- 星状物
So,as those clouds of hydrogen collapse further and further
那些坍塌的氢云越来越挤
under the force of gravity,
在引力作用下
they begin to heat up and eventually,in their cores,
它们开始升温 最终 它们的核心
they become hot enough for the hydrogen
变得足够的热
to begin to fuse together into helium.
开始了氢变氦的热核反应
The stars ignite,the clouds are no longer black
星星点燃了 云不再是黑色
and the lifecycle of a new star has begun.
一个新的恒星生命开始了
This very story played out five billion years ago
这故事真实地发生在50亿年前
when a star was born that would come to be known as the sun.
当恒星诞生 我们逐渐熟知它 也即是 - 日
And its birth reveals the secret of our star's
它的诞生揭示了恒星
extraordinary resources of energy,
非凡的能源来源的秘密
because the sun,like every other star,
因为太阳 与其他的恒星
was set alight by the most powerful known force in the universe.
是已知宇宙中最强大的力量点燃的
The fusion of hydrogen into helium
氢变氦的热核反应
is the foundation of all the sun's power.
是一切太阳能量的基础
Boundless energy that reaches out
无限的能量
and connects this wonder to all of the worlds in its realm.
这个奇迹 连接到世界所有的领域
This is the Iguazu River which flows into the Parana,
这是伊瓜苏河(位于巴西南部) 从巴拉那(阿根廷东北部)流进
one of the great rivers of the world,
世界最大河流之一
and it's these river systems that drain all the rainfall
它的这些河道排水系统
from the southern Amazonian basin eventually into the Atlantic.
从亚马孙盆地南部开始 最终注入大西洋
Just look how much water there is.
只要看看这里有多少水
Every molecule in this river,
这条河的每个分子
every molecule in every raindrop in every cloud,
每片云中的每一滴雨滴中的每一个分子
has been transported from the Pacific over the Andes
运送到太平洋的安第斯山脉
and into the continental interior here.
然后进入到陆地内部这里
Just imagine how much energy that needs.
试想一下 这得需要多少能量
And all that energy - every bit of it,
所有所有的这些能量 每一丁点
comes from the sun.
都来自太阳
The sun is the power that lifts all the water on the blue planet.
太阳舀起了这蔚蓝星球的每一滴水
And in places,it comes down again
换个地方 又慢慢地倒下
to create some of the most breath-taking sights on Earth.
它创造了地球最令人叹为观止的景点之一
This is Iguazu Falls.
伊瓜苏大瀑布
A quarter of a million gallons of water
有1137立方米的水
flow through here every second.
流经这里 在每一秒钟
The spectacular energy of the falls
壮观的瀑布中的能源
is a wonderful example of how this planet is hard-wired
是连接地球
to the constant and unfailing power of the sun.
和无尽能量太阳公公的最好例子
The energy we see from the sun may seem utterly constant,
我们看到太阳的能量似乎完全不变
but tiny fluctuations in its brightness can be seen
但其亮度是可以看到微小波动的
with a digital camera and the right know-how.
利用数码相机和正确的诀窍
Now,it's not too difficult to take a picture of the sun
如今拍摄太阳的照片不是很困难了
even though it's 93 million miles away
即使它有93千万英里远 (1.5亿km)
because it's big. Of course,you've got to be careful.
为啥捏? 因为它大! 当然 你还是要小心点
We've got a filter on here
我们这里有个滤光器
that takes out pretty much all of the light
来过滤多余的阳光
because focusing the light from a nuclear reactor
因为从核反应堆的光
onto your camera or your retina
聚焦到你的相机或你的视网膜
wouldn't be a great idea,so you've got to be careful.
不是太好吧 因此你要注意点
I'll take a picture.
我要拍啦!
Well,this is our picture of the sun that we took on June 20th,2009.
好 这就是我们的太阳 于2009年6月20日
You can see it's a beautiful...
你可以看到它是一个美丽的...
..orb,
..球体
with not a mark on the surface.
表面没有一个污点
I suppose that's pretty much what most people would expect.
我想这几乎是大多数人所期望的那样
It's certainly what Aristotle and the ancient astronomers expected
这肯定是亚里士多德和古代天文学家所预期的
because they thought the heavens were perfect and unchanging.
因为他们认为上天是完美的 永恒不变的
But,look at this picture taken on March 29th,2001.
但是 看看在2001年3月29日拍摄的这张照片
You see a completely different story.
你看到的是一个完全不同的故事
The surface of the sun is covered in black spots - sun spots.
太阳的表面覆盖着黑点 - 太阳黑子
Some of these vast structures
其中一些庞大的结构
are large enough to engulf the entire Earth.
大到足以吞噬整个地球
Space observation has allowed us to track their numbers
通过太空观测 我们能够跟踪它们的数量
as they ebb and flow across the face of the sun.
