VOA标准英语2012--NASA Satellite Offers Astonishing View of Venus Transit

 

NASA Satellite Offers Astonishing View of Venus Transit¹

Skygazers massed outside the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in the U.S capital, eager to see the rare transit of Venus.

The museum offered telescopes. People donned special protective glasses so they could peer directly at the Sun.

But the sky offered cloud cover instead of a view of Earth's neighbor appearing in silhouette² against the Sun.

One observer, Colin Davies, first heard of the astronomical³ event only hours before the transit began.

"Ready to see whatever there is to be seen," said Davies, brandishing⁴ binoculars⁵ that are not recommended for solar viewing. "I have my umbrella, planning for all weather, and I have my fold-away chair because I'm here for the long haul."

For Davies and his wife, Mary Ellen Lane, there was nothing to see but clouds, which "deeply disappointed" Davies. 

Skywatchers in other parts of the world had a bit more luck. Technically⁶, this transit of Venus was visible from all seven continents. Observers in Australia had some degree of success. 

"You could just see a faint orange dot and then there was a little black dot on it," described a boy in Sydney. "You could only just half-see it, but yes."

Yet, the view from space was pretty phenomenal.

A NASA spacecraft that takes images of the Sun provided an ultra high-definition view of the transit of Venus. The Solar Dynamics⁷ Observatory⁸ collected the images in many wavelengths⁹ over the course of the planet's six-hour crossing. In some images, the Sun is active and flaring¹⁰, with the darker circle of Venus passing in front of it. In others, Venus appears as a small black dot against a monochromatic¹¹ orange disc of the Sun.

Transits¹² of Venus have happened only seven times since the phenomenon was first observed with a telescope in 1639. They've occurred only twice since the invention of the television and only once since the Solar Dynamics Observatory was launched into space.

Transits of Venus occur in pairs that are eight years apart, but the pairs are separated by more than a century.

The predictability held a key for astronomers¹³ centuries ago, and the transits continue to provide learning opportunities, says Jim Zimbelman, a planetary geologist¹⁴ at the Air and Space Museum in Washington.

"Historically, the interest in transits started when we wanted to understand how big the solar system was and there were complications, maybe introduced by the atmosphere of Venus," explained Zimbelman. "Well, today's transit can actually be a test run for 'can we detect atmospheres around planets orbiting other stars?' Who would have believed in just a few hundred years we would have advanced our ability to ask science questions like that?"

In Washington, the question many people asked was whether the Sun was ever going to come out from behind the clouds.

Those who missed the chance to see the Transit of Venus this year missed the chance of a lifetime. The next one isn't until 2117. 

1 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

2 silhouette   

n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓

参考例句：

• I could see its black silhouette against the evening sky.我能看到夜幕下它黑色的轮廓。
• I could see the silhouette of the woman in the pickup.我可以见到小卡车的女人黑色半身侧面影。

3 astronomical   

adj.天文学的，（数字）极大的

参考例句：

• He was an expert on ancient Chinese astronomical literature.他是研究中国古代天文学文献的专家。
• Houses in the village are selling for astronomical prices.乡村的房价正在飙升。

4 brandishing   

v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀

参考例句：

• The horseman came up to Robin Hood, brandishing his sword. 那个骑士挥舞着剑，来到罗宾汉面前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He appeared in the lounge brandishing a knife. 他挥舞着一把小刀，出现在休息室里。 来自辞典例句

5 binoculars   

n.双筒望远镜

参考例句：

• He watched the play through his binoculars.他用双筒望远镜看戏。
• If I had binoculars,I could see that comet clearly.如果我有望远镜，我就可以清楚地看见那颗彗星。

6 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

7 dynamics   

n.力学，动力学，动力，原动力；动态

参考例句：

• In order to succeed,you must master complicated knowledge of dynamics.要取得胜利，你必须掌握很复杂的动力学知识。
• Dynamics is a discipline that cannot be mastered without extensive practice.动力学是一门不做大量习题就不能掌握的学科。

8 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

9 wavelengths   

n.波长( wavelength的名词复数 )；具有相同的/不同的思路；合拍；不合拍

参考例句：

• I find him difficult to talk to—we're on completely different wavelengths. 我没法和他谈话，因为我们俩完全不对路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Sunlight consists of different wavelengths of radiation. 阳光由几种不同波长的射线组成。 来自辞典例句

10 flaring   

a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的

参考例句：

• A vulgar flaring paper adorned the walls. 墙壁上装饰着廉价的花纸。
• Goebbels was flaring up at me. 戈塔尔当时已对我面呈愠色。

11 monochromatic   

adj.单色的，一色的

参考例句：

• The resolution of white light into its separate monochromatic components is called dispersion.这种白光分解为各单色成分的现象叫做色散。
• My sister selected a monochromatic color-scheme for her new apartment.我妹妹为自己的新居选择了单一色调的设计。

12 transits   

通过（transit的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The anomalistic year is the time between successive transits of the Earth through the perihelion. 近点年是地球连续两次通过近日点之间的时间。
• Paradigm study gradually transits to exemplification study in civil society theory. 当前我国的市民社会理论正逐步从范式研究转向范例研究。

13 astronomers   

n.天文学者，天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Astronomers can accurately foretell the date,time,and length of future eclipses. 天文学家能精确地预告未来日食月食的日期、时刻和时长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings. 天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪，为什么只有土星有光环。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 geologist   

n.地质学家

参考例句：

• The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley.在那山谷里，地质学家发现了许多裸露的化石。
• He was a geologist,rated by his cronies as the best in the business.他是一位地质学家，被他的老朋友们看做是这门行当中最好的一位。