So, this happened today.

這是今天發生的

Most of you I'm sure have heard of this by now, but early this Morning, 9:20 local time

很多人大約在早上9:20分的時候都有聽到

in the skies over the Ural Mountain city of Chelyabinsk Russia, a meteor broke up. It

一顆隕石在俄羅斯烏拉爾山上方爆炸

was so big and passed by so fast, that the shock wave that was created as it exploded

又大速度又快,當它爆炸的時候產生了衝擊波

shattered windows all over the city and caused about 1,200 injuries.

城市裡大多數的窗戶被震碎,並且造成了約1200人的傷亡

As I make this video, the fate of the meteor is still being investigated, but NASA is reporting

當我在編輯這則影片時,隕石的動向仍在被調查當中,但太空總署已發佈

that it broke up in the atmosphere.

它已在大氣層中就分離了

The Russian Academy of Sciences says the meteor was 15 meters across and weighed 10 tons and

俄國科學機構宣稱隕石有12公尺高,10噸重

entered the earth’s atmosphere at a speed of at least 33,000mph (54,000kph) and shattered

以至少時速54000公里進入大氣層

between 18 and 32 miles above ground (30 to 50km) and the resulting airburst had the equivalent

在離地面30-50公里的高度發生氣爆,並產生相當於

yield of a 500 kiloton explosion.

50萬噸的能量

The best account of the events as they unfolded was at the Guardian's website, so go check

對於這個事件揭露最多的"衛報",讓我們去查證

it out, I have the link in the description box.

我們有連結在他們的討論區裡

It isn't totally clear whether the meteor was completely destroyed or whether parts

狀況目前不是很清楚,不管這個隕石是被破壞了或它的碎片

of it landed in a nearby lake, but those details are being investigated.

降落在湖的附近,這些都正在被調查當中

What is clear is that Russians are really, really good at looking up.

能確定的是俄羅斯正在積極的調查中

I mean, this event was captured by what seemed to me to be an unusual number of dashboard

這個事件被很多行車記錄器拍到

mounted webcams. At first, I was really puzzled by this, but I learned while watching the

首先,我對於這個感到很困惑,但是當我在看

weekly space hangout from CosmoQuest and Ian O'Neill, editor of Discovery News Space Website,

每週與太空有約的節目,"CosmoQuest" 和 "Ian O'Neill",

said that apparently driving in Russia is a very perilous activity and the law enforcement

指出,隕石衝入俄羅斯這顯然是一個非常危險的現象,

there is (how can I put this delicately), not very helpful.

(我要如何簡單的說..)不是太有幫助...

Driving in Russia is such a problem, that drivers mount cameras on their dashboards

在俄羅斯開車很麻煩,每個駕駛都裝了行車紀錄器

and record every trip they take so they can have documentation to back up their case should

並記錄了每個過程,當需要的時就有資料可以佐證

they need it.

So that's why this bolide was so well video-ed. I think I'm going to get one of those dash

這就是為什麼行車紀錄器如此重要,我已打算買一台

cams for when I'm driving around Baltimore. Driving around here seems a lot like Russia.

用來在巴爾的摩開車用,在這裡開車就很像在俄羅斯

Now coincidentally, today was the day everyone was preparing to watch the flyby of an asteroid

巧合的是,現今大家都期待看到隕石掠過

known as 2012 DA14. An asteroid coming from a completely different direction and having

如同我們知道的編號"2012 DA14"小行星,從一個完全不知道的方向過來

nothing whatsoever to do with the Russian Meteor. This asteroid was going to fly 17,200

完全不知道怎麼辦,這個小行星將從地球上方17200哩飛過

miles above our heads, that's so close that it was going to pass inside the orbit of our

會很接近地從我們地球的同步衛星內側掠過

geosynchronous satellites.

We've known for a long time that it was never going to hit us - and most likely miss the

我們知道小行星已經有很常一段時間沒有撞擊地球,就像

satellites as well - but this coincidence was more than a little freaky.

