are like distant cities whose lights we can see twinkling,

在我們太陽系之外的行星系

but whose streets we can't walk.

就好像遙遠的城市，我們可以看見有燈火在閃爍，

By studying those twinkling lights though,

但是卻有一條難以踰越的街道。

we can learn about how stars and planets interact

然而通過研究這些閃爍，

to form their own ecosystem

我們可以瞭解到恆星時如何與行星互相作用

and make habitats that are amenable to life.

來形成他們自己的生態系統

In this image of the Tokyo skyline,

並創造出能夠承載生命的棲息地。

I've hidden data

在這張東京市的圖片中，

from the newest planet-hunting space telescope on the block,

我將從最新型的

the Kepler Mission.

行星探測空間望遠鏡，凱普勒任務，所獲得的數據

Can you see it?

隱藏在了這個街區里。

There we go.

看的見嗎？

This is just a tiny part of the sky the Kepler stares at,

在這裡。

where it searches for planets

這只是凱普對勒觀測行星的

by measuring the light from over 150,000 stars,

範圍中的一小塊。

all at once, every half hour,

通過每半個小時一次

and very precisely.

精確地測量全部15萬顆

And what we're looking for

行星的光譜。

is the tiny dimming of light

我們想要尋找

that is caused by a planet passing in front of one of these stars

是行星在移動過程中

and blocking some of that starlight from getting to us.

經過恆星時阻擋住射向我們的

In just over two years of operations,

一部份光線所造成的黯淡。

we've found over 1,200

在僅僅兩年的運行後

potential new planetary systems around other stars.

我們發現了1200個

To give you some perspective,

可能是圍繞其他恆星運轉的行星系統。

in the previous two decades of searching,

相比較下，

we had only known about 400

在凱普勒任務之前的長達二十年的搜尋中，

prior to Kepler.

我們只發現了

When we see these little dips in the light,

400顆行星。

we can determine a number of things.

黨發現這光亮的減弱

For one thing, we can determine that there's a planet there,

我們可以確認一些事情。

but also how big that planet is

一是可以確認那裡有一顆行星，

and how far it is away from its parent star.

還有它的尺寸，

That distance is really important

和距離它所圍繞的恆星的距離。

because it tells us

這距離是非常重要的，

how much light the planet receives overall.

因為它能告訴我們

And that distance and knowing that amount of light is important

大致上這行星接收到了多少光。

because it's a little like you or I sitting around a campfire:

對距離與光照強弱的瞭解是非常關鍵的，

You want to be close enough to the campfire so that you're warm,

這就好像我們坐在一個篝火邊上。

but not so close

你會想要靠的夠進好讓自己取暖，

that you're too toasty and you get burned.

但是又不可以太近，

However, there's more to know about your parent star

導致溫度太高把自己燙傷。

than just how much light you receive overall.

然而，除了整體上行星會接收到多少光線，

And I'll tell you why.

對恆星的還有許多其他的信息需要瞭解。

This is our star. This is our Sun.

讓我來告訴你原因。

It's shown here in visible light.

這是我們的行星，太陽。

That's the light that you can see with your own human eyes.

這裡所呈現的是可見光。

You'll notice that it looks pretty much

就是我們人類的眼睛可以看見的光。

like the iconic yellow ball --

大家發現這基本上

that Sun that we all draw when we're children.

就是典型的我們小時候

But you'll notice something else,

所畫的黃色圓球。

and that's that the face of the Sun

但大家有沒有看到還有一些別的東西，

has freckles.

這就是太陽的表面

These freckles are called sunspots,

有一些斑點。

and they are just one of the manifestations

這些斑點被稱作太陽黑子，

of the Sun's magnetic field.

他們是太陽磁場

They also cause the light from the star to vary.

活動的表現之一。

And we can measure this

它使得恆星發出的光產生變化。

very, very precisely with Kepler and trace their effects.

這個現象是可以用

However, these are just the tip of the iceberg.

凱普勒望遠鏡非常精確地測量與追蹤的。

If we had UV eyes or X-ray eyes,

而這也才只是冰山一角而已。

we would really see

如果我們能看見UV射線與X射線，

the dynamic and dramatic effects

我們會真正認識到

of our Sun's magnetic activity --

太陽磁場活動

the kind of thing that happens on other stars as well.

所產生的活躍又激烈的景象。

Just think, even when it's cloudy outside,

其他的恆星上也發生著同樣的事情。

these kind of events are happening

想像一下，即使窗外烏雲密佈，

in the sky above you all the time.

這樣壯觀的景象在我們的

So when we want to learn whether a planet is habitable,

天空之上時刻都在發生。

whether it might be amenable to life,

黨我們想要瞭解一顆行星是否適宜居住，

we want to know not only how much total light it receives

是否能承載生命，

and how warm it is,

我們不僅想要知道它接收到多少陽光，

but we want to know about its space weather --

溫度有多高，

this high-energy radiation,

我們還想知道它的太空氣候。

the UV and the X-rays

由恆星產生的

that are created by its star

強力的輻射線，

and that bathe it in this bath of high-energy radiation.

比如UV射線與X射線。

And so, we can't really look

行星就沐浴在這些強力的射線中。

at planets around other stars

還有，我們從

in the same kind of detail

自己的太陽系中觀察

that we can look at planets in our own solar system.

所得的信息要比從其他恆星的

I'm showing here Venus, Earth and Mars --

行星上觀察得到的詳細的多

three planets in our own solar system that are roughly the same size,

我這裡展示的時金星，地球和火星

but only one of which

這三顆我們太陽系中的行星基本上大小相同，

is really a good place to live.

而其中只有一顆

But what we can do in the meantime

適合生命生存。

is measure the light from our stars

但是我們可以做的是

and learn about this relationship

通過測量我們恆星發出的光，

between the planets and their parent stars

研究恆星與各個

to suss out clues

行星之間的關係。

about which planets might be good places

來摸索出一些線索

to look for life in the universe.

好讓我們知道在茫茫太空中哪些行星

Kepler won't find a planet

可能是會找到生命的地方。

around every single star it looks at.

凱普勒不會在每一顆

But really, every measurement it makes

它所觀察的恆星周圍發現行星。

is precious,

但它所做的每一個測量

because it's teaching us about the relationship

都非常寶貴。

between stars and planets,

因為它告訴我們

and how it's really the starlight

恆星與行星間的關係，

that sets the stage

還有星光才是真正

for the formation of life in the universe.

在宇宙中為生命的形成

While it's Kepler the telescope, the instrument that stares,

提供條件的角色。

it's we, life, who are searching.

雖然是凱普勒望遠鏡在凝視著太空

Thank you.

但最終是我們，在不斷地搜尋。

(Applause)

謝謝