noticed something strange

異樣

going on nearly 1,500 light-years from home.

在離家近1500光年的地方進行。

A star named KIC 8462852,

一顆名叫KIC 8462852的明星。

aka Tabby's Star, kept dimming,

也就是塔比星，一直在暗淡。

as though something was passing in front of it.

彷彿有什麼東西從它面前經過。

Since then, scientists have been trying to figure out

從那時起，科學家們就一直在試圖找出

what that something might be.

什麼東西可能是。

A swarm of comets flying by en masse?

一群彗星集體飛過？

An alien megastructure?

外星大基礎設施？

Then, in 2019, astronomers proposed a new,

然後，在2019年，天文學家提出了一個新的。

more plausible explanation

更合理的解釋

that might finally solve the mystery of Tabby's Star.

可能最終會解開塔比星之謎。

There are really two

其實有兩個

mysteries centered on Tabby's Star.

以塔比星為中心的神祕事件。

First, the star keeps brightening and dimming

第一，星辰不斷地亮起，又不斷地暗淡下去

in a bizarrely sporadic pattern.

以一種詭異的零星模式。

While very young stars occasionally do this,

雖然很年輕的明星偶爾也會這樣做。

astronomers have never seen this behavior

天文學家從未見過這種行為

in a star of Tabby's age.

在塔比這個年齡段的明星。

Second, the star is slowly

第二，星星慢慢

but surely getting dimmer over time,

但隨著時間的推移，肯定會越來越暗。

in a steady decline that astronomers

持續下降，天文學家

have never observed

未見

in another star of its type.

在另一顆同類星中。

Clearly, something fishy is going on.

很明顯，這裡面有蹊蹺。

Some researchers have suggested

一些研究人員建議

an advanced alien civilization is to blame.

一個先進的外星文明是罪魁禍首。

If aliens built a megastructure

如果外星人建造了一個巨型基礎設施

called a Dyson Sphere to siphon off the star's energy,

稱為戴森球體，以吸取恆星的能量。

that could explain how the star

解釋星

is a whopping 10% dimmer

是一個驚人的10％的暗淡

than it was just a century ago.

比起一個世紀前，它是。

But there are some holes in that idea.

但這個想法有一些漏洞。

For one, you'd expect an orbiting megastructure

首先，你會期待一個軌道上的巨型基礎設施

to make regular, predictable trips around the star,

繞著恆星進行定期、可預測的旅行。

just like the International Space Station

就像國際空間站

makes regular trips around the Earth.

繞著地球定期旅行。

But, so far, there is no clear evidence

但是，到目前為止，還沒有明確的證據表明。

that the dips occur on a consistent schedule.

跌價發生的時間是一致的。

Plus, when it comes to any theory

另外，當涉及到任何理論

about advanced alien civilizations...

關於先進的外星文明...

Brian Metzger: It's a little hard to test it.

布萊恩-梅茲格這有點難以測試。

Polan: That's Brian Metzger, an astrophysicist

那是布萊恩-梅茲格，一位天體物理學家。

at Columbia University.

在哥倫比亞大學。

He studies what he calls...

他研究他所謂的...

Metzger: Things that go bump in the night.

梅茨格。夜裡發生的事情。

Polan: Or strange phenomena in the universe,

波瀾：或者宇宙中的奇怪現象。

including the odd behavior of Tabby's Star.

包括塔比星的怪異行為。

Metzger says another theory has problems as well.

梅茨格說，另一種理論也有問題。

You see, some experts suggest a massive swarm

你看，一些專家建議，大規模的群居動物

of comets is the real culprit.

的彗星才是真正的罪魁禍首。

This has the advantage that, unlike aliens,

這樣做的好處是，與外星人不同。

we're positive comets exist.

我們肯定有彗星存在。

And if they were orbiting the star,

而如果他們圍繞著恆星運行。

they'd explain the random blips, but...

他們會解釋隨機閃爍，但... ...

Metzger: A lot of the explanations

梅茨格很多的解釋

run into the problem of:

遇到的問題是：

Why is this relatively rare?

為什麼這種情況比較少見？

Like, why don't other stars show this behavior?

就像，為什麼其他明星沒有這種行為？

Polan: Basically, there would need to be something special

波瀾：基本上，需要有一些特別的東西。

about Tabby's Star to attract so many comets

塔比星吸引了這麼多的彗星。

to congregate at the same time at the same place.

在同一時間同一地點聚集。

But as far as astronomers can tell,

但就天文學家的觀察來看。

Tabby's Star is just like any other star of its type.

塔比星和其他同類明星一樣。

Luckily, Metzger and his team may have a new solution.

幸運的是，梅茨格和他的團隊可能有一個新的解決方案。

In 2019, they published a paper

2019年，他們發表了一篇論文

in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

在英國皇家天文學會的月報上

that argued for a different culprit:

認為是另一個罪魁禍首。

the dusty remains of a dying moon.

