[REBORN FROM THE ASHES][comment][01.06]

StefanaUID: 2143510

关于REBORN FROM THE ASHES组COMMENTS活动的说明&汇总
https://bbs.gter.net/thread-1042733-1-2.html

Planet hunting
Looking in the shadowsJan 5th 2010
From Economist.com
The search for a second Earth gets serious


IN THE 19th century astronomers spent a lot of time seeking shadows crossing the sun. They were searching for Vulcan, a putative planet inside the orbit of Mercury, by looking for its transits. These are the moments when, viewed from Earth, the hypothetical planet would cross the solar disc. Sadly, there was no Vulcan to be found, but the method itself is sound, and it is the modus operandi of Kepler, an American spacecraft that has been trailing the Earth, in the same orbit, since March 2009.

Kepler is a telescope that looks simultaneously and continuously at more than 150,000 stars, recording the amount of light coming from them. It is seeking the tiny, periodic diminutions of illumination caused by planetary transits and, on January 4th, the team running it announced that five such patterns had shown up in the first six weeks of the probe’s operation.

The past 15 years have shown that planets are commonplace. More than 400 have been located around stars other than the sun, by looking for the wobbles in parent stars that orbiting planets cause. A decent wobble, though, requires a massive planet, so the wobble method does not favour the discovery of Earth-sized objects. Kepler, however, can find such planets. The Earth itself, in transit, reduces the amount of light an observer would see from the sun by about 0.01%. That is well within Kepler’s range.

In fact, the planets found so far are significantly larger than Earth. Four are about the size of Jupiter and one about the size of Neptune. They also have much shorter orbits, ranging from 3.3 to 4.9 terrestrial days. Neither of these facts is surprising. Even using the transit method, big planets are easier to spot than small ones, and to be sure that a flicker in brightness is caused by a planet rather than some property of the star itself, it must occur at regular and predictable intervals. Hundreds of flickers that might have been caused by planets with longer orbits have been seen, but have not yet have been confirmed as transits.

What this does mean, though, is that the planets in question are are much closer to their stars than Earth is, and thus much hotter (1200-1650ºC), as well as being larger. But they are not as hot as the most peculiar discoveries Kepler has made. These are two planet-sized objects that are far hotter (at 12,000ºC) than their distances from their parent stars suggest they should be. That means they are giving out energy of their own, yet they are too small to be stars. One theory is that they are youngsters, giving off heat as they collapse inwards due to the pull of their own gravity, but nobody knows for sure.

None of these discoveries favours the underlying reason why planet-hunting is such a popular sport—the hope that, one day, a life-bearing planet will turn up. For that, more numbers will have to be crunched, and planetary atmospheres analysed for signs of oxygen. The hunt, however, is on in earnest. If Earth-sized planets are out there, they will soon be found.


原文地址：http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15207287&source=features_box2

doodaUID: 2712643

Comment:

    This astrophysics article described ways to find a Earth-like planet. There are mainly two effective ways to find planets. One method is by looking for wobbles of a star, which caused by its orbiting planet. The other is the modus operandi of the Kepler telescope which was launched on Mar 2009. The Kepler works on monitoring the lights of more than 150.000 stars simultaneously and continuously. When a planet’s transit crosses it’s parent star, the light of the star will show regular and predictable diminution of the illusion.
    By the first method, only mach bigger planets than the Earth have been and will be found. It because only those massive planets can cause recognizable wobbles of their stars. According to physics common sences, the biger the planet, the more gravety object will gain on it. So those bigger planet than the Earth are not suitable for people live on it.By the second method, the Earth-sized objects are well within kepler’s range.


T    he author also mentioned that some of the planet-sized object are much hotter than the distance from their start suggest. Although their size may be similar to the Earth but they are too hot for human to live on.
    Finally, the author believes that one day, a Earth-sized, life-bearing planet will be found finally.

