欢迎访问贝贝英语网！
Scientists have identified six planets orbiting a nearby star “in perfect harmony” in our Milky Way galaxy. The solar system appears to be untouched by outside forces since it was created, likely billions of years ago.
科学家们在我们的银河系中发现了一颗附近恒星周围的六颗行星，它们在“完美和谐”中运行。这个太阳系似乎自从数十亿年前形成以来就没有受到外部力量的影响。
The rare discovery was made by observations from a pair of space telescopes – the European Space Agency’s Cheops, and Tess, operated by the American space agency NASA. The find is expected to provide astronomers with new data to help them learn more about how solar systems form and develop.
这一罕见的发现是通过欧洲航天局的Cheops和美国宇航局NASA运营的Tess两个太空望远镜的观测获得的。这一发现有望为天文学家提供新的数据，帮助他们更多地了解太阳系的形成和发展过程。
The six planets sit in the northern sky constellation of Coma Berenices, about 100 light-years from Earth. A light year is the distance light travels in a year – about 9.5 trillion kilometers.
这六颗行星位于北天的Coma Berenices星座中，距离地球约100光年。光年是光在一年内传播的距离，约为9.5万亿公里。
The star the planets are orbiting is known as HD110067. It is about 20 percent smaller in mass than our sun. The six planets are about two to three times the size of Earth. But they are believed to have densities closer to gas giants in our own solar system, such as Jupiter and Saturn.
这些行星绕着的恒星被称为HD110067。它的质量约为我们太阳的80％。这六颗行星的大小约为地球的两到三倍。但据信它们的密度更接近我们太阳系中的类似木星和土星的气体巨星。
The scientists say the planets are considered “sub-Neptunes.” This is a common kind of planet found within our Milky Way galaxy. These planets are generally much larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune.
科学家们表示，这些行星被认为是“亚海王星”。这是我们银河系中常见的一种行星。这些行星通常比地球大得多，但比海王星小。
The orbits range from nine days to 54 days. This puts them closer to their star than Venus is to our sun. It also makes the planets intensely hot. The researchers say that while only six planets were discovered, there could be more.
这些行星的轨道周期从九天到54天不等。这使它们比金星更接近它们的恒星。这也使这些行星非常炎热。研究人员表示，虽然只发现了六颗行星，但可能还有更多。
An international team of astronomers recently described the findings in a study that appeared in the publication Nature.
最近，一支国际天文学家团队在《自然》杂志上发表的一项研究中描述了这一发现。
The researchers reported the six planets were in a rare condition called orbital resonance. This is when two or more moons line up with their parent planet at regular times and interact gravitationally. In this case, the team described the solar system as completely “synchronized” in a gravitational formation. Synchronized means happening at the same time and speed.
研究人员报告说，这六颗行星处于一种罕见的轨道共振状态。这是指两颗或更多的卫星在规律的时间内与其母行星排成一线，并发生重力相互作用。在这种情况下，研究团队将这个太阳系描述为在一个重力形态中完全“同步”的状态。同步意味着同时以相同的速度发生。
The scientists say it is likely these synchronized orbits have been happening since the system formed about 4 billion years ago. The planets were identified by observing small drops in the star's brightness when a planet passed in front of the star.
科学家们表示，很可能这些同步轨道自40亿年前该系统形成以来一直存在。通过观察一颗行星在其前经过时引起的恒星亮度的微小下降，可以识别这些行星。
Hugh Osborn, of the University of Bern in Switzerland, helped lead the research. He said the resonance interactions demonstrate “the mathematical beauty” of the system. Osborn added that the newly discovered system could possibly "unlock the secrets of these mysterious sub-Neptune planets, which we know so little about."
瑞士伯尔尼大学的休·奥斯本协助领导了这项研究。他说，轨道共振相互作用展示了该系统的“数学之美”。奥斯本补充说，这个新发现的系统有可能“揭开这些我们知之甚少的神秘亚海王星行星的秘密。”
The lead writer of the study was Rafael Luque. He is an astronomer from the University of Chicago. He said the discovery will likely become a very useful tool to study sub-Neptunes.
这项研究的首席作者是拉斐尔·卢克。他是芝加哥大学的天文学家。他说，这一发现可能会成为研究亚海王星的一个非常有用的工具。
Scientists have long wondered whether sub-Neptunes might be rocky planets with thick atmospheres of hydrogen and helium. They have also suggested the planets might be made of rock and ice, with warm and water-rich atmospheres.
科学家们长期以来一直在思考亚海王
星可能是岩石行星，具有厚厚的氢和氦大气。他们还提出这些行星可能由岩石和冰组成，具有温暖而富含水分的大气。
Luque said the synchronized nature of the discovered system is highly rare and requires further study. “We think only about one percent of all systems stay in resonance, and even fewer show a chain of planets in such configuration,” he said. “It shows us the pristine configuration of a planetary system that has survived untouched.”
卢克表示，这个发现系统的同步性质非常罕见，需要进一步研究。“我们认为只有大约百分之一的系统保持共振状态，甚至更少的系统呈现出这样的行星链配置，”他说。“这向我们展示了一个完全保持原始状态的行星系统的配置。”
Enric Palle is a researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics in the Canary Islands. He told the Associated Press that while astronomers know of 40 to 50 in-sync solar systems, none have as many planets in such perfect synchronization as the newly discovered one.
恩里克·帕勒是加纳利群岛天文物理研究所的研究员。他告诉美联社，尽管天文学家们知道有40到50个同步的太阳系，但没有一个像这个新发现的系统那样有这么多行星完美同步。
______________________________________________
Words in This Story
harmony – n. a situation in which people are peaceful and agree with each other
interact – v. if two things interact, they have an effect on each other
chain – n. a series of things strung together in a line
configuration – n. the arrangement or pattern a group of related things appear in
pristine – adj. in very good condition
jaw on the floor – phr. a phrase used to express deep shock or surprise
