100光年外的TOI 700 d
Imagine the thrill of stumbling upon a planet that could potentially support life.
在茫茫星際中，要是能恰巧找到一顆可能支持生命的行星，不是很令人感到興奮激動嗎？
stumble(v.)絆倒、跌跌撞撞地走路stumble on, across, upon偶然發現、撞見
That’s what a group of astronomers felt when they discovered TOI 700 d, an approximately Earth-sized planet lying in the habitable zone of a star.
科學家們就找到了TOI 700 d，一個和地球差不多大小，且位於適居帶的行星。
inhabit(v.)居住inhabitable(adj.)適合居住的uninhabitable(adj.)不適合居住的habitat(n.)棲息地inhabitant(n.)棲息動物、居民resident(n.)居民
With NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists discovered TOI 700 d and speculated on its features.
科學家們利用凌日系外行星巡天衛星（TESS）和史匹哲太空望遠鏡發現了TOI 700 d，現在對行星上的情況有諸多猜測。
transit(v.)輸送、運送survey(v.)(n.)調查satellite(n.)人造衛星、衛星speculate(v.)猜測、臆測on sth.對某事
It is the outermost of three celestial bodies to circle TOI 700, a planetary system 100 light years away from Earth.
這顆行星是圍繞著TOI 700恆星的三顆行星之一，位於最外側軌道，距離地球約100光年。
astronomical(adj.)天文的astronomical numbers天文數字astronomy(n.)天文學astronomer(n.)天文學家
Unlike most planets identified so far, TOI 700 d is about the size of Earth (larger by 20%).
跟以往找到的行星不同，TOI 700 d和地球大小差不多，只大了約20％。
identify(v.)識別so far截至目前
More importantly, it orbits the habitable zone of its star, where temperatures allow water to exist in liquid form.
更重要的是，它位於適居帶，地表上的溫度讓水能夠以液態的形式存在，
orbit(n.)(v.)天體軌道、運行revolve(v.)公轉、環繞rotate(v.)自轉=spin、輪流
The other planets in the group, TOI 700 b and TOI 700 c, orbit dangerously close to TOI 700, so they could not possibly sustain life due to the heat.
而星系中的其他星球，TOI 700 b和TOI 700 c則是太靠近恆星，星球上的溫度太高，不太可能存在生命。
sustain(v.)維持=maintain、供養=supportsustainable(adj.)長期保持的、永續的sustainable development永續發展
However, it is still too early to say that life can survive on TOI 700 d, as very little information is available beyond the planet’s size.
然而，要說TOI 700 d存在生命可能言之過早，因為除了行星大小以外的資訊還十分有限。
limited(adj.)有限的、少量的insufficient(adj.)不足的
The researchers cannot determine, for example, whether the planet has an atmosphere, a vital condition for life.
舉例來說，研究學者目前還無法判定TOI 700 d上是否有生命存續關鍵—大氣層的存在。
sphere(n.)球體=globeatmosphere(n.)氣氛、大氣層vita- lifevital(adj.)極其重要的=essentialvital(adj.)維生的=life-sustainingvital(adj.)生氣勃勃的=energetic=livelyvitamin(n.)維生素vitality(n.)活力