VOA标准英语2009-European Space Agency Seeks Secrets of Universe

The European Space Agency has launched into orbit, two space observatories¹ that will help scientists understand the information of the universe.
　
A visitor watches an Ariane rocket in an exhibition at the Gasometer in Oberhausen, western Germany, 01 Apr 2009

The telescopes will give European scientists powerful new tools to look at some of the basic questions we all wonder about when we look at stars and galaxies² millions of kilometers away.

Goran Pilbratt is project scientist for one of the telescopes, called Herschel.

"We may learn a lot more about how stars like the sun formed and when they formed," said Goran Pilbratt. "[How] planets like our own planet formed. So star formation is a very big thing for Herschel."

If the operation is successful, Pilbratt says, the Herschel telescope will also try to answer other questions.

"Astronomers³ talk about structure formation in the universe, how did the universe get its large-scale structure that we can see today? And here is the second very important part about where Herschel can contribute a lot," he said. "Nobody else has been able to observe, with the detail that we can, the infrared⁴ emission⁵ from galaxies."

Those infrared emissions⁶ will allow the telescope to peer through cosmic dust and gas to see things like the evolution of early stars and galaxies. Scientists also want to learn more about mysterious dark matter and energy, and whether the universe will expand forever.

The other telescope, known as Planck, will study temperature variations from the very early universe.

The two telescopes are being launched from French Guyana for a total cost of more than $2 billion. If all goes well, scientists hope Herschel will be working for three years, and the Planck telescope for about 15 months.

The French launch coincides with the anticipated spacewalk of U.S. Astronauts John Grunsfeld and Drew Feustel who are expected to exit the space Shuttle Atlantis for the first of five spacewalks to upgrade Hubble telescope. They will replace the telescope's 15-year-old workhorse camera with one that sees deeper into the universe.

1 observatories   

n.天文台，气象台( observatory的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• John Heilbron, The Sun in the Church: Cathedrals as Solar Observatories, 3-23. 约翰．海耳布隆，《教会里的太阳：教堂即太阳观测台》，第3-23页。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists use satellites, land observatories and historical data to provide information about the weather. 气象学家使用卫星、上天文台和历史资料来提供有关天气的信息。 来自互联网

2 galaxies   

星系( galaxy的名词复数 )； 银河系； 一群（杰出或著名的人物）

参考例句：

• Quasars are the highly energetic cores of distant galaxies. 类星体是遥远星系的极为活跃的核心体。
• We still don't know how many galaxies there are in the universe. 我们还不知道宇宙中有多少个星系。

3 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》

4 infrared   

adj./n.红外线(的)

参考例句：

• Infrared is widely used in industry and medical science.红外线广泛应用于工业和医学科学。
• Infrared radiation has wavelengths longer than those of visible light.红外辐射的波长比可见光的波长长。

5 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。

6 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。