因为它们的低潮和高潮都经过整个太阳表面
The greater the number of sunspots,the more powerful our star becomes,
越多太阳黑子 太阳就变得越暴躁
threatening everything from astronauts
从太空返回到
to the electricity grids back on Earth.
地球的信号都受它影响
We've discovered that the sun has seasons.
我们已经发现 太阳也有它的季候
For decades,scientists have sought to understand
几十年来 科学家们试图了解
how these subtle changes in the sun's power
这些微妙的太阳能量变化
might be affecting the earth.
是如何影响地球的
It's a puzzle that led one man to look away from the sun
这个难题导致有人把目光从太阳离开
and focus instead on the rivers around the Iguazu Falls.
并把注意力放在了周围的伊瓜苏瀑布的河流
Argentinean astrophysicist,Pablo Mauas.
阿根廷的天体物理学家 Pablo Mauas
It's a very large river.
这是一条非常大的河
It's the fourth river in the world.
世界第四大河
Unlike other larger rivers than the Parana,
不像其他大于巴拉那河流
for example,the Amazon or Congo,
例如 亚马逊或刚果
we have data of this river for the whole 20th century.
我们有这条河流整个20世纪的数据
So you can look back to what,about 1900 or...?
所以你可以回顾一下 大约1900年或...?
Yes,from 1900,1904.
是的 从1900年 1904年
And this is because this is a river
这是因为这是一条
that can be navigated by very large ships.
可以通过非常大的船只的河
Pablo brought the statistical tools of a physicist to bear
巴勃罗带来了物理统计工具来承担
on 100 years worth of precious river records.
100多年珍贵的河流纪录
What emerged was that the river,too,had a rhythm.
现在呈现出的是 这条河 也有节奏
We found that the stream flow of the river goes up and down
我们发现 河的流量上升和下降
and up again and down again three times during the century.
并再次上升和下降 在一个世纪有三次
And then we went further,trying to understand why.
我们试图去理解 为什么会这样
The amount of water in the Parana River
巴拉那河中的水量
seems to be following a pattern.
似乎是后一种模式
The question is,
问题是
what could be driving the change in these vast river systems?
有什么可以令这些庞大的水系发生改变?
Pablo first looked to the 11-year sunspot cycle,but found no fit.
巴勃罗首先看了11年太阳黑子周期 发现没有合适的
So instead,he turned to calculations
所以 他改为计算来说明
that described the sun's underlying brightness during the last century.
在上个世纪的太阳的基本亮度
He showed me what happened when you superimpose this solar data
他给我看 当太阳的数据图重叠到
on the water levels in the river.
这条河的水位图 会有什么有趣的发生
You see that when the sun goes up,the river goes up.
你看 当太阳(数据)上升 河水上涨
So what this is saying is,around 1925 or so,
这是1925年左右的说法
there was more solar activity,
这里有更多的太阳活动
so the amount of,really,the solar radiation falling on the earth.
所以 这个数值 实际上 就是太阳辐射落到地上
Right,there was relatively more activity,solar activity,
对 相对来说有更多的活动 太阳活动
in these three periods we can see here.
这三个时期 我们可以在这里看到
I mean,it's a beautiful correlation between the water flow,
我的意思是 这是一个美丽的水流量之间的相关性
the flow in these rivers and the solar output.
这些河流的流量与太阳输出
Yes,it is. We find it's a very striking correlation.
是的 它的确是 我们发现这是一个非常惊人的相互关系
Changes in the sun seem to move weather systems elsewhere,too.
由于太阳的变化导致变动的天气系统 似乎也适用于其他地方
In India,the monsoon appears to follow
在印度 雨季依旧
a similar pattern to the Parana river,
巴拉那河也是类似的规律
whereas in the Sahara,the opposite seems to occur.
而在撒哈拉 貌似相反的事在发生
More solar activity,less rain.
更多的太阳活动 少雨
The exact mechanisms by which our star may affect Earth's weather
我们的恒星可能有个精密的机制 来影响地球的天气
remain,for now,a mystery.
但是 现在 依然是个谜
We know that the energy production rate of the sun,
我们知道 太阳能源的生产速度
the power released in the fusion reactions at the core,
核聚变反应中释放的核心能量
is very constant indeed.
的确是非常稳定的
It doesn't change as far as we can tell,
据我们所知 这并没有改变
and so the changes that we see
所以我们看到的变化
must be to do with the way the energy gets out of the sun.
肯定是太阳能量溢出的方式造成的
And,whilst it's only at the tenths of a percent level
虽然这里地球表面的瀑布
in the amount of radiation that falls onto the surface of the earth,
只占太阳到地球辐射量的十分之一
it really does reveal the intimacy and delicacy
但它确实揭示了亲密和微妙的
of the connection between the sun and the earth.
太阳和地球之间的联系
And this connection is the secret to another of the sun's wonders.
