How the James Webb Space Telescope Will Unfold the Universe | John C. Mather | TED

譯者: 至磊Zi Le 黃Ng 審譯者: Helen Chang

When I was six,

我六歲時，

my father told me that I was made out of tiny cells filled with chromosomes

我父親告訴我， 我由微小的細胞構成，

細胞裡有決定我命運的染色體。

that would control my fate.

I thought, "That's amazing.

我想：「那太神奇了。

There are so many mysterious things in there, and I want to know more.”

那裡有好多神祕的事情， 我想知道更多。」

I read about Galileo and Darwin, and I became a scientist.

我讀了伽利略和達爾文的事蹟， 然後成為一名科學家。

At that time, hardly anything was known.

當時，幾乎沒有已知的事物。

We did not yet know that the chemical elements came from exploded stars,

我們還不知道來自 爆炸恆星的化學元素，

that everything you see around you was recycled from inside of stars.

不知道你周遭看到的一切事物 都是從恆星內部回收來的，

So we did not know we are recycled stars.

我們不知道我們是星體回收來的。

But we set off to measure the Big Bang,

但我們開始測量大霹靂，

and we measured the map of the cosmic microwave background radiation,

測量宇宙微波背景輻射的圖，

using millimeter waves

使用毫米波，

and it's the entire sky wrapped around on to an oval

把整個星空包覆在橢圓上，

so you can see it.

讓你看得見它。

We see that there are hot and cold spots in this Big Bang material.

我們看到這個大霹靂輻射的圖上 有熱的和冷的點。

Now we say, well, that’s because those were there in very, very beginning,

現在我們說那是因為 它們在宇宙初始就存在了，

who knows exactly why,

沒人知道為什麼，

but they led to the existence of galaxies, stars, planets and, eventually, people.

但它們造就了星系、恆星、行星， 最終造就了人類。

No spots, no people.

沒有點就沒有人。

So it turned out to be important.

結果發現它是重要的。

So then how did that work?

那麼，這是怎麼一回事？

What happened next?

接下來會怎樣？

Well, we said let's take pictures.

我們說，讓我們拍些照片吧。

So, of course, we take pictures of the sky with the Hubble Space Telescope.

當然，我們用哈伯太空望遠鏡 來拍攝星空的照片。

This picture was taken around 1995,

這張照片大約是 1995 年拍攝的，

and it shows galaxies far, far, far away.

它呈現了非常非常遠的星系。

It shows what you can get

它呈現出你可以從直徑大約 2.4 公尺的可見光望遠鏡得到什麼。

with the telescope that's about eight feet in diameter

and can observe visible light.

So we were thrilled to have this picture.

擁有這張照片讓我們非常高興。

And it shows thousands of galaxies.

它呈現數千個星系，

They were unable to include the most distant galaxies,

但不包括最為遙遠的星系，

the ones that would be as they were being born,

那些剛形成的星系的模樣，

so there are no baby pictures of galaxies in this picture.

這張照片裡沒有星系最早的模樣。

We needed to have an even bigger and more powerful telescope

我們需要一座更大、 更有威力的望遠鏡，

that could pick up the infrared light from the most distant universe

能偵測來自最遙遠的宇宙的紅外線，

that has been stretched out by the expansion of the universe.

那是因為宇宙的擴張增長了波長。

So we didn't know what we would find.

我們仍不知道會發現什麼。

So astronomers wrote a book and they said,

天文學家寫了一本書，他們說：

"Please build us an even more powerful telescope."

「請為我們建造一座 更有威力的望遠鏡。」

And we did.

我們做到了。

This is the James Webb Space Telescope, you see a gigantic mirror,

這就是詹姆斯‧韋伯太空望遠鏡，

你看到一面巨大的鏡子，六邊形的， 因為有鍍金，所以能反射紅外線。

it's hexagonal, it's coated with gold so it reflects infrared light.

It is 21 feet across.

