宇宙中可能存在其他“地球”

The Kepler orbiting observatory was launched with a simple mission - to find other Earths. NASA describes it as 'a search for habitable planets.'
　　隨着一項簡單的任務，尋找其他“地球”，開普勒軌道天文臺啓動。美國宇航局將其描述爲“一次對可居住的星球的搜尋”。

And analysis of its first 136 days of data has already begun - with scientists combing through scans of 150,000 stars, and evidence of 1,235 potential planets.

通過掃描瀏覽150,000顆恆星，科學家們已經開始分析梳理頭136天的數據，結果表明有1,235顆可能的行星。

Such information is fascinating in itself - but it also allows scientists to work out projections using statistical analysis.

這類消息本身很吸引人的，但同時也需要科學家們運用數據分析得出推測。

One analysis has predicted that one-third of 'sun-like' stars - stars with the classification F, G or K - will have planets similar to Earth.

一項分析推測，三分之一的類太陽恆星，即F, G 或 K類恆星，將會有類似地球的行星存在。

Traub says, “About one-third of FGK stars are predicted to have at least one terrestrial, habitable-zone planet.”

Traub說：“根據預測，大約三分之一的F, G 或 K類類恆星會至少有一個行星類似地球，擁有可居住區域。”

Traub used statistical analysis to 'predict' planets that had not been detected by Kepler, and whether they would be within the 'habitable zone'. Traub's analysis hints that there may be even more potential 'Earths' orbiting them than previously thought - and that this 'principle' would extend to stars not yet scanned by Kepler.

Traub運用數據分析推測出尚未被開普勒軌道天文臺偵察到的行星，同時推測出是否有可居住區域。這項分析暗示，或許有比從前預想的更多的潛在“地球”在進行着軌道運動，這一原則將會拓展到還沒被開普勒軌道天文臺掃描到的地區。

Some commenters felt that Traub's 'habitable zones' were too generous, it included planets shrouded in icy clouds of carbon dioxide.

一些批評家們覺得，Traub的“可居住區”太過籠統，還包括了被結冰的二氧化碳雲層籠罩的行星。

The $600 million Kepler spacecraft, which launched in March 2009, is staring continuously at a patch of sky containing about 150,000 stars in the Cygnus constellation.

2009年3月，花費6億美元的開普勒宇宙飛船發射，一直不斷的探測着包含着150,000顆恆星的天鵝座。

The high-tech equipment analyses each stars' light every 30 minutes, watching for telltale dips in brightness which may indicate a planet is crossing its path.

高科技設備分析了每一顆恆星每30分鐘的光，等待他們沐浴在光亮下的跡象，這意味着一刻行星正在通過它的路徑。

Sophisticated sifting software is used to send the data to earth-bound scientists, who scour the results. As Kepler continues to scan, data - and analyses such as Traub's paper - will continue to become more accurate.

複雜精緻的篩選軟件被用於給地球上的科學家發送數據，他們負責弄清楚結果。隨着開普勒軌道天文臺的繼續掃描，數據與分析（例如Traub文件）將會繼續變得更加準確。