評(píng)論
打印
To see a star in action,
觀測(cè)一顆活躍的恒星
let's imagine I can split one in half.
讓我們?cè)O(shè)想可將其分成兩半
Just as in the soccer ball star,
如那顆足球大的恒星
the hydrogen atoms are fusing together, creating helium,
氫聚合成氦
which produces the star's energy.
產(chǎn)生了恒星釋放的能量
But helium is slightly heavier than hydrogen,
然而氦比氫略重
so it sinks to the center of the star.
因此會(huì)下沉到恒星中心
And now the helium atoms take center stage.
現(xiàn)在氦原子占據(jù)中心位置
As they fuse together, they produce even more energy,
更多能量伴隨它們的聚合而產(chǎn)生
and form yet another new element,
形成另一種新元素
carbon,
碳
a vital building block of every living thing.
所有生命必不可少的組成部分
The process repeats itself over and over
該過程循環(huán)往復(fù)
and the star becomes layered, like an onion,
星體開始分層，像洋蔥一樣
a really big onion.
像巨大的洋蔥
The closer to the center, the heavier the elements,
距離中心越近，元素質(zhì)量越重
like neon, oxygen, and last of all iron.
比如氖，氧,最后是鐵
Now things change.
現(xiàn)在事情發(fā)生了變化
Iron doesn't produce energy when it fuses, so the fire begins to go out.
鐵在聚合時(shí)不產(chǎn)生能量，因此燃燒開始停止
More and more iron builds up in the star's core
越來越多的鐵集聚于恒星內(nèi)核
until almost all the remaining fuel runs out.
直至剩余燃料耗盡
Now gravity takes over and squashes the star in on itself.
接著萬有引力開始作用，擠壓恒星自身
As its core gets more and more compressed,
隨著恒星的內(nèi)核越來越緊密
its temperature soars until it's over 100 times hotter than the core of our own sun.
其溫度漲至超過太陽內(nèi)核一百余倍
Finally the star collapses and explodes.
最終恒星塌陷并發(fā)生爆炸
This is a supernova.
這就是超新星爆炸