它的口徑是 6.5 公尺。

It is protected by a five-layer metalized plastic sunshade

它受一個五層的 鍍膜塑膠遮光板保護，

as large as a tennis court.

跟一座網球場一樣大。

This telescope is so large that it could not fit into the rocket

這座望遠鏡大到不能被放進火箭，

without being folded up like origami.

除非用摺紙的方式摺起來。

It's an incredible engineering accomplishment

構想並建造出這座望遠鏡 是一項不可思議的工程成就。

to be able to even conceive and build this telescope.

So we built it.

我們做出了它。

And then we've launched it.

我們發射了它。

It went up into space from French Guiana on Christmas morning, 2021.

它在 2021 年聖誕節的早晨 從法屬蓋亞那上升到太空。

It was a perfect launch.

那是一次完美發射。

The Arianespace company sent it straight to where we needed to go.

亞利安太空公司直接將它 送到我們需要的地點。

So we think we can have 20 years of operational scientific observations

我們認為二十年內運行的科學觀測 都可使用這座優秀的新望遠鏡。

with this great new telescope.

And it took only two minutes to go through the tropical clouds up

它只花了兩分鐘就通過熱帶的雲層，

towards the vacuum of outer space.

到達外太空的真空。

Now I want to show you how it unfolded in outer space,

我現在想展示給你們看

this origami telescope.

這座摺起來的望遠鏡 在外太空是怎麼展開的。

First we unfolded the solar panels.

首先我們展開遮光板。

Then we unfold the transmitter antenna

再來我們展開發射臺的天線，

so we can talk back and forth.

我們就能來往通訊。

Then we unfold the panels that hold the great sunshade in place.

接著我們展開支撐 巨大的遮光板的面板。

This takes us actually two weeks in real life.

這過程實際上花了我們兩個星期，

You see it compressed here so we can show it to you.

在這裡你們看到的是縮時的。

This is just a miracle of modern engineering, and it’s so complicated.

這是現代工程學的奇蹟，非常複雜。

And you'd say, is there any way you could have done this

你們可能問，不用這座大望遠鏡 有別的辦法做得到嗎？

without this great telescope?

And the answer seems to be no.

答案看起來是不行。

You need a big telescope.

需要一座大望遠鏡，

It needs to be in outer space.

必須在外太空，

必須很冷，才不會 發熱而射出自己的紅外線。

It needs to be cold, so it doesn’t glow and emit its own infrared.

And third is, being very carefully unrolled all by commands from here.

第三點是按照來自地球的指示 非常小心地展開這一切。

So you ask, how could you possibly make such a complicated thing work?

你會問，你們怎麼有辦法 讓這麼複雜的東西運作？

Well, number one, practice, practice, practice,

首先，演練、演練、演練，

rehearse and test, fix it when it's not quite right.

排練和測試，不正確時就修正。

And then, of course, have two of everything, if you possibly can.

再來，當然每個物件 都要盡可能準備兩份。

And third, have arguments with all of your friends to say,

第三點，跟你所有朋友爭論

is this really right?

這真的是對的嗎？

Can you think of anything that's a mistake that we might be making

你可以想到任何我們可能犯下的錯，

that we should fix before we launch it?

應該在發射前修正的嗎？

So the last step is finally to unfold the telescope itself.

最後一步是展開望遠鏡本身。

And there it is in outer space,

它位於外太空，

not quite ready to use because it's still warm and has not yet been focused.

還沒有準備好提供使用， 因為它仍熱熱的、尚未對焦。

So we had to wait for several weeks for it to start to cool down

我們需要等上幾個星期， 讓它開始降溫，

to a low enough temperature that we could do the next steps.

降到夠低的溫度 我們才能做下一個步驟。

We send it to a place called Lagrange Point 2,

我們將它送到第二拉格朗日點，

about a million miles farther out from the Sun than we are.

跟太陽的距離比我們 多了約 160 萬公里。

This is a place that moves around the Sun with us every year,

這是一個每年隨我們 繞太陽公轉而移動的地點，

so the telescope does not get any farther away.

