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Is there new life in outer space?
人类或发现宜居星球
If you watched the film Avatar, you may wonder if Earth is the only habitable planet in the universe. Given the large number of the galaxies, many scientists hold the belief that there is certainly extra-terrestrial life. But it seems we are having trouble finding them.
如果你看过电影《阿凡达》，你或许会想知道地球是否是宇宙中唯一一颗宜居星球。由于宇宙中星系数量众多，许多科学家都认为一定有地外生命存在。但我们似乎难以找到他们。
In August, NASA announced the discovery of a possible Earth-like planet. Located 31 light years away, it could support life.
今年8月，美国航空航天局宣布发现一颗可能与地球类似的行星。它距离地球31光年，可能拥有生命可以生存的环境。
"I think it's an amazing discovery," said Lisa Kaltenegger from the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell in the US. "We have Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite or TESS for short that's scanning the whole sky, where the brightest and closest objects are, to find planets like ours and this is the first one."
“我认为这是项惊人的发现，”来自美国康奈尔卡尔萨根研究所的丽莎·卡顿内格表示。“我们使用了凌日系外行星勘测卫星（简称‘苔丝’）扫描了整个天空，在亮度最大和距离最近的天体中寻找和地球类似的星球，这颗星球是我们发现的首例。”
The planet, named GJ 357 d, is believed to be around twice the size of Earth and have six times Earth's mass.
这个名为GJ 357 d的行星被认为约有地球的两倍大，质量是地球的6倍。
According to the New York Post, it "is located within the outer edge of its star's habitable zone, where it receives about the same amount of stellar energy from its star as Mars does from the sun". Specifically, it is about 18°C below zero.
据《纽约邮报》报道，这颗行星“位于其所在恒星系的宜居带外缘，所接收到的恒星能量与火星从太阳接收到的能量相当”。具体而言，其表面温度约为零下18摄氏度。
You may think that this is too low for human habitation.
你或许会认为这样的温度对于人类生存而言太低了。
But according to CNN, if it has a thick atmosphere, the planet could trap enough heat to warm the planet and allow liquid water on its surface.
但据美国有线电视新闻网报道，如果该行星拥有致密的大气层，就能捕获足够热量使气温升高，并允许液态水的存在。
Within the next six years, people will be able to experience the next generation of space probes, promising a far more detailed view of other planets, including their terrain and weather systems.
在接下来的6年内，人们将有能力进行新一代的空间探索，提供其他星球更为详细的视图，包括它们的地形以及天气系统等等。
If it indeed does have a thick enough atmosphere, "GJ 357 d would be at the top of everyone's travel list and we could answer a 1,000-year-old question on whether we are alone in space," CNN reported.
据美国有线电视新闻网报道，如果该星球确实拥有足够致密的大气层，“GJ 357 d将会成为每个人旅行的首选目的地，我们也能回答这个千年之问：宇宙中是否还有其他生命存在？”