而这也是太阳奇观的另一个秘密
Of all the stars in the universe,
宇宙中所有的恒星
we know of only one where a phenomenon has arisen
我们已知的只有一个地方出现了某种现象
which feeds on starlight.
星光饲料
These leaves are wonderful machines,
这些叶子是美妙的机器
nature's way of harnessing the power of the sun.
用大自然的方式获取太阳的能量
But they're fussy eaters.
但它们挑食
They've evolved to use just a fraction of the sunlight
它们已经进化到只用一小部分
that makes its way through Earth's atmosphere.
通过地球大气层的阳光
Here on the surface,sunlight may appear white.
在地面上 阳光可能呈现是白色的
But when you pass it through a prism,
但当你让它通过一个棱镜
you see it's made up of all the colours of the rainbow.
你可以看到它是由彩虹的颜色组成的
The prism splits sunlight into its component colours,
该棱镜分开了阳光的组成颜色
revealing the red,green and blue photons.
出现了红色 绿色和蓝色光子
And it's not just their colour that distinguishes them.
不只是它们的颜色来区别它们
The red photons don't carry much energy,there are lots of them,
红色光子不携带大量能源 但这里有很多红光
whereas the blue photons,although there are fewer,
而蓝色光子 尽管很少
carry a lot of energy.
但它们携带着大量的能量
And plants use the red bit of the spectrum,
植物使用频谱的红色位
and they use the blue bit of the spectrum,
它们使用频谱的蓝色位
but they don't use as much of the green.
但它们不使用绿色
That's reflected and so that's why,
它们反射出来 这就是为什么
when you look around a forest like this on a sunny day,
当你看到周围这样一个阳光灿烂日子里的森林
you just see a sea of green.
你只看到了绿色的海洋
So the wonderful colour of the forest is all down to how
因此 森林中美好的颜色
plants have adapted to the quality of our star's light.
说明植物已经适应了我们恒星的光质
And it's this ability to harvest sunlight
它这种获取阳光的能力
which lies at the base of the complex food chain
是复杂的食品链中的基础
which nourishes,well,pretty much all life on Earth.
滋养了 啊 几乎所有地球上的生命
Each and every one of us is sustained by the sun's light,
我们的每一个人都是由太阳光供养着
an umbilical cord of sunshine
阳光就像一条脐带
that stretches across 150 million kilometres of space.
横跨1.5亿公里的太空输送养料
But beyond the visible power of the sun lies another realm.
但是 在太阳可见的能量以外
These are the unseen forces
有一些看不见的能量
by which it maintains influence over its domain.
它保持了其领域的影响力
And,very occasionally,the solar system arranges itself
很偶然 太阳系自身的安排
so that we can glimpse this invisible kingdom with our own eyes.
因此 我们可以看到这个无形的王国
It's 5.28,so that's time of first contact
现在是5点28分 所以这是第一次接触
and you can't see the disc of the sun at the moment,
你还不能看到大饼似的太阳
it's obscured by low cloud.
低云层遮挡了它
The edge of the moon is,at this point,just beginning to touch the disc of the sun.
月亮的边缘 在这一时间点上 刚开始接触太阳大饼
You can see the sun emerging through the clouds,see the disc.
你可以看到透过云层出现的太阳 看这大饼
Oh,and you can see the moon. Can you see the moon on the top?
哦 你可以看到月亮了 你看到上面的月亮没?
Oh,yeah!
哦 爽!
It just vanished. Can you see the rim of the moon there? Absolutely fantastic.
它只是消失了 你能看到月亮的边缘吗? 绝对精彩
Yeah? See the sun?
怎么样? 看到太阳没?
CROWD CHATTERS
唠叨
You can see the celestial mechanics,the clockwork of the solar system at work.
你看到的天体力学 太阳系正精确地运作
The alignment is absolutely perfect.
该路线是绝对完美的
CHATTERING STOPS
振动停止
Look at that!
看!
If you EVER needed convincing that we live in a solar system,
如果你需要令人信服 我们生活在太阳系中的理由
that we are on a ball of rock orbiting around
我们生活在一个大石球上
the sun with other balls of rock,then look at that.
围绕着太阳 同时另一个大石球也围绕着我们 然后看看这个
That's the solar system coming down and grabbing you by the throat.
那是太阳下来 紧紧握住了你命运的喉咙
'The sun's face is now completely shrouded by the moon.
'太阳的脸已经完全被月球遮盖住了
'Only now,during totality,is the hidden wonder of the sun revealed.'
'只有现在 在日全食期间 太阳才会透露出它隐藏的奇妙的一面.'
Look,I mean,that's the sun's atmosphere,that's not clouds.
看 我说 这就是太阳的大气层 不是云
There are no clouds there now.
那里没有云彩
That's the solar corona. That's the atmosphere of our star shining out.
这就是日冕 这就是我们太阳照耀出的大气了
The sun's atmosphere is strange.