望遠鏡不會去更遠的地方。

It is the only place that we can put a telescope where this is the setup,

這是唯一能依這種方法 配置望遠鏡的地點，

and you can have the one-sided umbrella that protects the telescope

可以用一側的遮光板保護望遠鏡

from the Sun and the Earth and the Moon.

免於太陽、地球、月球。

So the next thing is, what did we see?

下一件事是，我們看到了什麼？

We focused the telescope and took some pictures

我們將望遠鏡對焦，

拍了幾張相同恆星的照片， 用韋伯望遠鏡觀測。

of the same star we looked at with the Webb.

So the fuzzy picture is the Spitzer Space Telescope launched in 2003.

這張模糊的照片是 2003 年發射的 史匹哲太空望遠鏡拍攝的。

The sharp picture is the new Webb telescope.

這張清晰照片 是新的韋伯望遠鏡拍的。

We were so thrilled that it worked.

我們很高興它成功了。

We got a nice, sharp image of the star,

我們得到優秀、清晰的恆星照片，

and we can calculate now the sensitivity of this object,

現在我們可以計算望遠鏡的靈敏度，

that if you were a bumblebee,

如果你是一隻大黃蜂， 一個一平方公分的物體，

a square centimeter object hovering at the distance

跟望遠鏡相當於 從地球到月球的距離，

of the Moon from the Earth, away from the telescope,

we would be able to see you,

我們會看得見你，

both the sunlight you reflect and the heat you emit.

你反射的太陽光和釋放的熱都可以。

So there are no bumblebees in space,

太空沒有大黃蜂，

but there's something out there that we don't know.

但那裡有我們不知道的東西。

And I'm so sure that we're going to get a great surprise from this telescope.

我很確定我們會 從這座望遠鏡得到大驚喜。

So I'll show you what we look at.

我給你們看我們看到的東西，

Here is an example of a place where stars are being born as we speak.

這是一個恆星如我們所說 正在誕生的例子。

Now we know, more or less, that stars explode and produce dust,

現在我們知道大概是 恆星爆炸產生塵埃，

which goes and is recycled into new stars.

散出去並回收成新的恆星。

This is a place where the recycling is happening.

這是一個回收正在發生的地方。

Stars are being born in this beautiful cloud of glowing gas and dust.

恆星誕生於這個發熱的氣體 和塵埃聚集成的漂亮星雲。

On the left-hand side shows you what we see with visible light

左邊顯示我們用哈伯太空望遠鏡、 藉著可見光所能看到的。

with the Hubble Space Telescope.

The right-hand side shows you that you can begin to see through the dust

右邊你們開始可以透視塵埃，

with an infrared camera that we also have on the Hubble telescope.

利用哈伯望遠鏡 也設有的紅外線攝影機。

It's beautiful.

它很美。

Astronomers want to see inside and we will

天文學家想看到內部， 我們會用韋伯望遠鏡做到。

with the Webb telescope.

We can look at everything in the solar system from Mars on out.

我們可以看到太陽系裡 從火星往外的所有東西。

So this is a pretty interesting one,

這是一個很有趣的星體，

everybody knows Mars might be alive.

大家都知道火星上可能有生命。

What about Europa?

木衛二呢？

Europa is a satellite of Jupiter.

木衛二是木星的衛星之一，

It has a liquid ocean covered with ice.

有液態的海洋，被冰所覆蓋。

We know because we sent a probe out there named after Galileo himself,

我們知道這些是因為我們 把伽利略號探測器送到那裡，

and we saw this and took this picture.

看到這個，拍下這張照片。

Now we know that there is water coming out from the cracks

現在我們知道有水 從冰層間的縫隙冒出，

between the ice blocks

and once in a while, they can be watched from here.

偶爾能從這裡觀測到。

And we are planning to send a probe to fly through the water jets

我們計劃派遣一臺探測器 飛越噴出的水流，

and see if there might be any organic molecules in them.

