美国国家公共电台 NPR NASA Spacecraft Gets Up Close With Jupiter's Great Red Spot

 

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

A gigantic storm has captured scientists' interest for more than a century, but no one's been able to get a really close look at it until now. That's because the storm is on Jupiter. It's better known as Jupiter's Great Red Spot. The close-up look is being provided by NASA's Juno spacecraft, which is orbiting around the planet. NPR science correspondent Joe Palca has this preview of what scientists are hoping to learn about the storm.

JOE PALCA, BYLINE¹: Juno is flying closer to Jupiter than any space probe has before.

SCOTT BOLTON: Jupiter's stunning² when you get near it.

PALCA: Scott Bolton is principal investigator³ for the Juno mission. He spoke⁴ with me from his office at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Every 53 days, Juno's orbit brings it to within a few thousand miles of Jupiter's cloud tops. Today, the orbit takes it over the Great Red Spot.

BOLTON: We're flying right over it, pretty much.

PALCA: The spot is huge - bigger in diameter than the Earth. Bolton says in addition to taking close-up pictures, one of Juno's instruments can peer through the clouds and see what's underneath⁵ the spot - something scientists would dearly like to know.

BOLTON: I mean, it's lasted a really long time. No scientists really understand exactly how that storm was created or why it could last so long. It's possible that the roots are quite deep. And so we'll be able to take a look at that and see what's underneath the cloud tops.

PALCA: This isn't the only time Juno will fly directly over the spot.

BOLTON: Each time, we'll focus on a different kind of science.

PALCA: In a future flyby, Juno will measure the gravity field around the spot. Bolton says there may be something massive below the spot that's contributing to its existence.

BOLTON: Maybe there's a blob going around Jupiter that's underneath the red spot. And we may be able to see that.

PALCA: The blob beneath the spot - that's great.

BOLTON: (Laughter).

PALCA: The first photos and data from this latest flyby should arrive on Earth later this week. Joe Palca, NPR News.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

3 investigator   

n.研究者，调查者，审查者

参考例句：

• He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
• The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。