太阳的大气层很奇怪
It's made up of a thin collection of charged particles,protons and electrons.
它由一种带电粒子 质子和电子薄膜的集合组成
Through mechanisms that we don't yet fully understand,
我们至今都没有完全弄懂
the corona is much hotter than the surface.
日冕比太阳表面热得多的原因
Here,temperatures soar to over a million degrees Celsius,
这里的温度超过100万摄氏度
some 200 times hotter than the visible surface.
大约200倍于可见的球面
Each and every day,right at the very top of the atmosphere,
每一天每一日 就在大气的最高层
some of the most energetic coronal particles are escaping.
日冕中最有活力的一些粒子正在逃逸
The sun leaks nearly seven billion tons of corona every hour into space,a vast,
太阳每隔一小时泄漏到太空近7亿多吨日冕
superheated,supersonic collection of smashed atoms
巨大的 过热的 超音速聚集着原子将轰出
that en masse are known as the solar wind.
这就是我们熟知的太阳风
This is the beginning of an epic journey that will see
这只是一个史诗般旅程的开始
the sun's breath reach out to the furthest parts of the solar system.
太阳的气息可以接触到太阳系最远的地方
Look at that!
看!
'All too soon,this brief glimpse of the solar wind's origin is gone.'
'所有的都过得太快了 这个太阳风的起源只是短暂一瞬 '
It's the most incredible thing I've ever seen,actually.
这真的是我见过的最神奇的事了
Amazing when,when the sun re-emerged from behind the moon.
当太阳重新从月亮背后出现 又一个令人惊讶的时刻
Everybody just...like that...
这样每个人都...就像这样 ...
Goes... Wow!
哇
The solar wind may be invisible to us,
太阳风对于我们可能是看不到的
but each day,tiny pieces of our star are constantly blowing our way.
但每一天 一小片一小片地向我们吹过来
Now,by the time the solar wind reaches the Earth,it's pretty dilute.
现在 当太阳风到达地球 它已经很稀释了
You know if you were to go out into space close to the Earth
你知道 如果你在地球附近进入太空
and hold your hand up there,you wouldn't feel anything.
举着你的手在那 你不会觉得有什么
In fact there are about five protons and five electrons
事实上 从空间密度上看
for every sugar cube's worth bit of space,
一个方糖大的空间大概有5个质子和5个电子
but still they're travelling very fast and they carry a lot of energy,
但它们速度仍然非常快 它们携带了大量的能量
enough energy in fact over time to blow the earth's atmosphere off into space.
事实上 它们总有一天会有足够的能量吹散地球的大气层
So how does life on our planet survive this lethal gale?
在这个致命的大风 我们星球上的生命将如何生存下去?
'To find the answer,I need to head north.
'为了寻找答案 我向北方进发
'On a beautiful sunny winter's day in the Arctic,
'在北极冬季一个美丽晴朗的一天
it's hard to imagine that our star could be a threat.
很难想象 太阳也许是个威胁
'But high above us,deadly solar particles are streaming
'但我们头顶上空 有致命的太阳粒子流
'our way at speeds topping a million kilometres an hour.'
'我们前进在高达1万公里的时速中 '
Down here on the Earth's surface,
在地球表面 我们被保护着
we're protected from that intense solar wind that's battering
剧烈的太阳风依然肆虐着我们的地球
our planet because the Earth has a natural shield
但地球有一个天然屏障
that deflects most of the solar wind around it.
所以太阳风的大部分都偏转到它周围了
And to see that shield,you just need a simple shield detector which is a compass.
看下这个 你只需要一个简单的屏蔽探测器来保护你的指南针
And that's because the earth's force field is magnetic,
因为地球力场是磁性的
an invisible shell that surrounds the planet in a protective cocoon.
一种无形的外壳 像围绕着地球的一个保护茧
It's very similar to the shape of the field around the bar magnets
它的磁场领域非常类似条形磁铁周围的形状
and you can see that shape by moving a compass around it.
你移动指南针时 可以看到周围的磁场形状
The compass needle follows the magnetic field lines,
罗盘针顺延着磁力线
and the Earth field is actually very similar in shape to this one.
地球磁场实际上非常类似于这个形状
The magnetic field emanates from deep within our planet's spinning iron-rich core.
磁场从我们地球深处富含铁的核心放射出去
And it's this gigantic force field,known as the magnetosphere,
而正是这种巨大的力场 也就是众所周知的磁层
that deflects most of the lethal solar wind harmlessly away into space.
偏转了最致命的太阳风 使之无害地送入太空
But the planet doesn't escape completely.
但地球并没有完全逃脱
When the solar wind hits the Earth's magnetic field,it distorts it.
当太阳风撞击地球的磁场 它歪曲了
It stretches the field out on the night side of the planet
它延伸的领域到地球夜晚的一侧
and in some ways it's like stretching a piece of elastic.
