2
0天文学家确认了人类迄今发现的最年轻的行星——Elias 2-24 b。它还不满一百万岁，是一颗仍在诞生过程中的"婴儿行星"，距离地球约450光年，质量与木星相当。这次发现让科学家惊讶，因为现有理论认为这么大的行星需要约五百万年才能形成。研究团队是在翻找夏威夷凯克天文台的旧档案数据时，在2018年和2020年的图像中发现同一个微小光点，从而确认了它的存在。科学家表示，研究这样的婴儿行星就像坐上时光机，能让我们看到数十亿年前太阳系是如何形成的。
## 英语知识点
1. **astronomer** (n.) 天文学家
- Astronomers discovered a planet younger than anyone expected.
- 天文学家发现了一颗比任何人预期都年轻的行星。
2. **massive** (adj.) 巨大的；质量极大的
- The new planet is about as massive as Jupiter.
- 这颗新行星的质量和木星差不多大。
3. **dig through** (phr.) 翻找；从（大量资料）中搜寻
- Researchers found it by digging through old data.
- 研究人员通过翻找旧数据发现了它。
4. **time machine** (n.) 时光机
- Baby planets are like time machines for scientists.
- 对科学家来说，婴儿行星就像时光机。
5. **light-year** (n.) 光年
- The planet sits about 450 light-years from Earth.
- 这颗行星距离地球约450光年。
6. **solar system** (n.) 太阳系
- Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system.
- 木星是太阳系中最大的行星。
7. **current** (adj.) 当前的；现在的
- Current theories say the planet should take longer to form.
- 现有理论认为这颗行星的形成时间应该更长。
## 全文参考
Astronomers have discovered the youngest planet ever found, and it is still being born. The planet, named Elias 2-24 b, is less than one million years old. That may sound old, but Earth is about four and a half billion years old, so this world is truly a baby. It sits about four hundred and fifty light-years from Earth, and it is about as massive as Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. The discovery surprised scientists, because current theories say a planet this size should take around five million years to form. Researchers found it by digging through old data from the Keck Observatory in Hawaii, spotting the same tiny dot of light in images from twenty eighteen and twenty twenty. Scientists say baby planets like this one are time machines, showing us how our own solar system formed billions of years ago.
