这张令人印象深刻的照片显示了一个星系，但这些点并不是闪烁的星星

这张令人印象深刻的照片显示了一个星系，但这些点并不是闪烁的星星

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.

观察星系的方法不止一种。一旦你剔除了所有最低能量的电磁辐射，你就剩下了宇宙中最强大的过程。

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.

这是南方的风车星系，或梅西耶83，位于大约1500万光年之外的南方九头蛇星座。你看到的是来自银河系最具能量的事件的X射线辐射——恒星诞生，恒星死亡，黑洞吞噬物质。

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.

虽然M83只有银河系的一半大小，但它非常像银河系，有着类似的棒旋结构。它也是离我们最近的螺旋星系之一;面朝我们，我们的视野非常好。所以天文学家研究它，试图了解我们自己的星系。

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.

像银河系一样，M83正在形成新的恒星。在我们自己的星系中，每年有三到四个太阳质量的物质进入恒星形成过程，产生大约7颗新生恒星。M83每年也生产少量的恒星。

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.

恒星的形成是一个强烈的过程，会产生大量的辐射，但是我们很难看到，特别是1500万光年之外。欧洲航天局的XMM牛顿X射线太空望远镜就是在这里诞生的，因为它对挑选高能X射线进行了优化。

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.

当转到星系时，它看到恒星的形成就像星系中点点的亮点。但这并不是它看到的全部。其他宇宙过程也会产生大量的辐射。

(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.

事实上，你在这张照片中看到的大多数亮点，都是发生在恒星寿命末期的过程。

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，超新星爆炸标志着大质量恒星的生命终结，当它们坍塌成中子星和黑洞时，它们的威力是极其强大的。双星系统当一个物体是黑洞或中子星时，当它们从伴星上主动地吸积物质时，也能产生强大的X射线。

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.

多年来，XMM-Newton多次对该区域进行了成像——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.

当这些图像结合在一起时，就像下面的动画一样，科学家可以通过这些图像研究随着时间的推移而发生的变化。

(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.

图片中心的红色区域与星系的中心相对应，其中的x射线源与星系核周围的极端环境有关，该环境由一个超大质量黑洞提供动力。

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).

在红色区域外大约8点钟方向，确实是一个非常明亮的点——多年来几乎没有变化。这就是所谓的超亮x射线源(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.

天文学家认为，这个特殊的ULX是一个具有中子星或黑洞的双星，它们以极高的速率从伴星中吸积物质。

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.

这些图像是对星系运行的真正罕见的一瞥，我们无法亲眼看到。但是M83还有一个很酷的地方——它非常明亮，可以在我们的夜空中通过双筒望远镜看到它。