而且磁层像一块橡皮筋
More and more energy goes into the field.
越来越多的能量进入这一领域
Over time,this energy builds up stretching the tail,
随着时间的推移 这种能量积聚成尾巴状
until it can no longer hold onto it all.
直到它再也把握不住
Eventually,the energy is released,accelerating a stream
最终 能量释放 加速成
of electrically charged particles down the field lines towards the poles.
带电粒子流 冲向两极
And when these particles that have been energised by the solar wind
当这些太阳风带电粒子
hit the Earth's atmosphere,they create one of the most beautiful sights in nature
撞击地球大气层 它们也创造大自然最美丽的景点之一
the aurora borealis,or Northern Lights.
北极光
'I've come to the far north of Norway
'我来到遥远的挪威北部
'in hope of seeing the solar wind's influence on our planet for myself,
'希望亲自看到太阳风对我们星球的影响
'to see the mystical aurora for the first time.'
'第一次看到了神秘的极光 '
Seeing the aurora on any given night is far from certain.
不是每个晚上都能看到极光的
'So to shorten the odds,I've recruited the help of an astrophysicist,
'因此 为了减少失败的可能 我找了一位天体物理学家帮助
'Professor Mike Lockwood.'
'Mike Lockwood 教授 '
So Mike,not that I'm complaining,but other than for reasons of pure enjoyment,
Mike 不是我抱怨 但除了纯粹娱乐的原因
why did we have to come to the Arctic Circle on snowmobiles?
为什么我们还要大老远地骑着雪摩来北极圈?
The city street lights produce a light pollution
由于全市路灯产生的光污染
that actually make it hard to see the aurora
实际上 很难看到极光
and it's good we've come at the end of winter
不过冬天准备结束
because the energy we take out the solar wind is stronger.
这个时候太阳风的能量更强
Yes,so this is,I suppose then,
希望如此 完美的一天
the perfect day because we're in late March,completely blue sky.
因为我们在3月下旬 完全的蓝天
Fabulous. If this stays,we've got 80% chance tonight.
没错 今晚留夜的话 我们有80％的机会(看到极光)
Soon after dusk,and despite clear skies,
黄昏后不久 尽管是晴朗的天空
there's no early performance from the aurora.
但没有极光的预兆
So while we wait,Mike runs a film loop of the Northern Lights
所以等待的时候 麦克放了一部北极光电影
as seen from an extraterrestrial perspective.
像是从外星空看到的远景
So that's a beautiful image.
很漂亮的影像
I haven't seen an image like that before.
我以前没有见过这样的影像
It was taken from above the pole?
这是在极点上面拍的?
Yeah,that's a spacecraft in orbit around the planet,
是的 那是一个围绕地球的航天器
yes,going from pole to pole.
从极点到极点
'From space,you can really see the impact of the solar wind.
'从太空 你可以真正看到了太阳风的影响
'Its energy feeds an unbroken circuit of aurora that surrounds the pole.'
'它的能量流入一个不间断的圆圈 极光一直环绕着圆圈
And we will feel that it's a display put on just for us here.
同时 你会觉得它只展示给我们这个地方看
When you see the pictures from space,
当你从太空看到这张图片
you realise everybody on that oval is getting the display.
你会意识到大家在这椭圆里都能看到
Well,my hope is that we'll be directly underneath
嗯 我的希望是 我们将直接到下面的小薄带
that tiny thin band tonight here in Tromso.
今晚在特罗姆瑟(挪威北部港市)
Thankfully,our luck holds and the skies remain crystal clear,
幸运的是 我们还有机会 清澈的天空依然
until at last,energy brought by the solar wind sets the upper atmosphere alight.
直到最后 太阳风带来的能量照亮了大气层
Absolutely amazing sight.
绝对是华丽的视觉享受
Arcs,but more like curtains of green.
弓状 但更像绿色的丝绸
It doesn't look to me like it's cascading down.
它不像我期望中地落下
It looks like it's rising up from the ground.
看起来像是从地面上升起来
It is quite incredibly beautiful,
它实在是非常非常漂亮
and I thought before I'd seen it that I would
我想是我曾经见过的
think it was all the more wonderful because I knew that I was seeing
最神奇的景色
a visual manifestation of the earth's magnetic field protecting us from the solar wind,
在太阳风暴中 极光像一个华丽的光罩 保护着地球
but I don't think that.
但我不这么认为
Actually over there,there's a green shaft of light that looks like it's rising up
事实上在那边 一个绿色的光轴 看起来像是从远处的山脉
out of the mountain in the distance and it looks like spirits
慢慢升起 仿佛灵魂
drifting up from the mountain into heaven.
从山上漂到了天国
Absolutely magnificent.
绝对的壮观
Our environment doesn't stop at the edge of our atmosphere.
