中英對照讀新聞》Saturn overtakes Jupiter as planet with most moons 土星超越木星 成為擁有最多衛星的行星

◎黃靖媗

Saturn has overtaken Jupiter as the planet with the most moons, according to US researchers. A team discovered a haul of 20 new moons orbiting the ringed planet, bringing its total to 82; Jupiter has 79 natural satellites.

美國研究人員指出，土星已經超越木星，成為擁有最多衛星的行星。研究團隊發現，20顆圍繞這顆有環行星運行的衛星，總數已增至82顆；而木星有79顆自然衛星。

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The moons were discovered using the Subaru telescope on Maunakea, Hawaii. Each of the newly discovered objects in orbit around Saturn is about 5km in diameter; 17 of them orbit the planet "backwards". The other three moons orbit in a prograde direction - the same direction as Saturn rotates.

研究團隊利用夏威夷毛納基火山上的昴星團望遠鏡，發現這些衛星。每個新發現的衛星直徑均約5公里，其中17顆為逆行衛星。其他3顆為順行衛星，亦即運行方向與土星相同的衛星。

Two of the prograde moons take about two years to travel once around the ringed planet. The more-distant retrograde moons and one of the prograde moons each take more than three years to complete an orbit.

其中兩顆順行衛星約2年繞行這顆有環行星1周。位置較遠的逆行衛星與另1顆順行衛星，則需要3年以上時間才能繞行1周。

The team has initiated a contest to name the moons. They have to be named after giants from Norse, Gallic or Inuit mythology, corresponding to the three different clusters.

研究團隊已發起一場衛星命名大賽。這些衛星必須以北歐神話、高盧神話、伊努特神話的巨人命名，對應3個不同的衛星群。

新聞辭典

Saturn：名詞，土星。例句：There are 82 moons orbiting around Saturn. （有82顆衛星繞著土星轉。）

Telescope：名詞，望遠鏡。例句：Astronomers need the telescopes to observe the stars. （為了觀測星象，天文學家需要望遠鏡。）

Mythology：名詞，神話。例句：Loki is a god of Norse mythology.（洛基是北歐神話中的神祇。）