這張令人印象深刻的照片顯示了一個星系，但這些點并不是閃爍的星星

這張令人印象深刻的照片顯示了一個星系，但這些點并不是閃爍的星星

There's more than one way to look at a galaxy. Once you strip out all the lowest-energy electromagnetic radiation, you're left with the most powerful processes the Universe can muster.

觀察星系的方法不止一種。一旦你剔除了所有最低能量的電磁輻射，你就剩下了宇宙中最強大的過程。

This is the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, or Messier 83, located around 15 million light-years away in the Southern constellation Hydra. And you are looking at the X-ray radiation emanating from the galaxy's most energetic events - stars being born, stars dying, and black holes gobbling up matter.

這是南方的風車星系，或梅西耶83，位于大約1500萬光年之外的南方九頭蛇星座。你看到的是來自銀河系最具能量的事件的X射線輻射——恒星誕生，恒星死亡，黑洞吞噬物質。

Although it's only about half the size, M83 is a lot like the Milky Way, with a similar barred spiral structure. It's also one of the closest spiral galaxies; with its flat side facing us, we have a really good view. So astronomers study it to try and understand our own galaxy.

雖然M83只有銀河系的一半大小，但它非常像銀河系，有著類似的棒旋結構。它也是離我們最近的螺旋星系之一;面朝我們，我們的視野非常好。所以天文學家研究它，試圖了解我們自己的星系。

Messier 83. (ESO/IDA/Danish 1.5 m/R. Gendler, S. Guisard and C. Thöne)

Like the Milky Way, M83 is forming new stars. In our own galaxy, three to four solar masses' worth of material goes into star formation every year, producing up to an estimated seven or so baby stars. M83 is also producing a handful of stars every year.

像銀河系一樣，M83正在形成新的恒星。在我們自己的星系中，每年有三到四個太陽質量的物質進入恒星形成過程，產生大約7顆新生恒星。M83每年也生產少量的恒星。

Star formation is an intense process that generates a lot of radiation, but it can be hard for us to see, especially 15 million light-years away. That's where the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-ray space telescope comes in, as it's optimised for picking out high-energy X-rays.

恒星的形成是一個強烈的過程，會產生大量的輻射，但是我們很難看到，特別是1500萬光年之外。歐洲航天局的XMM牛頓X射線太空望遠鏡就是在這里誕生的，因為它對挑選高能X射線進行了優(yōu)化。

When turned to the galaxy, it sees star formation as bright spots speckled across the galaxy. But that's not all it sees. Other cosmic processes also produce a high amount of radiation.

當轉到星系時，它看到恒星的形成就像星系中點點的亮點。但這并不是它看到的全部。其他宇宙過程也會產生大量的輻射。

(ESA/XMM-Newton/S. Carpano, Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics)

In fact, most of the bright dots you see in this image are processes that occur towards the end of a star's lifespan.

事實上，你在這張照片中看到的大多數(shù)亮點，都是發(fā)生在恒星壽命末期的過程。

The supernova explosions that mark the end of the life of massive stars as they collapse into neutron stars and black holes are extremely powerful, for instance. Binary systemswhere one object is a black hole or neutron star can also produce powerful X-rays, when they're actively accreting matter off their companion.

例如，超新星爆炸標志著大質量恒星的生命終結，當它們坍塌成中子星和黑洞時，它們的威力是極其強大的。雙星系統(tǒng)當一個物體是黑洞或中子星時，當它們從伴星上主動地吸積物質時，也能產生強大的X射線。

This region was imaged by XMM-Newton on a number of occasions over several years - in January 2003, January and August 2014, February and August 2015, and finally in January 2016.

多年來，XMM-Newton多次對該區(qū)域進行了成像——2003年1月、2014年1月和8月、2015年2月和8月，以及2016年1月。

When combined, as in the animation below, the images allow scientists to study changes over time.

當這些圖像結合在一起時，就像下面的動畫一樣，科學家可以通過這些圖像研究隨著時間的推移而發(fā)生的變化。

(ESA/XMM-Newton/S. Carpano, Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics)

The red region at the centre of the image corresponds with the centre of the galaxy, and the X-ray sources therein are associated with the extreme environment around a galactic nucleus, powered by a supermassive black hole.

圖片中心的紅色區(qū)域與星系的中心相對應，其中的x射線源與星系核周圍的極端環(huán)境有關，該環(huán)境由一個超大質量黑洞提供動力。

At approximately 8 o'clock just outside the red region is a very bright spot indeed - barely changing over the years. That's what is known as an ultra-luminous X-ray source(ULX).

在紅色區(qū)域外大約8點鐘方向，確實是一個非常明亮的點——多年來幾乎沒有變化。這就是所謂的超亮x射線源(ULX)。

Astronomers believe this particular ULX is a binary with either a neutron star or black hole that is accreting matter from its companion at an exceptionally high rate.

天文學家認為，這個特殊的ULX是一個具有中子星或黑洞的雙星，它們以極高的速率從伴星中吸積物質。

These images are a truly rare glimpse into the workings of a galaxy, one we wouldn't see with our own eyes. But there's one more cool thing about M83 - it's so bright, it can be possible to view it in our night sky with the help of binoculars.

這些圖像是對星系運行的真正罕見的一瞥，我們無法親眼看到。但是M83還有一個很酷的地方——它非常明亮，可以在我們的夜空中通過雙筒望遠鏡看到它。