You're looking at a Boeing 747SP aircraft that's been tricked out with a 2.7 meter reflecting telescope meant to observe the universe.

你看到的是一架波音747SP飛機，它被改裝了一個2.7米的反射式望遠鏡，用於觀察宇宙。

But it turns out, it can also help us better understand molecules in Earth's upper atmosphere,

但事實證明，它也能幫助我們更好地瞭解地球高層大氣中的分子。

which opens the door to rare climate data that we haven't had access to before.

這為我們打開了通往罕見的氣候數據的大門，而這些數據是我們以前沒有接觸到的。

A combined mission from NASA and the German Aerospace Center, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA,

美國國家航空航天局和德國航空航天中心的一項聯合任務，即平流層紅外天文觀測站，或SOFIA。

conducts its research more than 12,000 meters high in the stratosphere.

在平流層12,000多米的高空進行研究。

For years, this airborne observatory has been helping us better understand our universe,

多年來，這個空中觀測站一直在幫助我們更好地瞭解我們的宇宙。

but it seems as though a well planned upgrade to one of its on-board instruments has given us some important insight about our own home planet.

但是，似乎對它的一個機載儀器進行的精心計劃的升級，使我們對我們自己的地球家園有了一些重要的瞭解。

Originally designed to detect infrared light in celestial bodies across the universe, SOFIA hosts eight instruments on board.

SOFIA最初是為了探測宇宙中天體的紅外光，其上有八個儀器。

Each instrument is intended to study a particular phenomena over a wide range of wavelengths,

每臺儀器都是為了在廣泛的波長範圍內研究一種特定的現象。

to provide astronomers a unique opportunity to use this suite of instruments at an altitude

為天文學家提供一個獨特的機會，在一個高度上使用這套儀器。

above literally 99 percent of the Earth's infrared-blocking atmosphere.

在地球上99%的紅外線阻擋大氣層之上。

SOFIA removes the limitations of ground based telescopes that might result in blurry images or even incomplete datasets,

SOFIA消除了地面望遠鏡的限制，這些限制可能會導致影像模糊，甚至不完整的數據集。

as infrared light would filter through the Earth's atmosphere.

因為紅外光會穿過地球的大氣層。

And SOFIA has already discovered some pretty cool things–

而SOFIA已經發現了一些相當酷的東西--

like the first molecule in the universe, helium hydride, and even neighboring star systems.

像宇宙中的第一個分子，氫化氦，甚至是相鄰的恆星系統。

As SOFIA gathers this data, the information collected from Earth's upper atmosphere is generally disregarded as just background noise.

在SOFIA收集這些數據時，從地球上層大氣收集的資訊通常被認為只是背景噪音而不予考慮。

Over a decade ago, a German researcher proposed the idea to upgrade one of SOFIA's infrared-observing instruments

十多年前，一位德國研究人員提出了升級SOFIA的一個紅外觀測儀器的想法。

to better study the cosmos and the Earth's atmosphere.

以更好地研究宇宙和地球的大氣層。

The German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies, or GREAT for short, received an upgrade to its laser system.

德國太赫茲頻率天文學接收器，簡稱GREAT，收到了其脈衝光系統的升級。

However, the upgrade was before its time, and the researcher needed to develop the necessary tools and calibration methods to analyze the data.

然而，這次升級是在它的時代之前，研究人員需要開發必要的工具和校準方法來分析數據。

Now in 2021, they've been able to prove that it works.

現在在2021年，他們已經能夠證明它是有效的。

They looked at data from a 2015 flight which provided some much more critical information right here at home.

他們研究了2015年的一次飛行數據，該數據在國內提供了一些更為關鍵的資訊。

Hidden in plain sight as background noise was the world's very first direct measurement of atomic oxygen in the Earth's upper atmosphere.

作為背景噪音隱藏在眾目睽睽之下的是世界上第一次對地球高層大氣中的原子氧的直接測量。

And it's important to note that atomic oxygen, a single oxygen atom, is different from the oxygen molecule, O2, that we breathe on the Earth's surface

而且需要注意的是，原子氧，即單個氧原子，與我們在地球表面呼吸的氧氣分子O2是不同的

and even more different than O3 found in the ozone.

甚至比在臭氧中發現的O3更加不同。

Atomic oxygen is found in the Earth's mesosphere and lower thermosphere.

原子氧存在於地球的中間層和低熱層。

Scientists use it to estimate temperature, and it also helps cool our upper atmosphere in two ways.

科學家們用它來估計溫度，它還以兩種方式幫助冷卻我們的高層大氣。

The first is by photochemical processes, which are when the light from the sun becomes absorbed by the molecules in the mesosphere.

首先是通過光化學過程，即來自太陽的光被中間層的分子吸收。

The second is by the Earth-atmosphere energy balance cycle,

第二種是由地球-大氣層的能量平衡循環。

and this rotation helps regulate the temperature and climate of Earth, which is vital to maintain a livable environment for things, like, well, us.

而這種旋轉有助於調節地球的溫度和氣候，這對於維持像我們這樣的東西的宜居環境至關重要。

So from the data collected by GREAT, scientists are hoping to create more accurate and complete climate models in the future.

是以，從GREAT收集的數據中，科學家們希望在未來創建更準確和完整的氣候模型。

These will be used to predict the effects of greenhouse gases and understand the relationship between the upper and lower atmosphere.

這些將被用來預測溫室氣體的影響，並瞭解上層和下層大氣之間的關係。

As for the future of SOFIA, it'll take to the skies once again to explore the vastness of our universe from above French Polynesia in July 2021.

至於SOFIA的未來，它將在2021年7月再次飛上天空，從法屬波利尼西亞上空探索浩瀚的宇宙。

Scientists hope to use it to search for celestial molecules that could potentially change our view of the universe as we know it,

科學家們希望用它來搜索天體分子，這有可能改變我們對已知宇宙的看法。

while also studying our own atmosphere and climate.

同時也研究我們自己的大氣和氣候。

Talk about 2 birds one stone!

說到一石二鳥!

To learn more about SOFIA's previous discoveries, check out this episode about how one of its instruments found the Universe's first type of molecule.

要了解更多關於SOFIA之前的發現，請看這一集關於它的一個儀器如何發現宇宙的第一類分子。

Make sure to subscribe, and thanks so much for watching.

請務必訂閱，並非常感謝您的觀看。