When Neutron Stars Collide

Stellar smash-ups come in all flavors. When exotic neutron stars collide, as in this computer simulation, the cataclysm creates both a black hole and heavy elements, notably gold, as a consequence.
星球碰撞有各種形式。如這張電腦模擬圖中顯示，當(dāng)外來中子星相撞，巨大的震動會產(chǎn)生黑洞和各種重元素，其中金元素的數(shù)量尤其巨大。

Collapsed stars, neutron stars weigh about 1.5 times as much as the sun. All that mass ends up tucked into a sphere just 12 miles (20 kilometers) wide.
坍縮形成的中子星的重量大約是太陽的1.5倍，而其所有物質(zhì)都收縮擠壓在僅僅12英里（20千米）范圍內(nèi)。

Super Solar Storm Strikes Solar System

Sometimes the sun isn't so friendly, as shown by this outburst (right) and its orbital track (left) in these NASA images. Earth dodged a potentially disastrous solar storm two years ago from this tremendous eruption, by only nine days.
正如NASA的這兩張圖所示，太陽有時也不是那么友好的，右邊那張圖是它爆發(fā)的樣子，而左邊那張圖則顯示了它的運(yùn)行軌道。地球在兩年前幸運(yùn)地躲過了一次太陽風(fēng)暴，如這次太陽風(fēng)暴早發(fā)生九天，地球就有可能遭到一次災(zāi)難性的襲擊。

Solar physicists estimate this 2012 storm's strength exceeded the most intense solar storm ever recorded, an 1859 event that burned telegraph wires with its intensity. They warn that such a blast, if it had hit, would have blown out transformers, power lines, and electronics worldwide.
根據(jù)太陽物理學(xué)家估算，2012年的這次太陽風(fēng)暴的強(qiáng)度超越了1859年那次最猛烈的太陽風(fēng)暴，1859年的那場太陽風(fēng)暴甚至燒毀了電報線。他們警告道，如果真的被這次的太陽風(fēng)暴擊中，全球的變壓器、輸電線和電器都會壞掉。

Partial Eclipse Seen From Space

NASA's sun-watching Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this view of the moon interposing itself between the sun and Earth earlier this year.
今年早些時候，NASA太陽動力學(xué)觀測衛(wèi)星捕捉到了這幅圖像，月亮擋在了太陽和地球中間。

The partial eclipse lasted for 2.5 hours as seen from space, a record for the spacecraft, which watches the sun for signs of solar storms headed for Earth.
該衛(wèi)星用于觀察太陽風(fēng)暴是否有靠近地球的趨勢，根據(jù)其在太空中的觀測，這次的日偏食持續(xù)了2.5個小時。

Sun Erupts Into Space

A massive eruption of charged solar material lifts off the sun's fiery surface in this NASA picture. Such "coronal mass ejections" trigger solar storms and northern lights when they are aimed at Earth.
NASA拍攝的這張照片中，太陽熾熱的表層噴出大量帶電粒子。當(dāng)這種“日冕物質(zhì)拋射”瞄準(zhǔn)了地球時，會引發(fā)太陽風(fēng)暴和北極光。

Corona Crowns Solar Sphere

The sun's corona, its superhot outer atmosphere, is revealed in this collage of images from the space agency.
這幅來自航天局的拼圖中所示的是太陽的日冕層，日冕層是太陽大氣的最外層，溫度極高。

The sun's surface measures about 9,940 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius), which is plenty hot. But the corona, stoked by the sun's powerful magnetic field, is much hotter, its temperature measured in millions of degrees.
太陽表層溫度可達(dá)9940華氏度（5500攝氏度），極熱。但日冕層因受到太陽強(qiáng)烈的磁場影響，溫度更高，可達(dá)到幾百萬度。

Solar Shotput Escapes

A strand of charged star stuff launches from the solar surface in this April picture from NASA. Such escapes from the sun appear to be common.
NASA今年四月拍攝的這張圖中，太陽表面噴出了一束帶電恒星物質(zhì)，這種現(xiàn)象比較常見。

Out-of-This-World Fireworks Show

A trio of powerful solar flares escaped from the sun in June, seen in this triptych of pictures.
這三張照片顯示了今年6月的太陽耀斑爆發(fā)。

Shown in ultraviolet light, the flares all belonged to the most powerful X-class of flares, capable of inducing radio blackouts if they hit Earth.[/en
]這些照片是超紫外線圖像，太陽耀斑屬于X級最強(qiáng)耀斑，如擊中地球可致無線電中斷。

Jets Blast From Giant Star

[en]A flame-like eruption flares away from an infant giant star, seen in this supercomputer simulation of stellar birth.

在這張超級電腦模擬的星體誕生圖中，一顆初生的巨星爆發(fā)出了火焰般的耀斑。

Helix Haloes Dying Stars

Resembling an eye wide open, the Helix nebula shines brightly in this well-known image.
在這幅著名的照片中，螺旋星云看上去就像是一只張開的眼睛，在太空中發(fā)光。

Astronomers suspect the nebula is actually a pair of gaseous disks emitted from a pair of dying stars. Set at sharp angles, the disks combine to create the eyelid side of the nebula, as seen from Earth.
天文學(xué)家懷疑星云其實(shí)是死亡恒星留下的氣盤。從地球觀測，兩個氣盤呈現(xiàn)銳角，正好是星云的上下“眼瞼”。