垂死的月亮的塵土遺蹟。

According to Metzger's models,

根據梅茨格的模型。

a gas giant may have

煤氣大戶

orbited the star millions of years ago.

數百萬年前圍繞這顆恆星運行。

And, like Jupiter and other gas giants,

而且，像木星和其他氣體巨行星一樣。

it hosted a few icy moons.

它接待了幾個冰月。

Now, the planet and its

現在，這個星球和它的

moons would have continued

月亮

to orbit Tabby's Star to this day,

以繞塔比星運行至今。

if not for one problem.

如果不是因為一個問題。

Metzger says a second nearby star

梅茲格說，附近有第二顆恆星

may have exerted

或已

a tiny gravitational pull on the planet.

對地球的微小引力。

Over time, it slowly tugged the planet

隨著時間的推移，它慢慢牽引著地球

out of its orbit and towards Tabby's Star

脫離軌道，向塔比星飛去

until, eventually, the planet fell in

直到最後，這個星球淪陷了

and was destroyed.

並被摧毀。

But the planet's moons may have escaped this fate,

但這顆星球的衛星可能已經逃脫了這種命運。

instead getting trapped into orbit by Tabby's gravity.

而是被塔比的引力困在了軌道上。

Over time, the constant radiation

隨著時間的推移，恆定的輻射

could have melted off chunks of these icy moons,

可能已經融化了這些冰冷的衛星的塊狀物。

resulting in a colossal cloud of moon dust around the star.

導致恆星周圍出現巨大的月塵雲。

Now, this plan makes sense for a number of reasons.

現在，這個計劃是有意義的，原因有很多。

First:

第一：

Metzger: Dust or small particulate grains

梅茨格。灰塵或小顆粒

is a really effective way

是一種真正有效的方式

to block the light of a star.

以阻擋星辰的光芒。

Polan: Unlike an alien superstructure,

波瀾：不像外星上層建築。

dust floats around in a blob

塵土飛揚

that's constantly morphing and changing its shape,

的不斷變形和改變其形狀。

which could explain the irregular dips.

這可以解釋不規則的跌幅。

And if enough of it accumulated around the star,

而如果恆星周圍積累了足夠多的。

over time, it could lead

久而久之，可能導致

to that mysterious 10% dimming

到那神祕的10%調光

astronomers observe.

天文學家觀察。

The moon part of Metzger's hypothesis works well, too.

梅茨格假說中的月亮部分也很好用。

Metzger: So, you need an object which is

梅茨格所以，你需要一個對象是

very massive

龐大

and has a lot of dust or has a lot of materials

並有很多灰塵或有很多材料。

that it could survive for a very long time,

它可以生存很長時間。

that it could feed this giant cloud of debris.

它可以餵養這個巨大的碎片雲。

Polan: Meanwhile, you'd need

同時，你需要

a remarkably large swarm

龐大無比

of unusually giant comets

異常巨大的彗星

in order to get the same job done.

為了完成同樣的工作。

Metzger: We would need something much bigger

梅茨格我們需要更大的東西

than an ordinary comet to explain

比普通彗星更容易解釋

the dipping around Tabby's Star.

圍繞塔比星的浸。

Polan: Plus, unlike an alien machine,

波瀾：另外，不像外星機器。

we see moons all the time.

我們看到月亮所有的時間。

And while we haven't seen this exact scenario before,

雖然我們之前沒有看到過這種確切的情況。

it's based on something we have observed

實事求是

with Jupiter-like planets.

與木星類行星。

Metzger: So, we have lots of evidence

梅茨格所以，我們有很多證據

from other planetary systems

外星系

that the Jupiters can be driven into their stars.

以至於能把木星趕進他們的星空。

Polan: And...

還有...

Metzger: If you think Jupiters are being driven

梅茨格如果你認為朱庇特星是被驅動的

close to their stars, you have to say,

接近他們的明星，你不得不說。

"What happened to their moons?"

"他們的月亮怎麼了？"

Polan: So, mystery solved?

波瀾：那麼，謎底解開了？

Not quite.

不完全是

While Metzger says he's happy

梅茨格說他很高興

with his team's explanation,

與他團隊的解釋。

he still has plenty of work ahead of him.

他還有很多工作要做。

Metzger: You know, I think it's important to, you know,

梅茨格你知道，我認為這很重要，你知道，

moving beyond what we're working on now.

超越我們現在的工作。

The next thing is obviously to make some predictions

接下來顯然是要做一些預測了

that can be tested.

可以測試的。

Polan: After all, theoretical models only get you so far.

波瀾：畢竟，理論模型只能讓你走到這一步。

That being said, it's still probably not aliens.

說起來，這可能還不是外星人。