[Preview of the Weekly] The Story of "Star Hunter" Queloz: How Interstellar Exploration Could Unlock the Origins of Life (AI Translation)
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- Swiss astronomer Didier Queloz, who won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics alongside his doctoral supervisor Michel Mayor for discovering the first exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star, inspired a Chinese university student to create an astronomy club and sought Queloz's autograph at an event in Shanghai.
- Queloz's groundbreaking work has led to the discovery of over 4,000 exoplanets in our galaxy, sparking a revolution in astronomy and raising hopes of answering whether life exists on other planets. His achievements have encouraged young astronomers like the Chinese student who approached him for an autograph dedicated to their university's astronomy club.
- At the World Top Scientists Forum in Shanghai, Queloz discussed his career path from studying stars to exoplanets and Earth-like planets. He emphasized that great discoveries cannot be planned and shared his excitement about the potential of finding Earth-like planets within 20 years, planning to write a book after 2025 to share his ideas and explorations on life's origins.
文｜财新周刊 徐路易
By Caixin Weekly's Xu Luyi
“您好⋯⋯”一名中国大学生手拿一本《神秘博士背后的科学》，犹豫地在奎洛兹身旁坐下。奎洛兹放慢了语速，转头看过来。学生递上一根笔，奎洛兹迅速签下大写的D，自己名字第一个字母。但那名学生似乎不只想要一个签名。他们费力地交流，原来他想要的是“给xx大学青年天文学会”的“To签”。
"Hello..." A Chinese university student, holding a copy of "The Science Behind Doctor Who," hesitantly sat down beside Quiroz. Quiroz slowed his speech and turned to look. The student handed over a pen, and Quiroz quickly signed with a capital 'D,' the first letter of his name. But it seemed the student wanted more than just an autograph. They struggled to communicate, and it turned out what he was seeking was a "To signature" for the "XX University Young Astronomers' Association."
这名大学生四年前收看了2019年诺贝尔奖颁奖典礼：瑞士天文学家迪迪埃·奎洛兹（Didier Queloz）和他在日内瓦大学的博士导师米歇尔·麦耶（Michel Mayor）因发现第一颗围绕类太阳恒星运行的太阳系外行星，与普林斯顿大学教授詹姆斯·皮布斯（James Peebles）一起获得了当年的诺贝尔物理学奖，以表彰他们对理解宇宙结构和历史作出的颠覆性贡献，并首次发现太阳系外的类日恒星和绕其旋转的类地行星。
Four years ago, this university student watched the 2019 Nobel Prize ceremony: Swiss astronomer Didier Queloz and his doctoral supervisor at the University of Geneva, Michel Mayor, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics alongside Princeton University professor James Peebles for their revolutionary contributions to our understanding of the universe's structure and history. They were recognized for their discovery of the first exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star, marking the first time an Earth-like planet revolving around a sun-like star outside our solar system was identified.
奎洛兹等人的发现被认为开启了天文学的一场革命，之后科学家们已在银河系发现了4000多颗系外行星。剑桥大学副校长史蒂芬·图普表示，奎洛兹发现系外行星开创了宇宙学的新纪元，他获得诺奖的研究在揭示银河系中行星数量方面有重要意义。有天文学家认为，系外行星研究也许是21世纪天文学中最具活力的领域，“随着大量系外行星的计划推进，我们或许最终能回答其他星球是否有生命存在这样的问题”。
The discoveries made by Queloz and others are considered to have sparked a revolution in astronomy, with scientists having since discovered more than 4,000 exoplanets within the Milky Way. Stephen Toope, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, stated that Queloz's discovery of exoplanets has ushered in a new era for cosmology. His Nobel Prize-winning research plays a significant role in revealing the number of planets in our galaxy. Some astronomers believe that the study of exoplanets may be the most dynamic field in 21st-century astronomy, suggesting that "as numerous exoplanet projects progress, we may eventually be able to answer questions about whether life exists on other planets."
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