我们的生存环境不只局限于大气层底下
In fact our environment stretches at least as far as the sun
其实 它至少还扩展到太阳系
which is an obvious statement to make in the daytime
很明显嘛 即使在白天
because you can feel the heat of the sun,but in the night time,you see this other side.
你依然能感觉到太阳的热量 但在夜间 就不同了
You see this unseen and constant solar wind.
你看到了从未见过的和一直不断的太阳风
Beyond earth,the solar wind continues to race out into the solar system
除了地球 太阳风继续长途跋涉到太阳系各处
and wherever it encounters a planet with a magnetosphere,aurora spring up.
无论在何地 如果遇到一颗拥有磁层的行星 极光就会涌现
Jupiter's magnetic field is the largest and most powerful in the solar system.
木星的磁场是太阳系里最大最强的
Seen from the Hubble space telescope,the aurora here
从哈勃太空望远镜看到这里的极光
are a permanent fixture over the Jovian poles.
在木星两极永久地固定
Saturn,too,puts on an impressive display as seen in this remarkable footage.
土星 同样留下了令人印象深刻的画面
Eventually,though,way beyond the planets,the solar wind begins to run out of steam.
尽管到最后 越出了行星之后 太阳风慢慢失去动力
It's travelled non-stop for 16 billion kilometres,
它不停旅行了160亿公里
over 100 times the distance of the Earth from the sun.
超过100倍的地日距离
And incredibly,we have a probe out there
不可思议的是 我们在那里有个探测器
which is about to discover exactly where the wind from the sun ends.
探索太阳风的真正意义
When I was about five,I collected these cards,the Race Into Space.
我5岁时 收集这些卡片 "探索外太空"
It starts with Sputnik and it's a history of space,
它讲了人造卫星的历史背景
and right at the end there's the speculative stuff
然后讲一些探索的东西
about moon base and then a manned mission to Mars,
月球基地上 有个载人的火星任务
on November 12th 1981,it was going to leave.
在1981年11月12号出发
In there is the Grand Tour proposal by NASA to go
这是美国航天局的大旅游计划
to Jupiter,Saturn,Uranus,Neptune and it actually went.
实际上 木星 土星 天王星 海王星 它都去过了
I remember in '77 being excited and watching the launch
我记得在1977年很兴奋 因为观看到它发射了
and thinking this is,my card has come to pass,it's come to be.
回望过去 我的卡片成为了过去 但它也成为了现实
And astonishingly,I think,we're still in contact with this thing now.
我认为 即使是现在 我们在看到它的时候依然很惊叹
A pair of spacecraft were sent out on the Grand Tour,Voyagers one and two.
火箭放出了一对宇宙探测器 旅行者1号和2号
Both are alive and well,and Voyager one reports back to earth here.
两者到现在都运行良好 旅行者1号的报告返回到这里
Now,also in my book was this picture,
现在 这张书上的照片
the Goldstone Mars station in the Mojave desert.
是Mojave沙漠上的Goldstone火星站
And there it is,210 feet or it was at the time this book was written.
它就在那边 直径210英尺(64米) 或许是书上的那时候
It's been expanded since and it's one of the few telescopes in the world that's capable
这是因为 它扩建过 现在已经是世界上少有的几个
of communicating with Voyager which is ten billion miles from the Earth.
能与离地球10亿英里的旅行者号沟通的望远镜
Today,the Goldstone station is listening out for the faintest whisper from Voyager one.
今天 我们正聆听从Goldstone站传出的 旅行者1号微弱的信号
Call 233,oh,it's almost there now,so we should be seeing it coming in.
呼叫233 哦 它几乎没有信号 我们应该还是能看到它的.
'Voyager is so far away that it takes the signal
'旅行者号是那么的远 它的信号
'around 15 hours to arrive,travelling at the speed of light.'
'大约15小时后才能抵达 以光的速度 '
Oh,that triangle?
咦 这三角?
Yeah,that's it,right there.
是 它就在那里
There.
那里
'It may appear as little more than a blip on a screen but for me,it's beautiful.'
'这可能只是雷达上的一个点 但对我来说 它是如此的美丽 '
I mean,you just have to think about it,this little thing,
我的意思是 你只要想一想 这个小东西
it's no bigger than a double-decker bus,
它的体积不超过一辆双层巴士
designed in the late '60s,launched in the mid-'70s
60年代后期设计 70年代中期发射
and still functioning 32 years later,
32年后仍然运作
and good science data is still coming out of that little space craft.
良好的科学数据仍然从这小飞船发出
I think it's absolutely wonderful.
我认为这是绝对的亮点
Both Voyager spacecraft are constantly measuring the solar wind as it fades away.
这两个旅行者号飞船不断测量太阳风 在它消失时
One day soon,they will find the place where the sun's last physical trace finally runs out.
不久的一天 它们会到达 不再受太阳影响的地方
They'll leave the star that raised them behind and head off into interstellar space.
