双语2022年小行星撞地球NASA亲近调查中

An asteroid the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, is barrelling towards Earth and NASA have revealed the exact date it could strike our planet.

一颗巨细相似埃及吉萨大金字塔的小行星正高速冲向地球，美国国家航空航天局发布了该行星或许碰击地球的切当日期。

NASA have released details of an asteroid, known as JF1, that is heading towards Earth. The rock, a whopping 420ft across, is predicted to collide with the planet on May 6, 2022, with devastating consequences. The American space agency have said that if the asteroid continues on its current trajectory, it could strike with a force of 230 kilotons (230,000 tonnes of TNT).

美国国家航空航天局发布了一颗名为JF1的小行星的细节，这颗小行星正朝着地球跋涉。这颗巨大的小行星直径420英尺（约合128米），估计将于2022年5月6日与地球相撞，并带来毁灭性的结果。美国国家航空航天局表明，假如这颗小行星持续沿着现在的轨迹运转，它碰击地球的威力将相当于23万吨TNT炸药。

The impact would be more than 15 times larger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, which liberated energy equivalent to approximately 15 kilotons of TNT.

这颗小行星假如碰击地球，带来的影响将是1945年投放在广岛的原子弹的15倍以上，广岛原子弹释放出的能量相当于约1.5万吨TNT炸药。

Scientists have said that if JF1 were to hit a populated area, it would wipe out an entire city instantly, potentially causing millions of deaths.

科学家们曾表明，假如JF1撞到人口稠密的区域，将当即炸毁整个城市，有或许形成数百万人逝世。

But they warn that even if it were to splash down in the remotest part of the Pacific Ocean it would still cause devastating tsunamis and a “nuclear winter” that could severely impact life on Earth.

但他们正告说，即便它坠落在太平洋最偏僻的当地，也会引发毁灭性的海啸和“核冬季”，或许对地球上的生命形成严重影响。

As a result, the asteroid has been flagged for close attention by their near-Earth monitoring system, Sentry.

因而，这颗小行星被美国国家航空航天局的近地监测体系“岗兵”标记为亲近重视。

NASA said: “Sentry is a highly automated collision monitoring system that continually scans the most current asteroid catalogue for possibilities of future impact with Earth over the next 100 years.”

美国国家航空航天局表明：“‘岗兵’是一个高度自动化的磕碰监测体系，它不断扫描最新的小行星目录，以寻觅未来100年与地球相撞的或许性。”

The space agency also said the probability of the rock colliding with East is low.

美国国家航空航天局还表明，这颗小行星与地球东部相撞的或许性很低。

Nasa believes there is a one in 3,800 odds the asteroid will hit Earth on the expected date of May 6, 2022.

美国国家航空航天局以为，这颗小行星在2022年5月6日碰击地球的几率为3800分之一。

They said there is a “small but appreciable chance” the JF1 could strike the planet.

研讨人员表明，JF1碰击地球的“或许性很小，但也不容忽视”。

But because of the sheer size of the asteroid, which is roughly the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza, it will continue to be monitored.

但因为这颗小行星的体积很大，大致相当于吉萨大金字塔的巨细，它将持续遭到监测。

Due to the danger posed by a future collision, space agencies around the world are developing ways to avert a possible extinction event.

因为未来碰击或许形成的风险，世界各地的航天组织正在研讨防止或许发生灭绝事情的办法。

Researchers and spacecraft engineers from across Europe and the US are working on a mission to “deflect” a space rock and “prove the technique as a viable method of planetary defence”.

来自欧洲和美国的研讨人员和宇宙飞船工程师正在进行一项使小行星“转向”的使命，并“证明这项技能是一种可行的行星防护办法”。

This mission is called the Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA) and will attempt to redirect the smaller part of a pre-selected double asteroid called Didymos.

这项使命被称为小行星碰击偏转评价（AIDA），它将企图使预先选定的双小行星体系Didymos中的小卫星转向。

In the first stage of the mission, a spacecraft will deliberately crash into the space rock.

在使命的第一阶段，一艘宇宙飞船将成心撞向这颗小行星。

Then a second ship will assess the crash site and gather data on the effects of the collision.

之后第二艘宇宙飞船将评价碰击地址，搜集有关碰击影响的数据。

NASA is already working on a craft called Double Asteroid Impact Test, whilst Italy will send a mini satellite to gather data as the mission progresses.

美国国家航空航天局已经在研讨一种名为“双小行星碰击测验”的航天器，而在这项使命施行过程中，意大利将发射一颗迷你卫星来搜集数据。

The European Space Agency [ESA] mission, called Hera, will perform “a close-up survey of the post-impact asteroid,” collecting vital information about such as the asteroid’s composition as well as the size of the crater left behind after impact.

欧洲航天局的航天器“赫拉”将对碰击后的小行星进行近距离查询，搜集有关小行星的构成以及碰击后留下的陨石坑巨细等重要信息。

Ian Carnelli, controller of the ESA Hera mission said: “DART can perform its mission without Hera – the effect of its impact on the asteroid’s orbit will be measurable using Earth ground-based observatories alone.”

欧洲航天局航天器“赫拉”的负责人伊恩·卡内利说：“双小行星碰击测验（DART）航天器可以在没有赫拉航天器的情况下执行使命，它对小行星轨迹的影响将可以终究靠地球地上天文台来丈量。”