Highlights:
Legent:
1生词短语的
2语法句式相关的
3好句，名言建议背诵吸收的

Planet hunting
Looking in the shadowsJan 5th 2010
From Economist.com
The search for a second Earth gets serious


IN THE 19th century astronomers spent a lot of time seeking shadows crossing the sun. They were searching for Vulcan (the Roman god of fire and metalworking,) a putative推定的
假定的 planet inside the orbit of Mercury水星, by looking for its transits(n. 经过
搬运
运输线v横越
通过
穿过). These are the moments when, viewed from Earth, the hypothetical假设的
假想的 planet would cross the solar disc. Sadly, there was no Vulcan to be found, but the method itself is sound, and it is the modus operandi做法
惯技 of Kepler, an American spacecraft that has been trailing the Earth, in the same orbit, since March 2009.

Kepler is a telescope that looks simultaneously and continuously at more than 150,000 stars, recording the amount of light coming from them. It is seeking the tiny, periodic diminutions减少减低 of illumination caused by planetary transits and, on January 4th, the team running it announced that five such patterns had shown up in the first six weeks of the probe’s operation.

The past 15 years have shown that planets are commonplace. More than 400 have been located around stars other than the sun, by looking for the wobbles 摇晃
动摇in parent stars that orbiting planets cause. A decent
正派的
端庄的《口语》像样的 wobble, though, requires a massive planet, so the wobble method does not favour the discovery of Earth-sized objects. Kepler, however, can find such planets. The Earth itself, in transit, reduces the amount of light an observer would see from the sun by about 0.01%. That is well within Kepler’s range.

In fact, the planets found so far are significantly larger than Earth. Four are about the size of Jupiter木星 and one about the size of Neptune海王星. They also have much shorter orbits, ranging from 3.3 to 4.9 terrestrial陆地的
地球的 days. Neither of these facts is surprising. Even using the transit method, big planets are easier to spot than small ones, and to be sure that a flicker闪烁 in brightness is caused by a planet rather than some property of the star itself, it must occur at regular and predictable intervals. Hundreds of flickers that might have been caused by planets with longer orbits have been seen, but have not yet have been confirmed as transits.

What this does mean, though, is that the planets in question are are much closer to their stars than Earth is, and thus much hotter (1200-1650ºC), as well as being larger. But they are not as hot as the most peculiar奇特的
罕见的 discoveries Kepler has made. These are two planet-sized objects that are far hotter (at 12,000ºC) than their distances [from their parent stars] suggest they should be. That means they are giving out energy of their own, yet they are too small to be stars. One theory is that they are youngsters, giving off heat as they collapse inwards内陷
due to the pull of their own gravity, but nobody knows for sure.

None of these discoveries favours the underlying reason why planet-hunting is such a popular sport—the hope that, one day, a life-bearing planet will turn up. For that, more numbers will have to be crunched, and planetary atmospheres行星雾围 analysed for signs of oxygen. The hunt, however, is on in earnest认真的
诚挚的. If Earth-sized planets are out there, they will soon be found.

adammaksimUID: 2675466

putative adj. 假设的

solar disc  日面

modus operandi  工作方式

A decent wobble, though, requires a massive planet, so the wobble method does not favour the discovery of Earth-sized objects.

Neptune 海王星 Uranus 天王星 Pluto 冥王星

comments:

It's human's nature to discover the unknown out of curiosity, and the zeal of planet-hunting is just one of its products. Contributed to the success of Newton's and Kepler's theories, we found Neptune, Uranus and Pluto in our solar system. Now people have a more powerful tool to look into the shadow, as described in this article, observing the periodic diminutions of illumination from the stars, which is more accurate and effective in finding earth-sized planet.

As I see, considering planets are always much smaller than stars, to measure the light diminutions caused by the transition of planet between the star and the observer is totally impossible without extreme-precise equipment from a astronomical distance. However, we meet our curiosity with the miracle of modern technology again. Even a 0.01% diminution is detectable for Kepler and this amazing spacecraft can keep an eye on 150,000 stars simultaneously. With no doubt, besides Earth there must be some other life-bearing planets hidden in the limitless universe. But even someday we will find them, and then we will need another scientific miracle to cover the astronomical distance before our landing.

fancywwUID: 2583671

words and expressions:
Putative:1 : commonly accepted or supposed;2 : assumed to exist or to have existed.
For that, more numbers will have to be crunched, and planetary atmospheres analysed for signs of oxygen.（1 : to chew or press with a crushing noise；2 : to make one's way with a crushing noise）
flicker： to burn or shine fitfully or with a fluctuating light


Comment:
Frankly, I have not much to comment on this article. I just think that the Kepler Mission, a search for habitable planet, seems to be an interesting but also a difficult one. Besides, how can we tell whether the planets are habitable or not just from their size? Do scientists deem that only the planets in the same size of the earth is qualified? Well, I am even not a student in such realms, so I'd better not hunch here. That's all.