它们将脱离太阳 将之甩离 一头扎入星际的无穷空间
But even at that place,ten billion miles away where the solar wind meets the interstellar wind,
但即使在那里 100亿英里远的太阳风会遇到星际风
that isn't the end of the story.
这不是故事的结束
That isn't the edge of the sun's influence.
这也不是太阳的势力边缘
'The sun has a final invisible force that reaches out much further.
'太阳有一种无形的力量 即使在更远的地方
'Our star is,by far,the largest wonder in the solar system.
'我们的恒星是 迄今为止 太阳系中最大的奇迹
'In fact,it alone is 99% of the solar system's mass.
'事实上 它独占整个太阳系99％的物质
'It's this immensity that gives the sun its furthest reaching influence...
'这是个浩大的 能让太阳最远的地方都受影响的...
..gravity.
..引力 '
So its gravitational field dominates and all the planets are bound gravitationally to it.
因此 它的引力场中 所有的行星都受其引力约束
The Earth for example,93 million miles away,
举例说地球9300万英里远
also known as one astronomical unit
也被称为一个天文单位
so let's represent that by one centimetre...
让我们用1厘米来表示...
And the most distant planet,Neptune,30 astronomical units so 30 centimetres.
而最遥远的行星 海王星 30个天文单位左右 所以..30厘米
We then meet the Kuiper belt objects of which Pluto,the ex-planet,is a member.
然后 我们柯伊伯带天体中的冥王星 曾是九大行星成员
They inhabit a region around 50 astronomical units
它们扩散在距离太阳50个天文单位之处
so that is the size of the solar system in terms of...
因此 它是太阳系大小的范围...
well,all the planets and all the Kuiper belt objects out to Pluto,but it doesn't stop there.
嗯 所有的行星和柯伊伯带天体 但它的脚步没有停止
'Beyond Pluto,space is a cocktail of extremely dilute gas and dust,'
'冥王星之外的空间 是极其稀薄气体和尘埃'
mostly just hydrogen and helium left over from the universe's beginning at the Big Bang.
大多是宇宙在大爆炸时遗留下来的氢和氦
But every now and then,you encounter lumps of ice in vast orbits
但每时每刻 你会遇到巨大冰块 在其巨大的轨道
that take millennia to loop around the sun.
几千年来不断环绕着太阳
And that cloud of snowballs is called the Oort cloud.
这雪球云 被称为奥尔特云
'And astonishingly,the sun's grip is so strong
'令人震精的是 太阳的抓力是如此强大
'that objects in the Oort cloud keep popping up all the way to out here.'
'奥尔特云的物质一直以这种方式飞到这里 '
Now,that cloud of dirty snowballs,still gravitationally bound
现在 脏雪球云 仍然受引力约束
to the sun,extends out 50,000 astronomical units.
对于太阳 延伸出50 000个天文单位
On our scale,
按照我们假设的尺度
that's half a kilometre from the sun and remember,
从太阳到这里 是半公里 但你要记得
the Earth was one centimetre away.
地球只离太阳一厘米
This,then,is the full extent of the sun's empire,
那么 这就是太阳帝国完完整整的范围
the lightest gravitational touch which retains a cloud of ice,
最轻微的引力保留了冰云
enclosing the sun in a colossal sphere.
包围在一颗巨大领域中的太阳
Beyond the Oort cloud,there is nothing.
过了奥尔特云 什么都没了
Only sunlight escapes,light that will take four years
只有漏出的阳光 需时4年
before it reaches even the sun's closest neighbour,Proxima Centauri,
到达比邻星 尽管它是太阳最亲密的邻居
a red dwarf star among the 200 billion others that make up the Milky Way.
2000亿的红矮星构成了银河系
And it's by looking here,deep into our local galactic neighbourhood,
从它这里看 深入到我们的银河系附近
that we're learning to read the story of our own star's ultimate fate.
我们正在弄懂有关我们恒星最终命运的故事
The sun's empire is so vast and so ancient and its power so immense,it seems like
太阳帝国是如此广阔 如此古老 它的力量如此巨大
an audacious thought to think that we could even begin to comprehend its end the death of our sun.
我们甚至可以开始理解它的结束 太阳之死
But that's what astronomers are trying to do
因此 这正是天文学家努力去做
and many of them come here to the most arid and barren desert on earth,the Atacama in Chile,
他们中的许多人来到这里 地球上最干旱贫瘠的沙漠 智利Atacama
and that's because the skies here are some of the clearest on earth.
因为这里的天空是地球上最清晰的地方之一
'It's the end of my journey through the empire of the sun.'
'我穿过太阳帝国的旅程 这是最后一站 '
I've come to Paranal,high up on an extinct volcano.
我来到Paranal 高高的一座死火山
It's home to the world's most powerful array of telescopes.
这是世界上最强大的望远镜阵列
I've got to tell you this. This is great.