衛星一樣,但是這種巧合是很怪異的

2012 DA14 is much bigger than the Russian bolide (bolide is another word for fireball

編號"2012 DA14"行星比這次的隕石大很多

in the sky). It is 45 meters across and if that one hit us, the resulting explosion would

它有45公尺寬,當他一但撞擊地球,爆炸將產生

contain two and a half megatons of energy.

2.5兆噸的能量

2012 DA14 came at us from the south and travelled North. By Comparison, the Russian meteor came

"2012 DA14"的行徑從地球的南方往北方經過,與這一次俄羅斯的隕石對照之下,

from a completely different area of the sky, which is why astronomers concluded that these

它來自完全不一樣的方向,所以天文學家才下結論這兩個事件

events are unrelated.

是沒有關聯的

When it passed by, you needed binoculars to see it (and you had to be where the sky was

當它經過,你必需用天文望遠鏡才看的到 (且你必需在澳洲

dark: Austrailia, Eastern Europe and Asia.

東歐和亞州)

Today was a real wakeup call for humanity and highlighted the need for something I've

這件事情喚醒了人類並突顯了我長久以來

been advocating for a long time now: the need to find and track as many asteroids in our

所提倡的: 盡我們所能的去發現追縱太陽系中所有的行星

Solar System as we can.

People are constantly making up their own disasters: Nibiru, Mayan Calendar Doomsday

人類不斷的在編造災難的故事 :Nibiru(神祕行星),馬雅預言世界未日

Prophecies, all kinds of stuff that isn't real. Well, folks, there's no need for that

這些都是真的,他們並沒有必要去編造這些東西

nonsense, this is a very real danger facing our civilization.

這是,這是對我們人類的一大威脅

Unlike Donald Rumsfeld: We know what we don't know. Every telescope ever made over all of

不同於"Donald Rumsfeld"(美國國防部長),我們知道我們所不知道的,所有的

recorded time has found only about 10-20 percent of the total asteroids we know are out there

望遠鏡目前只有發現20%我們目前所知道所有行星

and we've only found about 4,700 potentially hazardous ones (AKA PHA's) - asteroids that

和我們只知道4700個對我們有潛在威脅會撞擊我們的行星

can hit us.

That's only about half of the PHA's that are in the solar system.

在我們太陽系中,他們(PHA俱有潛在威脅的小行星)只佔了一半

So there's a lot of work to do and we need to get on it. Duck and cover is not an option.

所以我們有很多事情需要著手去進行,"逃避"和"掩飾"並不是我們的選項

If you're interested in learning more, I would encourage you to look into the b612 foundation,

如果你有興趣知道更多 ,我會鼓勵你去"b612 基金會"查詢更多的資料

they are planning to launch a space telescope known as Sentinel in 2018 whose sole purpose

他們打算發射太空望遠鏡,唯一的目地就是

is to look for potentially hazardous asteroids. I'll give you more information on that as

去搜尋對我們有威脅的行星,我會給你更多的還沒公開的資訊

things unfold, but this is a private enterprise, one that definitely needs our support.

但這是一個私人的組織,無疑的絕對需要我們的幫助

I can't think of a more important problem in astronomy that needs solving, and we totally

我可以想像有很多天文的事情需要被解決,同時我們

have the ability to prevent this. If we get struck by an asteroid, we have only ourselves

也有能力去預防,當我們如果被隕石襲擊 ,我們只能怪自已

to blame.

Next, conveniently (and in the "not a minute too soon" category), the day before all this

接下來，看起來有點太晚出現，在殞石造成混亂的前幾天

asteroid/meteor hubbub, scientists from University of California at Santa Barbara have proposed

加州聖塔芭芭拉的一些科學家們提出

a system to vaporize asteroids that threaten the Earth.

一個可把威脅地球的隕石汽化的方法

The system is called DE-STAR, or Directed Energy Solar Targeting of Asteroids and exploRation

名稱為”DE-Star” 或是”太陽能直射探勘計畫”

- a very awkwardly acronym-ed satellite which they claim is a realistic means of mitigating

呵..非常奇怪縮寫名字的衛星聲稱可以實實在在減少

potential threats posed to the Earth by asteroids and comets.