More about Kepler Mission, click:http://kepler.nasa.gov

tequilawineUID: 2702008

Vulcan
D.J.['vʌlkən]   
K.K.['vʌlkən]
祝融星

putative
[pu·ta·tive || 'pjuːtətɪv]

adj.
想象的, 传说的, 推定的

hypothetical  

adj.
假设的, 假定的

sound
[saʊnd]

n.
声音, 响声; 喧闹声; 声; 音调#海峡; 海口; 海湾; 河口#探针

v.
发声, 响起; 听起来, 听上去; 发音; 被弄响, 被吹奏; 使发声, 使响起; 发...音; 通知; 敲击检查; 测...的水深; 试探, 探听; 测水深; 探测, 调查

adj.
健全的; 合理的; 可靠的

modus  

n.
方法; 型式

periodic  

adj.
周期的, 定期的pe·ri·od·ic || ‚pɪrɪ'ɑdɪk /‚pɪərɪ'ɒ-

diminution
[dim·i·nu·tion || ‚dɪmɪ'njuːʃn]

n.
减少, 减低, 缩小

illumination
[il·lu·mi·na·tion || ɪ‚luːmɪ'neɪʃn]

n.
照明; 启发; 阐明

wobble
[wob·ble || 'wɒbl]

n.
摆动, 不稳定, 动摇

v.
摇晃, 游移不定, 动摇; 使摇摆, 使颤动

Jupiter
[Ju·pi·ter || 'dʒuːpɪtə]

n.
木星

Neptune
[Nep·tune || 'neptjuːn]

n.
海王星

flicker
[flick·er || 'flɪkə(r)]

n.
闪烁; 忽隐忽现; 摇曳; 轻快的动作#电影

v.
闪烁; 忽隐忽现; 摇曳; 颤动; 使摇曳; 使忽隐忽现; 使闪烁不定; 以闪烁的光表示

interval
[in·ter·val || 'ɪntə(r)vl]

n.
间隔; 幕间, 休息时间; 距离; 音程

in question   
考虑之中的; 被谈论着的

planetary
[plan·e·tar·y || 'plænɪtərɪ /trɪ]

adj.
行星的; 流浪的, 飘泊不定的; 在轨道上运行的, 似行星的; 地球的, 全球的

Comment:

Little did I know about astronomy, I hardly can understand what the article mainly talked about. By all means, I try to collect the thesis sentence form every sections and got a whole insight of it.

Tracking back to the history of this science, the real aim of that is to elicit the sound way that at that time people use to detect the stars----Kepler---which can read the light coming from them. And the pros and cons are available following that. The optimal is that not only it can favor the discovery of the Earth-size planets, it also can give us some analysis of the new future of the universe.

What does this modus base on? Answer lay in the interaction between the parent and son relationship objects—stars or planets.

Hopefully, at last we may intrude a new world with this amazing technology, as always imagined in the blockbusters, a world the aliens live up and also used by human.

windandrain2004UID: 2597690

今天的很短，占

kulewy531UID: 2603031

Planet hunting
Looking in the shadowsJan 5th 2010
From Economist.com
The search for a second Earth gets serious


IN THE 19th century astronomers spent a lot of time seeking shadows crossing the sun. They were searching for Vulcan, a putative (Generally regarded as such) planet inside the orbit of Mercury, by looking for its transits. These are the moments when, viewed from Earth, the hypothetical planet would cross the solar disc. Sadly, there was no Vulcan to be found, but the method itself is sound, and it is the modus operandi (A method of operating or functioning.) of Kepler, an American spacecraft that has been trailing the Earth, in the same orbit, since March 2009.