看其中可不可能有任何的有機分子。

Is it alive? Well, maybe.

它有生命嗎？也許有。

We'll be watching this satellite with the Webb telescope as well.

我們也會用韋伯望遠鏡 觀測這顆衛星。

Farther on out in the solar system, we've been watching Titan.

往太陽系更遙遠的地方， 我們觀測土衛六。

Titan is the only moon in the solar system that has oceans and lakes

土衛六是太陽系衛星中唯一一個

表面有海洋、湖泊、 雨水、河流、大氣層的。

and rain and rivers and an atmosphere on the surface.

It is so cold, though,

不過它很冷，

that its liquid hydrocarbons, methane and ethane,

使甲烷、乙烷等碳氫化合物呈液態，

that you would use for fuel here on Earth.

在地球上你會把那些物質當成燃料。

So we'll be examining this with the Webb telescope

我們會用韋伯望遠鏡勘查它，

and we'll be sending a probe out there

把探測器送到那裡，

to land with even a helicopter to go exploring.

甚至讓直升機降落以進行探索。

So is this a place that's interesting for life?

這對生命而言是有趣的地方嗎？

Possibly.

有可能。

People ask me all the time,

人們總是問我，

are we sure that the kind we have here is the only kind?

我們能不能確定地球的生命 是唯一一種生命？

Well, maybe not.

也許不是。

And if not, this is a good place to look because it's different,

若是這樣，土衛六就適合調查，

因為它不一樣， 但還是有固體、液體和氣體，

but it still has solids, liquids and gases,

and it has a liquid hydrocarbon, which might be a possible solvent.

而且它有液態的碳氫化合物， 可能成為可行的溶劑。

We'll see.

我們會知道的。

Next thing we want to look at is,

下個我們想觀測的事物是

are there planets around other stars that might have life?

其他恆星周圍的行星可能有生命嗎？

So we will be looking in this way

我們會用這種方式觀察，

at small stars that have Earth-sized planets.

在所屬行星和地球大小 相近的小型恆星。

When a planet goes in front of the star, it can block some starlight,

當一顆行星從恆星前方通過， 它可以擋住一些光線，

some of the starlight goes through the atmosphere of the planet,

有些光線會穿過行星的大氣層，

if it has one,

如果行星有的話，

and on its way to our telescope,

然後朝望遠鏡前進，

and we can analyze that

我們可以分析它，

and look for the chemistry of such an atmosphere.

判斷大氣層的化學成分。

So, number one, does a little Earth-like planet out there

第一點，一顆小小的類地行星 有沒有大氣層？

have an atmosphere?

Number two, does it have any molecules in the atmosphere?

第二點，大氣層內有任何分子嗎？

And number three, could they be water?

第三點，那些分子會是水嗎？

Is there enough water out there so that there could be a liquid ocean?

那裡有沒有足夠的水 可以形成液態的海洋？

Well, maybe.

也許有。

We will find out and we'll tell you.

我們會找到答案，然後告訴你們。

So are we alone?

只有我們這些生命嗎？

Well, I don't know.

我不知道。

But we'll be going on after this project

但我們會在這個計畫之後

to even more powerful telescopes

打造更有威力的望遠鏡，

that can examine little Earths around stars like the Sun.

可以探查類似太陽的恆星 周圍的小型行星。

And then we'll be able to say, "Really, really, are they like home?"

然後我們就有能力說： 「它們真的像生命的家園嗎？」

And maybe yes.

也許是的。

We will be telling you all about what we find out,

我們會告訴你們我們發現了什麼，

beginning with our first scientific observations this summer.

從今年夏季我們的 第一項科學觀測開始。

So please stay tuned.

所以請保持關注。

Astronomers travel with the speed of light

天文學家以光速行進，

and the speed of imagination.

也以想像力的速度前進。

(Applause)

（掌聲）