2019 Was a Big Year for Space Discoveries and Climate Change

 

2019 was a big year for major space discoveries and events related to worldwide climate change. Here is a look back at some of the most popular science stories we covered in 2019.

Black hole image

An international team of astronomers¹ announced it had successfully captured the first image of a black hole. The picture shows the black hole having a dark center, encircled by a bright orange and yellow ring spreading outward.

Scientists say they produced the image from data collected from eight radio telescopes positioned around the world. The equipment centered on the galaxy² called Messier 87. It is about 55 million light years away from Earth, meaning it takes light from the galaxy 55 million years to reach our planet. The effort involved years of international research aimed at exploring "the most extreme objects in the Universe."

Super-Earth discovery

NASA researchers said a spacecraft discovered the first nearby "super-Earth" planet that could possibly support life. A super-Earth is a planet outside our solar system with a mass that can be between one and 10 times that of Earth.

The Transiting³ Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, spacecraft was launched in 2018 to look for planets outside our solar system. TESS was designed to expand upon the work of earlier exoplanet discoveries made with telescopes. More than 3,500 new exoplanets have been discovered over the past 20 years.

‘Marsquake' recorded

NASA announced that equipment aboard its Mars lander had picked up what scientists believe was the first "marsquake" ever recorded.

The seismic⁴ signal was measured and recorded by NASA's InSight lander, which touched down on Mars in November 2018. Scientists say the recorded activity was comparable to a 2.5-strong earthquake on our own planet. Such a small earthquake would likely not even be felt on Earth's surface.

Saturn⁵ the ‘moon king'

The planet Saturn was recognized as the "moon king" of our solar system. U.S. scientists announced the discovery of 20 new moons around Saturn, giving it a total of 82. Jupiter used to hold the record for most moons orbiting around it, with 79.

Researchers made the discovery using the powerful Subaru telescope in Hawaii. They gathered information over a period of several years.

Asteroid⁶ exercise

NASA teamed up with the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, and international experts to study the possibility of an asteroid, or other near-Earth objects, hitting Earth. At a conference near Washington, D.C., scientists simulated a made-up asteroid to explore how to defend against a real-life hit.

UN climate warning

A United Nations scientific report warned that human-caused climate change is greatly reducing land quality worldwide. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that the way humans use land is causing the Earth's atmosphere to warm faster and could harm food production.

It noted⁷ that the effects of climate change have already made food more costly⁸ and less nutritious⁹ and are worsening food shortages. The report also called for urgent measures to limit carbon emissions¹¹ to protect existing land and fight the amount of worldwide food waste.

Antarctica ice drop

Scientists reported the amount of sea ice around Antarctica has decreased from a record high to a record low in only a few years. The amount of Antarctic sea ice reached a record high in 2014. But a study of data gathered by NASA showed that three years later, the average amount of sea ice had reached its lowest level.

Experts say they are not sure exactly what caused the loss of ice. It could be a natural change, or a result of rising world temperatures caused by human activity.

Recyclable plastic discovery

A team of researchers working at the U.S. Department of Energy announced it had created a kind of plastic that could lead to products that are 100 percent recyclable. The material is a plastic polymer called polydiketoenamine, or PDK.

The team reports that the material can be broken down at the molecular¹² level. It can then be built up again to form plastics of different shapes, textures¹⁴, colors and more. The researchers say this process can be repeated over and over again without the plastic material losing any performance or quality.

Words in This Story

seismic – adj. related to or caused by an earthquake

emission¹⁰ – n. the act of releasing something

simulate – v. create something that behaves or looks like something real but is not

polymer – n. a natural or artificial substance made from many smaller molecules¹⁵

texture¹³ – n. the way something feels when you touch it

1 astronomers   

n.天文学者，天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Astronomers can accurately foretell the date,time,and length of future eclipses. 天文学家能精确地预告未来日食月食的日期、时刻和时长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings. 天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪，为什么只有土星有光环。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。

3 transiting   

通过（transit的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• The effect of the transiting mechanic required reserve system vehicle is low. 准备金制度的传导机制的作用是很低的。
• I was busy transiting to the telescope. 我正忙着旋转望远镜。

4 seismic   

a.地震的，地震强度的

参考例句：

• Earthquakes produce two types of seismic waves.地震产生两种地震波。
• The latest seismic activity was also felt in northern Kenya.肯尼亚北部也感觉到了最近的地震活动。

5 Saturn   

n.农神，土星

参考例句：

• Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings.天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪，为什么只有土星有光环。
• These comparisons suggested that Saturn is made of lighter materials.这些比较告诉我们，土星由较轻的物质构成。

6 asteroid   

n.小行星；海盘车(动物)

参考例句：

• Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet.天文学家还没有目击过小行星撞击其它行星。
• It's very unlikely that an asteroid will crash into Earth but the danger exists.小行星撞地球的可能性很小，但这样的危险还是存在的。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

9 nutritious   

adj.有营养的，营养价值高的

参考例句：

• Fresh vegetables are very nutritious.新鲜蔬菜富于营养。
• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。

10 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

11 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

12 molecular   

adj.分子的；克分子的

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
• For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。

13 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

14 textures   

n.手感( texture的名词复数 )；质感；口感；（音乐或文学的）谐和统一感

参考例句：

• I'm crazy about fabrics textures and colors and designs. 我喜欢各式各样的纺织物--对它的质地，色彩到花纹图案--简直是入了迷。 来自辞典例句
• Let me clear up the point about the textures. 让我明确了一点有关的纹理。 来自互联网

15 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。