Kepler is a telescope that looks simultaneously and continuously at more than 150,000 stars, recording the amount of light coming from them. It is seeking the tiny, periodic diminutions of illumination caused by planetary transits and, on January 4th, the team running it announced that five such patterns had shown up in the first six weeks of the probe’s operation.

The past 15 years have shown that planets are commonplace. More than 400 have been located around stars other than the sun, by looking for the wobbles (To tremble or quaver:) in parent stars that orbiting planets cause. A decent wobble, though, requires a massive planet, so the wobble method does not favour the discovery of Earth-sized objects. Kepler, however, can find such planets. The Earth itself, in transit, reduces the amount of light an observer would see from the sun by about 0.01%. That is well within Kepler’s range.

In fact, the planets found so far are significantly larger than Earth. Four are about the size of Jupiter and one about the size of Neptune. They also have much shorter orbits, ranging from 3.3 to 4.9 terrestrial days. Neither of these facts is surprising. Even using the transit method, big planets are easier to spot than small ones, and to be sure that a flicker in brightness is caused by a planet rather than some property of the star itself, it must occur at regular and predictable intervals. Hundreds of flickers that might have been caused by planets with longer orbits have been seen, but have not yet have been confirmed as transits.

What this does mean, though, is that the planets in question are much closer to their stars than Earth is, and thus much hotter (1200-1650ºC), as well as being larger. But they are not as hot as the most peculiar discoveries Kepler has made. These are two planet-sized objects that are far hotter (at 12,000ºC) than their distances from their parent stars suggest they should be. That means they are giving out energy of their own, yet they are too small to be stars. One theory is that they are youngsters, giving off heat as they collapse inwards due to the pull of their own gravity, but nobody knows for sure.

None of these discoveries favours the underlying reason why planet-hunting is such a popular sport—the hope that, one day, a life-bearing planet will turn up. For that, more numbers will have to be crunched, and planetary atmospheres analysed for signs of oxygen. The hunt, however, is on in earnest. If Earth-sized planets are out there, they will soon be found.

词义辨析：
Wobble： impiles an unsteadiness that reveal itself In tottering or in a quivering characteristic of a mass of soft flesh or soft jelly.

Comments：
The search for other live-bearing planet has been carried on for many years, but has not got much progress. Telescopes like Kepler cost lots of money which could have been used in other fields concerned with the everyday lives of most citizens like education and health care. As is known to all, even in American, the poor has great difficulty making a living, leaving those who live in Africa unsaid. However, on the other hand, those telescopes have little to do with promoting the living condition of most people.

Even if we found a planet which is almost the same as earth, how to get there were surely to be a insurmountable barrier. The nearest nebula is hundreds of light years away and we still have challenges in setting men to the Mars. Maybe the Americans are afraid of invasions from the outer space, but, at present, AI Qaeda is far from defeated.

qisaimanUID: 2703629

putative 推断的
transits 凌日
disc
simultaneous and continuous
wobble 扰动
decent 适宜的
well within range
Terrestrial 地球的
crunch 嚼 啃


two methods for planet hunting is mentioned in the article, one is by looking for the wobble of the parent stars caused by a massive planet, the other is by observing the illumination due to a periodical motion, that is the transit method. the latter one is more effective and adopted by the Kepler telescope.
so far hundreds patterns had been recognized using the wobble method, but they are usually too large and hot to bear life . with the transit method, small planet like the earth can be found, rousing a new wave of hunting for the external terrestrial life .

prettywraithUID: 197049

Comments (2010-01-06):

The first passage introduces astronomy, and it is the shortest passage I have read, in our comments task. Although the passage only about five hundred words like one issue writing length, it  still obscure me due to my little knowledge of astronomy. After I have found a scientific dictionary, finally, I catch the substantial meaning of "transit" and "wobble".

Actually, people can know this passage well without astronomy knowledge. The author clearly express his idea, which is Kepler, basing on the new theory using "transit", work more efficient for planet hunting.

