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Extremely Large Telescope Breaks Ground
超级无敌“望远镜”诞生了
This is Scientific American 60 seconds, Space. I'm Clara Moskowitz, got a minute?
这里是科学美国人60秒，太空系列。我是克拉拉·莫斯科维兹。
High on a Chilean mountaintop, scientists have broken ground on what will be the world's largest telescopeCalled the European Extremely Large Telescope, or E-ELT, the observatory may even be sensitive enough to spot signs of extraterrestrial life on alien planets—if there is any, of course.
在智利山山顶，科学家们开始了一项伟大的新工程，他们要制作出世界上最大的望远镜。他们为这台望远镜起名为“欧洲超大望远镜”，简称“E-ELT"。如果外太空真的有生命的存在，那么这台仪器将可以检测到生命信号。
The E-ELT's gigantic 39-meter-wide primary mirror will capture 15 times more light than any existing optical telescope, and its images should be 16 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope's.
That kind of view could reveal exoplanets changing color with the seasons, suggesting the presence of vegetation. The scope might also reveal planetary atmospheres with chemicals consistent with life, such as oxygen, ozone, carbon dioxide and methane.
通过如此高清的图像呈现，人们可以观测到外星行星随着季节而呈现出不同颜色，也可以检测到植物的存在。该望远镜将能够反映出行星上氧，臭氧，二氧化碳和甲烷等气体的存在。
The European Southern Observatory is building the telescope. On June 19th they blasted off the top of the Cerro Armazones mountain to create a plateau for the facility.
The 3,000-meter-high site offers incredibly clear skies with a minimum of atmosphere to distort the images. The huge construction project is set to finish in 2023. Then, just maybe, we'll catch a glimpse of the activities of any cosmic neighbors.
在三千米高的山顶上，大气干净且稀薄，不会影响成像效果。这项工程预计到2023年竣工。届时，人类将可以看到来自其他行星上的活动了。
Thanks for the minute for the Scientific American 60 Seconds Tech, I'm Clara Moskowitz
感谢收听。
