NASA scientists have discovered at least seven Earth-sized planets, each potentially capable of hosting life, orbiting a nearby star just outside the solar system.美国宇航局的科学家们找到，最少有七颗地球大小的行星环绕着太阳系外的一颗邻近恒星运营，每颗行星都有可能适合生命体存活。The exciting discovery announced Wednesday has been deemed one of the first realistic opportunities to begin a search for alien life outside our system as well as the first time so many planets were discovered circling the same star.22日公开发表的找到激动人心，被视作打开探寻太阳系外外星生物的首批现实机遇之一，也是人类首次找到如此多的行星环绕着在同一颗恒星周围。The cluster of planets orbit a dim dwarf star, just barely the size of Jupiter, called Trappist-1. The group of planets are about 40 light years away which isnt actually all that far away from Earth. The close proximity will allow the system to be studied in great detail, according to the release.这群行星环绕的暗矮星和木星差不多大，被称作特拉普1号。

行星与地球距离大约40光年，这样的距离实质上并远比很远。据新闻稿称之为，在这样附近的距离下，人类可以对该行星系展开详尽的研究。

Three of the planets or exoplanets as scientist call them, are receiving just the right amount of energy from the host star, meaning oceans of water could cover their surfaces. Scientists refer to the ideal zone just around the star as the habitable zone, sometimes jokingly called the Goldilocks Zone, as it is just right for supporting life.其中三颗行星（科学家们也称作系由外行星）从恒星拒绝接受到的能量恰到好处，这意味著它们的表面有可能覆盖面积了大面积的液态水。科学家们将该行星系恒星周围的理想地带称作“宜居地带”，由于这里正好适合生命存活，他们有时也将其戏称为“金发美女地带”。The other three bodies farther off from the star could feature smaller bodies of water and the seventh could even boast a puddle or two under ideal conditions.另外三颗离恒星很远的行星表面覆盖面积的液态水有可能较较少，理想条件下第七颗行星甚至有可能只有一两个水坑。

NASAs space telescope Spitzer, an infrared telescope that trails the earth as it orbits the sun, revealed the new system.美国宇航局史匹哲天文望远镜找到了这个全新的行星系。史匹哲红外望远镜绕行太阳运营，跟踪地球。This is the most exciting result I have seen in the 14 years of Spitzer operations, said Sean Carey, manager of NASAs Spitzer Science Center at Caltech/IPAC. Spitzer will follow up in the fall to further refine our understand of these planets so that the James Webb Space Telescope can follow up. More observations of the system are sure to reveal more secrets.加州理工学院美国宇航局史匹哲科学中心负责人肖恩?卡雷称之为，“这是史匹哲运营14年以来，我看见的最令人兴奋的结果。

”史匹哲将在秋季更进一步完备我们对这些行星的理解，以便于詹姆斯?韦伯天文望远镜第一时间。对该行星系的更进一步仔细观察终将透漏出有更加多的奥秘。

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