There is another funny thing when I read this passage. In dictionary, the Chinese explanation of Vulcan has similar meaning with Mars. When the passage introduces Vulcan, I was confused, because I always thought about Mars in my mind. Therefore, when you read, please be careful. The Vulcan is "the Roman god of fire and metalworking "; the Mars is "the Roman god of war" or "the planet fourth in order from the sun and conspicuous for its red color".

Good sentences:

One theory is that they are youngsters, giving off heat as they collapse inwards due to the pull of their own gravity, but nobody knows for sure.


Wrong spelling:
scientific
sentific

海王泪UID: 2673613

My Sum-Up
1.Astronomers use a sound method to find Vulcan, though the hypothetical planet hasn’t be found.
2.Introduction to Kepler, a telescope, as a tool of the sound method in finding a planet.
3.Kepler succeed in the discovery of Earth-sized planet and supply a gap of methodology in planet-hunting.
4.But the planets Kepler found so far are significantly larger than Earth and even using the transit method cannot confirm the if there are orbits.
5.Such strange phenomenon indicates that these planets are different from earth and they might just be youngsters.
6.Although all discoveries till now disappoint people and some want to quit their search, the plant-hunting will go on in earnest for the belief that Earth-sized planets would be found if they exist.
--------------------------------------------------------
Sentences and phrases
Useful Expressions
They were searching for Vulcan, a putative planet inside the orbit of Mercury, by looking for its transits. These are the moments when, viewed from Earth, the hypothetical planet would cross the solar disc.
Putative=hypothetical
The hunt, however, is on in earnest.
In earnest=sincerely
There is the hope that, one day, a life-bearing planet will turn up.
Earth (= A life-bearing planet
Turn up=come forth=emerge=appear
Materials
【Argument-Lack of Evidence or Counterexamples】
None of these discoveries favours the underlying reason why planet-hunting is such a popular sport—the hope that, one day, a life-bearing planet will turn up.
None of (evidence/counterexamples) favors the underlying (reason) why (conclusion).
--------------------------------------------------------
My Comment
This is a scientific article. It shows the progress of planet-hunting and the volition of continual search. Although discoveries till now disappoint astronomers, the plant-hunting will go on in earnest for the belief that Earth-sized planets would be found if they exist.

Assumption serves as the amazing grace of science, but it also works as the tragedy of inquiring. Imagination gives us a chance of thinking a life-bearing planet as earth outside, but in logic we falls into a dilemma that we cannot falsify it forever. In other words, we cannot simply conclude that there is no earth-like planet when we fail to find it, or until we hunt every corner of the universe where we make another assumption that the cosmos is infinite.

However, if we prove our assumption, or in this article that the astronomers come across another beautiful planet, could we find anything more exciting and wonderful than that?

That is, in pursuit of rationality is basic on sensibility. The hope for our assumption is the underlying assumption which gives us power to do everything.

Far from the topic above, I would like to say it is the curiosity and imagination which urge scientists to devote themselves to research. I still feel lucky that I have kept my heart as a child so that I am not easily used to commonplace. In my belief, interesting view with this world may make an interesting life.

123runfordreamUID: 2697608

modus operandi (a method of procedure especially: a distinct pattern or method of operation that indicates or suggests the work of a single criminal in more than one crime)

terrestrial (belonging to the class of planets that are like the earth (as in density and silicate composition))

more numbers will have to be crunched (crunch (the) numbers:to do a lot of calculations in order to find an answer),

1.伏尔甘 [Vulcan]
古罗马的火神，等同希腊的赫菲斯托斯。伏尔甘专门象征破坏性的火，如火山爆发或火灾。因此他的神庙通常位于城郊。他的主要节期伏尔甘节，届时罗马家庭之长行祭礼，向火中投小鱼。人们常向伏尔甘祈求免除火灾。

2. Mercury.

The planets of our solar system are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

我们太阳系的行星有水星、金星、地球、火星、木星、土星、天王星、海王星。

Comment:
It got me again.
I am such an idiot that have little knowledge about astronomy; the worse is having little interests in it. Undoubtedly, I don’t understand this article well. But it does remind me of an issue about the meaning of exploring the out space. As the author mentions in the end, why planet-hunting are so popular, which may enlighten us that is it really possible to emigrate to other planets and how long it is going to be? Since earth is just a tiny planet in the universe, the huge world outside it is still a mystery and will be for a long time, long enough that we can see that happened.

plukaUID: 2721764

NOTE
A decent wobble, though, requires a massive planet, so the wobble method does not favour the discovery of Earth-sized objects.

