Carolyn Porco: Could a Saturn moon harbor life?

譯者: Bill Hsiung 審譯者: Curtis Lo

Two years ago here at TED

兩年前在 TED 大會上，

I reported that we had discovered

我曾向各位報告我們藉由

at Saturn, with the Cassini Spacecraft,

卡西尼探測器於土星探測到了

an anomalously warm and geologically active region

一個異常溫暖及地質活動頻繁的區域。

at the southern tip of the small Saturnine moon

這個區域位在土星其中一個小衛星（土衛二）的南端，

Enceladus, seen here.

現在在投影片上可以看到。

This region seen here for the first time

卡西尼探測器於 2005 年拍攝了這個區域

in the Cassini image taken in 2005. This is the south polar region,

的照片後，我們才得見其廬山真面目。這是其南極區域。

with the famous tiger-stripe fractures crossing the south pole.

有名的虎班裂痕遍佈南極區域。

And seen just recently in late 2008,

最近於 2008 下半年，

here is that region again,

我們又再一次的看到了這個區域，

now half in darkness because the southern hemisphere

現在有一半處於黑暗之中，

is experiencing the onset of August

因為南半球正在邁入秋季，

and eventually winter.

冬季隨後即將來臨。

And I also reported that we'd made this mind-blowing discovery --

我也曾經報告過，我們有一個驚人的發現 —

this once-in-a-lifetime discovery

這個一生難得的發現，

of towering jets

一個巨型風暴

erupting from those fractures at the south pole,

從南極這些裂痕上噴發而出，

consisting of tiny water ice crystals

這風暴是由細小的水冰晶伴隨著

accompanied by water vapor

水蒸氣所組成，

and simple organic compounds like carbon dioxide and methane.

其中還有像二氧化碳和甲烷等簡單有機化合物。

And at that time two years ago

而在兩年前的那個時候，

I mentioned that we were speculating

我曾提到我們懷疑

that these jets might in fact be geysers,

這些風暴其實是間歇性噴泉，

and erupting from pockets

從地表下方富含液態水的礦囊

or chambers of liquid water underneath the surface,

或是密閉空間中噴發而出。

but we weren't really sure.

但是我們那時不是非常確定。

However, the implications of those results --

然而，這些結果暗示著

of a possible environment within this moon

在這個衛星上，存在著一個環境

that could support prebiotic chemistry,

可能可以維持生命起源前的化學反應，

and perhaps life itself --

甚至可能有生命存在，

were so exciting that, in the intervening two years,

非常令人興奮的，在這兩年中

we have focused more on Enceladus.

我們更關注在調查土衛二。

We've flown the Cassini Spacecraft

我們已經使卡西尼探測器飛越

by this moon now several times,

這顆衛星數次。

flying closer and deeper into these jets,

飛行與風暴更靠近，進入更深層的風暴中，

into the denser regions of these jets,

進入更濃厚的風暴中，

so that now we have come away with some

因此現在我們得到了一些

very precise compositional measurements.

非常珍貴的組成探測資訊。

And we have found

我發現了

that the organic compounds coming from this moon

從這顆衛星上得到的有機化合物，

are in fact more complex than we previously reported.

比我們之前所公佈的報告更為複雜。

While they're not amino acids,

它們還不是胺基酸，

we're now finding things like

我們現在可以發現像是

propane and benzene,

丙烷、苯環、

hydrogen cyanide, and formaldehyde.

氰化氫和甲醛。

And the tiny water crystals here

而它的小水冰晶

now look for all the world

現在被世界公認為

like they are frozen droplets of salty water,

類似鹹水滴被凝結的狀態。

which is a discovery that suggests

這個發現暗示著

that not only do the jets come from

這個風暴不只來自

pockets of liquid water,

液態水的礦囊空間，

but that that liquid water is in contact with rock.

而且液態水與岩石是有接觸的。

And that is a circumstance

這是一個能夠

that could supply the chemical energy

提供化學反應能量

and the chemical compounds needed to sustain life.

及生命所需的化合物的環境。

So we are very encouraged by these results.

我們受到這些調查結果鼓舞良多。

And we are much more confident now than we were two years ago

而且我們現在比兩年前更有信心，

that we might indeed

在這個衛星

have on this moon, under the south pole,

的南極下方

an environment or a zone that is hospitable to living organisms.

可能真的有一個區域環境是適合生命生存的。

Whether or not there are living organisms there, of course,

當然，不論是否真的已經有生命存在在那邊，

is an entirely different matter.

那是完全不同的課題。

And that will have to await the arrival,

而那將會需要等到，

back at Enceladus,

配備能夠解答這個問題

of the spacecrafts, hopefully some time in the near future,

特殊設備的探測器，再次回到土衛二，才能夠解答。

specifically equipped to address that particular question.

希望這能在未來的數年中實現。

But in the meantime I invite you to imagine the day

在此同時，我請你們想像那一天，

when we might journey to the Saturnine system,

當我們能夠旅行至土衛系統時，

and visit the Enceladus interplanetary geyser park,

並參觀土衛二星際間歇泉公園，

just because we can.

只因為我們有能力做到。

Thank you.

謝謝各位

(Applause)

（掌聲）