第1373期:Universe Map Lets Users Travel Through Space and Time

Swiss researchers say they have completed the most detailed virtual reality (VR) map of the universe ever created.

瑞士研究人员表示，他们已经完成了有史以来最详细的宇宙虚拟现实 (VR) 地图。

The map permits users to “travel through space and time,” the researchers said in a recent statement. It can be imagined as a kind of Google Earth, but for the universe. The map was created by a team at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL).

研究人员在最近的一份声明中说，该地图允许用户“穿越时空”。它可以被想象成一种谷歌地球，但对于宇宙而言。该地图由洛桑瑞士联邦理工学院 (EPFL) 的一个团队创建。

With the help of VR headsets, users can visit places in the universe virtually. This includes the International Space Station, the Moon, Saturn and far away exoplanets.

在 VR 耳机的帮助下，用户可以虚拟地访问宇宙中的地方。这包括国际空间站、月球、土星和遥远的系外行星。

The software program is called the Virtual Reality Universe Project, or VIRUP. The researchers said they combined the largest data set of information about the universe to create the three-dimensional (3D) experience.

该软件程序称为虚拟现实宇宙项目，或 VIRUP。研究人员表示，他们结合了关于宇宙的最大信息数据集来创造三维 (3D) 体验。

People can see the virtual universe through VR equipment or with 3D glasses in a theater. A personal computer can also be used to see the universe in a non-3D way.

人们可以通过 VR 设备或在影院中通过 3D 眼镜看到虚拟世界。个人计算机也可用于以非 3D 方式查看宇宙。

Jean-Paul Kneib is the director of EPFL's astrophysics laboratory. He told The Associated Press one of the best parts of the project was putting together parts of the data set “into one framework.”

Jean-Paul Kneib 是 EPFL 天体物理学实验室的主任。他告诉美联社，该项目最好的部分之一是将部分数据集“整合到一个框架中”。

“You can see the universe at different scales -- nearby us, around the Earth, around the solar system, at the Milky Way level," Kneib said. "To see through the universe and time up to the beginning -- what we call the Big Bang." Many scientists believe the Big Bang is the explosion that created the universe.

“你可以看到不同尺度的宇宙——我们附近、地球周围、太阳系周围、银河系，”Kneib 说。“看透宇宙和时间直到开始——我们称之为大爆炸。”许多科学家认为大爆炸是创造宇宙的爆炸。

VIRUP produces images that can appear as close as one meter or seemingly at an infinite distance. It is available to everyone for free, but does require at least a computer and is best experienced with VR equipment that can also show 3D images.

VIRUP 生成的图像可以近至一米，也可以看似无限远。每个人都可以免费使用它，但至少需要一台计算机，并且最好使用还可以显示 3D 图像的 VR 设备。

It aims to get many kinds of visitors. This includes both scientists looking to get a virtual picture of the data they collect and people seeking a new way to explore the universe.

它旨在吸引多种游客。这包括希望获得他们收集的数据的虚拟图片的科学家和寻求探索宇宙的新方法的人们。

The software has been released in its first, or beta version. This version can run on personal computers, but not Mac computers from Apple.

该软件已发布第一个或测试版。此版本可以在个人电脑上运行，但不能在 Apple 的 Mac 电脑上运行。

Downloading the software and content can be difficult for less skilled computer users. Users seeking the best experience will also need a powerful computer with a lot of storage.

对于不太熟练的计算机用户来说，下载软件和内容可能很困难。寻求最佳体验的用户还需要拥有大量存储空间的功能强大的计算机。

There are different versions of the software. A smaller version is aimed at the public and a larger one is meant for scientists or astronomy experts.

有不同版本的软件。较小的版本面向公众，较大的版本面向科学家或天文学专家。

The project combines information from eight databases. It includes at least 4,500 known exoplanets, tens of millions of galaxies and hundreds of millions of space objects. More than 1.5 billion light producing objects from the Milky Way alone are included.

该项目结合了来自八个数据库的信息。它包括至少 4,500 颗已知系外行星、数千万个星系和数亿个空间物体。仅来自银河系就包括超过 15 亿个发光物体。

The researchers expect to continually add data, meaning the virtual experience will keep getting better with time. Future databases could include space rocks called asteroids in our solar system or farther objects in our galaxy.

研究人员希望不断添加数据，这意味着虚拟体验会随着时间的推移而变得越来越好。未来的数据库可能包括我们太阳系中称为小行星的太空岩石或银河系中更远的物体。

Yves Revaz is an astrophysicist with the EPFL who spoke to the AP about the effort. He called the system “a very efficient way of visiting all the different scales that compose our universe.” Revaz added: ”A very important part of this project is that it's a first step toward treating much larger data sets which are coming."

Yves Revaz 是 EPFL 的一名天体物理学家，他向美联社谈到了这项工作。他称该系统是“一种访问构成我们宇宙的所有不同尺度的非常有效的方式”。Revaz 补充说：“这个项目的一个非常重要的部分是，它是处理即将到来的更大数据集的第一步。”