None of these discoveries favours the underlying reason why planet-hunting is such a popular sport—the hope that, one day, a life-bearing planet will turn up. （出现了，原来the reason why结构是可以的）


COMMENT

Well, this article is kinda plain but this issue is worthy of thinking. Why we are consistently fascinated by the notion outer space? Partly because of the demand of massive migration and exploration into the universe, as some people suggest, but I deem it more instinctive--nature, spontaneous and inextricable. We human want the eternal; we hope for the ultimate. And ironically, people are fearful of the unknown. Recall those scientific fictions and movies depicting the disaster brought by a falling meteorite or invasion of ugly aliens, and you see the fear inside. Maybe implicitly in heart, we are waiting for the final judgment, expecting the day when God and Satan reveal themselves, who knows? 

Anyhow, the space odyssey lauched our dreams. Following the wind! See what the tomorrow will bring us. 

豆腐店的86UID: 2512956

Planet hunting
Looking in the shadowsJan 5th 2010
From Economist.com
The search for a second Earth gets serious

=================================================
IN THE 19th century astronomers spent a lot of time seeking shadows crossing the sun. They were searching for Vulcan, a putative planet inside the orbit of Mercury, by looking for its transits. These are the moments when, viewed from Earth, the hypothetical planet would cross the solar disc. Sadly, there was no Vulcan to be found, but the method itself is sound, and it is the modus operandi of Kepler, an American spacecraft that has been trailing the Earth, in the same orbit, since March 2009.

Kepler is a telescope that looks simultaneously and continuously at more than 150,000 stars, recording the amount of light coming from them. It is seeking the tiny, periodic diminutions of illumination caused by planetary transits and, on January 4th, the team running it announced that five such patterns had shown up in the first six weeks of the probe’s operation.

The past 15 years have shown that planets are commonplace. More than 400 have been located around stars other than the sun, by looking for the wobbles in parent stars that orbiting planets cause. A decent wobble, though, requires a massive planet, so the wobble method does not favour the discovery of Earth-sized objects. Kepler, however, can find such planets. The Earth itself, in transit, reduces the amount of light an observer would see from the sun by about 0.01%. That is well within Kepler’s range.

In fact, the planets found so far are significantly larger than Earth. Four are about the size of Jupiter and one about the size of Neptune. They also have much shorter orbits（自转地慢一点··）, ranging from 3.3 to 4.9 terrestrial days（地球上的一天）. Neither of these facts is surprising. Even using the transit method, big planets are easier to spot than small ones, and to be sure that a flicker in brightness is caused by a planet rather than some property of the star itself, it must occur at regular and predictable intervals. Hundreds of flickers that might have been caused by planets with longer orbits have been seen, but have not yet have been confirmed as transits.

What this does mean（原来这个从句是这样写的）, though, is that the planets in question are are（两个BE动词？打错了吧） much closer to their stars than Earth is, and thus much hotter (1200-1650ºC), as well as being larger. But they are not as hot as the most peculiar discoveries Kepler has made. These are two planet-sized objects that are far hotter (at 12,000ºC) than their distances from their parent stars suggest they should be. That means they are giving out energy of their own, yet they are too small to be stars. One theory is that they are youngsters, giving off heat as they collapse inwards due to the pull of their own gravity, but nobody knows for sure.