小行星和彗星所有可能構成對地球的威脅

DE-STAR is designed to harness the power of the sun and convert it into a massive array

DE-STAR 利用太陽的能量並且獎他轉換成巨大能量的雷射

of laser beams that can destroy, or evaporate, asteroids posing a potential threat to Earth.

可以直接摧毀，或汽化任何隕石對地球的威脅

Another handy feature is that it is equally capable of changing an asteroid's orbit –– deflecting

另一項有用的特點是可以提供改變隕石軌道的能力

it away from Earth, or into the Sun –– and may also prove to be a valuable tool for assessing

把隕石偏轉遠離地球，或是撞向太陽。而且可以提供有用的工具

an asteroid's composition, enabling lucrative, rare-element mining. And it's entirely based

進入探勘含有豐富稀有元素的隕石結構。而這一切

on current technology.

我們現代的科技都可以做得到

Now, to me that last part is more realistic. If we can detect a PHA early enough to give

對我來說最後這個部分比較真實。 如果我們可以分析隕石撞擊的時間早一點

us, say a year's notice, then we don't have to deflect it all that much to get it to miss

例如提早一年發現，我們不需要花太大力氣來使隕石不要擊中我們。

us, which means we don't have to expend as much energy. A tiny deflection early on becomes

指的就是我們不用發射太大的能量。隕石偏轉早一點的話

a larger one over time.

可以隨著時間變成大距離的偏向。

If we wait too long, then the required changes to the orbit are much larger and will require

如果我們發現的太晚，那就需要很大的能量來改變隕石的軌道。

a lot more energy.

In developing the proposal, they calculated the requirements and possibilities for DE-STAR

再發展此計畫的同時，科學家計算出”DE-STAR”的各種尺寸

systems of several sizes, ranging from a desktop device to one measuring 10 kilometers, or

從桌子般大到10公里或是直徑六公里大小的裝置。

six miles, in diameter. The larger the system, the more it can do.

愈大的系統，可以做得更多。

For example, DE-STAR 2 –– at 100 meters in diameter, about the size of the International

舉例來說，”DE-STAR2” 100公尺的直徑，大約一個

Space Station –– could "start nudging comets or asteroids out of their orbits".

國際太空站的大小，可以輕推彗星，或隕石離他他原有的軌道。

But DE-STAR 4 –– at 10 kilometers in diameter, about 100 times the size of the ISS –– could

但是”DE-STAR4” ，10公里直徑，大約100倍太空站的大小

deliver 1.4 megatons of energy per day to its target, enough to obliterate an asteroid

但是”DE-STAR4” ，10公里直徑，大約100倍太空站的大小

500 meters across in one year.

一顆500公尺的小行星。

A system that size would be able to move an asteroid the size of 2012 DA14 in about an

hour.

這樣大小的裝置可以在一個小時之內移開2012 DA14大小的隕石。

So how practical is this?

所以到底有多少可行性?

They claim this is not some far out idea. They say, "Our proposal assumes a combination

他們宣稱這並不是一個天馬行空的想法。

of baseline technology –– where we are today –– and where we almost certainly

所有提案結合了我們所有現代科技

will be in the future, without asking for any miracles,".

與某些快要達成的未來科技，而不期盼有任何奇蹟出現。

Well that's always a good thing.

這的確是個好消息。

They say that recent and rapid developments in highly efficient conversion of electrical

科學家說由於最近光電轉換效能快速的發展

power to light allow such a solution now, when just 20 years ago it would not have been

才有辦法提出這樣的解決方案。但在20年前是完全不可能

realistic.

實現的。

And that, is Just like downtown.

而且就像他們說的，一切都沒問題的

Well, that's it for this week Space Fans, thank you for watching, and as always, Keep

好的，這就是這禮拜的”宇宙迷”，感謝您的收看。而且記得

Looking Up!

向上看