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If you were standing in the southern hemisphere of Triton right now, you'd be enjoying the peak of summer. But forget the sunblock and leave the beach chairs at home. Summer temperatures on Neptune's largest moon don't get much warmer than -230°C. Still, astronomers have confirmed that, even though it's 4.5-billion-kilometers away, the sun can generate seasonal changes in the Neptunian system. In Triton's case, the summer sun sublimates a filmy surface layer of frozen carbon monoxide into gas. Winter will come to the region in another 70 years, when temperatures will drop to about -240°C. in the southern hemisphere, and atmospheric carbon monoxide will crystallize and fall back to the surface. In the meantime, you can make a virtual visit to Triton, thanks to this video from the European Southern Observatory. |
如果你现在正站在海卫一的南半球，你将会欣赏到该卫星上的仲夏景色。但是，不用记着涂抹防晒霜，不用携带沙滩椅。在海王星这颗最大的卫星上，夏季的温度不会比-230°C 高出太多。此外，天文学家们已经证实，尽管海王星在45亿公里之外，太阳仍然可以在海王星系统中产生季节变化。就海卫一来说，夏季的太阳使表面上薄薄的一层冻结的一氧化碳升华为气体。再过70年之后，冬季将会降临到该地区，那时南半球的温度将会下降到大约-240°C，大气中的一氧化碳将会结晶，然后落回到表面。同时，多亏了欧洲南方天文台的这个录像片，你可以到海卫一上进行一次模拟之旅。 |