None of these discoveries favours the underlying reason why （解释了一个内在原因）planet-hunting is such a popular sport—the hope that, one day, a life-bearing planet will turn up. For that, more numbers will have to be crunched,(咀嚼，分析，运行的意思) and planetary atmospheres analysed for signs of oxygen. The hunt, however, is on in earnest. If Earth-sized planets are out there, they will soon be found.
---------------------------------------------------------
putative Generally regarded as such; supposed.See Synonyms at supposed
推断的；假定的：一般认为是如此的；
probe’s An exploratory action, expedition, or device, especially one designed to investigate and obtain information on a remote or unknown region:
探索，探测装置：探索性的行动、探险或装置，尤指用于在偏远的或不为人知的地区进行调查并获取信息：
electronic probes into the crust of the earth.
勘察地壳的电子装置

wobble To move or rotate with an uneven or rocking motion or unsteadily from side to side.
摇晃：以不均衡或摇摆状态移动或旋转，不稳定地从一边到另一边
flicker To move waveringly; flutter:
摇曳：摇摆不定地移动；颤动：
shadows flickering on the wall.See Synonyms at

peculiar Unusual or eccentric; odd.
古怪的：不寻常的或古怪的；奇怪的
Distinct from all others.See Synonyms at strange 独特的： strange
--------------------------------------------------------------------
comments
It is the first time I come across with an essay on astronomy after finishing TOEFL and I am really glad that I still familiar with words like orbit, Jupiter, Neptune and etc. However, having read twice, I am still not pretty sure that I fully understand this article. It tells us that some special planets, which can produce heat themselves, are out there in the cosmos, but how can it benefits our humankinds?
It seems that planet-hunting is really a hot issue in the field of astronomy but the writer does not provide any detail information on how can these discoveries be used by us earth-living people. The passage is like a appetizer in a French banquet while what I am looking forward is the entrée.

domudomuUID: 2670967

Planet hunting
Looking in the shadowsJan 5th 2010
From Economist.com
The search for a second Earth gets serious


IN THE 19th century astronomers spent a lot of time seeking shadows crossing the sun. They were searching for Vulcan(火和握治的神), a putative(想象的推定的） planet inside the orbit of Mercury（使者水银）, by looking for its transits. These are the moments when, viewed from Earth, the hypothetical（假设的假定的）planet would cross the solar disc. Sadly, there was no Vulcan to be found, but the method itself is sound, and it is the modus（方式，样式） operandi of Kepler, an American spacecraft that has been trailing the Earth, in the same orbit, since March 2009.

Kepler is a telescope that looks simultaneously and continuously at more than 150,000 stars, recording the amount of light coming from them. It is seeking the tiny, periodic diminutions of illumination caused by planetary transits and, on January 4th, the team running it announced that five such patterns had shown up in the first six weeks of the probe’s operation.

The past 15 years have shown that planets are commonplace. More than 400 have been located around stars other than the sun, by looking for the wobbles（摇动，动摇）in parent stars that orbiting planets cause. A decent wobble, though, requires a massive planet, so the wobble method does not favour the discovery of Earth-sized objects. Kepler, however, can find such planets. The Earth itself, in transit, reduces the amount of light an observer would see from the sun by about 0.01%. That is well within Kepler’s range.

In fact, the planets found so far are significantly larger than Earth. Four are about the size of Jupiter and one about the size of Neptune. They also have much shorter orbits, ranging from 3.3 to 4.9 terrestrial days. Neither of these facts is surprising. Even using the transit method, big planets are easier to spot than small ones, and to be sure that a flicker in brightness is caused by a planet rather than some property of the star itself, it must occur at regular and predictable intervals. Hundreds of flickers that might have been caused by planets with longer orbits have been seen, but have not yet have been confirmed as transits.

What this does mean, though, is that the planets in question are are much closer to their stars than Earth is, and thus much hotter (1200-1650ºC), as well as being larger. But they are not as hot as the most peculiar discoveries Kepler has made. These are two planet-sized objects that are far hotter (at 12,000ºC) than their distances from their parent stars suggest they should be. That means they are giving out energy of their own, yet they are too small to be stars. One theory is that they are youngsters, giving off heat as they collapse inwards due to the pull of their own gravity, but nobody knows for sure.

