A rare galaxy that's challenging our understanding of the universe | Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

There are more than a trillion galaxies in the universe.

在宇宙中有超過一兆個銀河。

And my team discovered an extremely rare one,

我的團隊發現了 一個極度稀有的銀河，

a galaxy that doesn't look quite like anything observed before.

它看起來和以前 所觀察到的都不太一樣。

This galaxy is so peculiar,

這個銀河相當獨特，

that it challenges our theories and our assumptions

獨特到挑戰了我們 關於宇宙如何運作的

about how the universe works.

理論以及假設。

The majority of the galaxies are spiral,

大部分的銀河是螺旋形的，

similar to our own Milky Way.

類似我們自己的銀河。

We have strong theories about how these common galaxies form and evolve.

對於這些一般的銀河如何形成 和演化，我們有很堅固的理論。

But we don't understand how rare galaxies form and evolve.

但我們不了解稀有銀河 是如何形式和演化的。

An especially puzzling rare case is Hoag's Object.

一個特別讓人迷惑的罕見例子， 就是「霍格的天體」。

It has a very symmetric central body surrounded by a circular outer ring,

它的中央主體非常對稱， 周圍圍繞著一個圓形的外圈，

with nothing visible connecting them.

看不見主體和外圈之間的連結。

Hoag-type galaxies are among the rarest types of galaxies currently known.

「霍格的天體」是目前所知的 銀河中，最稀有的類型之一。

There are fewer than one in 1,000 galaxies.

在一千個銀河中， 只有不到一個是這樣的。

It's a mystery how the stars in the outer ring are just floating there

外圈的星星是如何 會這麼整齊地浮在那裡，

in such an orderly manner.

一直都是個謎。

That's interesting, right?

那很有趣，對吧？

Hold on.

等等。

Things are about to get more mysterious.

更神秘的還在後頭。

The galaxy that my team discovered is even rarer

我的團隊發現的銀河 比它還要更罕見，

and much more complex than that.

而且更複雜許多。

You know, sometimes, you search and search for these objects,

你們知道的，有時， 你不斷尋找這些東西，

and you find nothing.

卻什麼也沒找到。

But sometimes, it just appears in the background,

但有時，當你沒有在找它時，

when you are not even looking for it.

它就出現在背景中。

This system looks very similar to Hoag's Object,

這個星系看起來 很像「霍格的天體」，

with its central body and circular outer ring.

也有中間的主體和圓形的外圈。

We got very excited and thought we discovered another Hoag's Object.

我們相當興奮，以為我們 發現了另一個「霍格的天體」。

But my research showed this is an entirely new galaxy type,

但我的研究顯示， 這是個全新的銀河類型，

now commonly referred to as "Burçin's Galaxy."

現在普遍被稱為「布奇的銀河」。 （註：布奇是講者的名字）

(Laughs)

（笑聲）

(Cheers) (Applause)

（歡呼）（掌聲）

We will not be visiting this galaxy anytime soon.

我們短期內不可能去造訪這個銀河。

It is approximately 359 million light years away from Earth.

它距離地球大約 359 百萬光年。

You may think this is far.

你們可能覺得這距離很遠。

Well, actually, this is one of the nearby galaxies.

嗯，其實這算是鄰近的銀河之一。

I study this object in different light --

我用不同的光來研究這個天體——

in ultraviolet, optical and near-infrared.

用紫外線、光學和近紅外光。

Small details on our body, like a scar or wrinkles,

我們身體上的小細節， 比如傷疤或皺紋，

tell the story of our lives.

訴說著我們人生的故事。

Similarly, a galaxy's structure in different light

同樣的，在不同的光底下 看銀河的結構

can help us trace back their origin and evolution.

能協助我們追溯回 它們的源頭和演化。

How do I look for these details?

我們要如何尋找細節？

I model the bright central body

我針對明亮的中央主體建立模型，

and remove my model from the image

再從影像中把我的模型剔除，

to check for any hidden features,

來確認有沒有任何隱藏的特徵，

because a bright structure in a galaxy may blind our views of faint features,

因為在銀河中明亮的結構可能 會讓我們看不見暗淡的特徵，

just like using sunglasses when you are blinded by the intense light.

就像強光讓你看不見的時候， 就戴上太陽眼鏡。

The result was a big surprise.

而結果是個大驚喜。

This galaxy doesn't just have an outer ring,

這個銀河不只有一個外圈，

it has an additional, diffused inner ring.

它還有額外、散開的內圈。

We were having a hard time explaining the origin of the outer ring

對於霍格式的銀河， 我們就已經很難解

in Hoag-type galaxies.

外圈的來源。

Now we also need to explain this mysterious second ring.

現在我們也得要解釋 這神秘的第二個圈。

There is currently no known mechanism

目前沒有任何已知機制

that can explain the existence of an inner ring in such a peculiar galaxy.

能夠解釋在這麼特殊的銀河中 為何會有一個內圈存在。

So the discovery of Burçin's Galaxy clearly highlights the gap

所以，在布奇的銀河被發現之後， 也清楚突顯出了我們

in our knowledge of galaxy evolution.

對於銀河演化的知識有所不足。

Further research into how this extremely rare galaxy was formed

若能進一步研究這極度 稀有的銀河是如何形成的，

can provide us with new clues on how the universe works.

我們就能得到一些關於 宇宙如何運作的新線索。

This discovery tells us that we still have a lot to learn,

這項發現，讓我們知道 我們還有很多要學習的，

and we should keep looking deeper and deeper in space

且我們應該要在太空中 持續做更深入的探索，

and keep searching for the unknown.

不斷尋找未知的事物。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）