我必须告诉你一件事 很重要的
You get important information you should know for a safe stay on Paranal
你得知道一些在Paranal安全停留的重要信息
because it's about 2,500 metres,two and a half kilometres in the air,and it says here
因为它高2500米 空中两个半公里 这里还说
that if during your stay you experience any of the following,
如果在逗留期间 您遇到以下情况之一
consult a paramedic immediately...
应立即咨询医生...
So there's headache and dizziness,
因此 有头痛
breathing problems,ringing or blocking of the ears...SEEING STARS.
头晕 呼吸困难 耳鸣或耳塞..."看到星星"
It honestly says'If you see stars at the Paranal Observatory,consult a paramedic immediately!'
它很认真地说'如果你看到在Paranal天文台的恒星 立即咨询医生! '
'Perched high above the clouds,four colossal instruments
'栖息在云层高端 4个巨大的器械
'make up the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope,or VLT.'
'组成了欧洲南方天文台的超大望远镜 或VLT
Even with the naked eye,the seeing here is spectacular.
单单用肉眼 在这里就能看到如此壮观了
The first thing you notice streaking across the sky is the Milky Way.
你首先注意到的是 划过天空的银河系
You can have no doubt when you look at that that we live in a galaxy of billions of stars.
你可以毫不怀疑 我们正生活在一个数千亿恒星的星系里
The next thing you notice,if you look a little bit more carefully,
接下来 如果你仔细看的话
is the stars are not just white points of light against the blackness of the sky.
这些星星不只是黑暗天空上的白点
They're actually coloured.
它们实际上都有颜色
You see orangey-red stars,yellow stars and bluey-white stars.
你看红的恒星 橙的恒星和黄白色的星星
Absolutely beautiful.
好美
Astronomers have gazed upon the galaxy full of stars at all stages of their lives,
天文学家已经在银河系中关注着恒星 观察其生命的所有阶段
from youthful,bright stars to middle-aged yellow stars very similar to the sun.
从年轻明亮的到中年黄色的 与太阳很类似
They've meticulously charted the nearest 10,000 of them,
他们已经精心绘制了近10 000颗星球
and then arranged each according to its colour and brightness.
然后按照各自的颜色和亮度排列
What emerges is one of the most powerful and elegant
于是出现了天文学中 集最强大和最优雅
tools in the whole of astronomy,the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.
于一身的工具 赫罗图
And so this diagram allows astronomers to predict the history and evolution of stars,
这个图可以让天文学家预测恒星的演化和历史
and in particular,the future life of our sun.
特别是 我们太阳未来的命运
There's real structure here.
真正的结构在这里
There's this line that goes up from red stars through yellow stars
这条线上 从红星到黄星
to white stars,and this is called the main sequence.
再到白星 这就是所谓的主序
The sun will spend most of its life in the main sequence,steadily burning
太阳的一生 基本在主序中稳定地燃烧
its vast reserves of hydrogen fuel which will last for at least another 5 billion years.
其庞大的氢燃料储备 至少还可烧50亿年.
But eventually the fuel will run out and its core will collapse.
但最后 燃料耗尽 其核心会坍塌
'Then something remarkable will happen.'
'然后 一些显著的变化将会发生 '
The sun's outer layers will expand and its colour will shift.
太阳的外层将扩大 颜色会转变
Mercury will be little more than a memory as it's engulfed by the expanding red sun.
膨胀的红太阳吞没水星
It will grow to 200 times its size today,
它会变到如今的200倍大
stretching all the way out to the Earth's orbit where our own planet's prospects are dim.
一路绵延出地球的轨道 我们星球上的前景将变得暗淡
The wonder that has remained so constant throughout all
这种奇景会一直保持
of its ten billion years of life will end its days as a red giant star.
在结束前的10亿年 它成为红巨星
For a few brief instants,it will be 2,000 times as bright as it is now but that won't last for long.
那短短的瞬间 其亮度将是现在的2000倍 但不会持续很长时间
Eventually it'll shed its outer layers and all that will be left will be its cooling core,
最终它会脱离其外层 所有遗留下的将成为它冷却的核心
a faint cinder that will glow,
像一个微弱的煤渣 发光
well,pretty much to the end of time.
同时 差不多结束的时候
And all its wonders,the aurora that danced through the atmospheres of planets of the solar system,
和所有的奇观一起 极光 太阳系各行星
and its light that sustains all the life here on earth,will be gone.
维持地球上所有生命的阳光 都会消失
'But the gas and dust of the dying sun will drift off into space,
'但是 垂死的太阳引起的气体和尘埃将飞进太空漂流
'in time to form a vast dark cloud primed and full of possibilities.
'慢慢地 形成一片巨大的乌云 有了充分的可能
Until one day,another star will be born,
直到有一天 另一颗恒星诞生
perhaps,with a similar story to tell,
也许 也有一个类似的故事
the greatest story of the cosmos.
宇宙中最伟大的故事