None of these discoveries favours the underlying reason why planet-hunting is such a popular sport—the hope that, one day, a life-bearing planet will turn up. For that, more numbers will have to be crunched, and planetary atmospheres analysed for signs of oxygen. The hunt, however, is on in earnest. If Earth-sized planets are out there, they will soon be found.

miki7catUID: 2533330

Planet hunting
Looking in the shadows
Jan 5th 2010
From Economist.com
The search for a second Earth gets serious
IN THE 19th century astronomers spent a lot of time seeking shadows crossing the sun. They were searching for Vulcan, a putative planet inside the orbit of Mercury, by looking for its transits. These are the moments when, viewed from Earth, the hypothetical planet would cross the solar disc. Sadly, there was no Vulcan to be found, but the method itself is sound, and it is the modus operandi【A modus operandi is a particular way of doing something. (FORMAL)】 of Kepler, an American spacecraft that has been trailing the Earth, in the same orbit, since March 2009.

Kepler is a telescope that looks simultaneously and continuously at more than 150,000 stars, recording the amount of light coming from them. It is seeking the tiny, periodic diminutions【A diminution of something is its reduction in size, importance, or intensity. (FORMAL)】 of illumination caused by planetary transits【(astronomy 天) movement of one object in space (eg a planet) between another and an observer, so that the first seems to pass across the surface of the second 宇宙中一天体（如一行星）运行到另一天体与观察者之间, 使前者如同经过後者之表面】 and, on January 4th, the team running it announced that five such patterns had shown up in the first six weeks of the probe’s operation.

The past 15 years have shown that planets are commonplace. More than 400 have been located around stars other than the sun, by looking for the wobbles in parent stars that orbiting planets cause. A decent【Decent is used to describe something which is considered to be of an acceptable standard or quality.】 wobble, though, requires a massive planet, so the wobble method does not favour the discovery of Earth-sized objects. Kepler, however, can find such planets. The Earth itself, in transit, reduces the amount of light an observer would see from the sun by about 0.01%. That is well within Kepler’s range.

In fact, the planets found so far are significantly larger than Earth. Four are about the size of Jupiter and one about the size of Neptune. They also have much shorter orbits, ranging from 3.3 to 4.9 terrestrial days. Neither of these facts is surprising. Even using the transit method, big planets are easier to spot than small ones, and to be sure that a flicker in brightness is caused by a planet rather than some property of the star itself, it must occur at regular and predictable intervals. Hundreds of flickers that might have been caused by planets with longer orbits have been seen, but have not yet have been confirmed as transits.

What this does mean, though, is that the planets in question are are much closer to their stars than Earth is, and thus much hotter (1200-1650ºC), as well as being larger. But they are not as hot as the most peculiar【奇怪的】 discoveries Kepler has made. These are two planet-sized objects that are far hotter (at 12,000ºC) than their distances from their parent stars suggest they should be. That means they are giving out energy of their own, yet they are too small to be stars. One theory is that they are youngsters, giving off heat as they collapse inwards due to the pull of their own gravity, but nobody knows for sure.

None of these discoveries favours the underlying reason why planet-hunting is such a popular sport—the hope that, one day, a life-bearing planet will turn up. For that, more numbers will have to be crunched【To crunch numbers means to do a lot of calculations using a calculator or computer.】, and planetary atmospheres analysed for signs of oxygen. The hunt, however, is on in earnest【(idm 习语) in (dead/deadly/real) `earnest (a) with determination and energy 有决心和精力 (b) serious(ly); not joking(ly) 认真（地）;并非开玩笑（地）】. If Earth-sized planets are out there, they will soon be found.

My comment
The development of science always results in dispute, over the question that if the applications of research results would be unrealistic or unethical, such as to clone humans, or that if the researches, especially those whose consequences are unclear and those on science frontier, are necessary for the contemporary world. I think the topic of today's article would touch off an argument about either the former or the latter. The comments behind the article on Economist.com confirm my inference.

Moreover, I wonder why it is a "life-bearing" planet that planet-hunters are hoping for turning up. Obviously, the "life" refers to the form of life which is similar to the human race, for the space explorers seem in earnest to concentrate on analysing planetary atmospheres for signs of oxygen. Isn’t there other kind of life form in the universe? What is the purpose of our exploring the space? Is it just to prepare a backup to the exhausting Earth? If so, don't attempt once again to destroy another planet, man!