2003UB313という浪漫のない名の星 （No0232 解答）

Known unromantically as 2003UB313

◆ 2. AFN Listening Answer - NPR/All Things Considered 07/29/2005 ◆

■ Listening Comprehension Answer（リスニング回答）

(0'00")

For years, it seems our tally of planets in the solar system may have been off.

This evening, astronomers announced they have discovered another planet
right here in our solar system.

That would bring the total to ten, not nine or eight as those who have urged
dropping Pluto from the list have insisted.

NPR's Richard Harris joins us. Now Richard, so many questions,
what's this planet called, who found it, and where.

(Richard)
Well, it doesn't have a formal name yet, but it's currently known
rather unromantically as 2003-U-B-3-13.

(0'32")

＜おまけ（残りの部分〜終わりまで、全２分。）＞

(Richard)
And it was found by astronomers who have been searching the sky for distant object, and the region
beyond Neptune is called Kuiper-belt.

Until now, Pluto has been the biggest object known in the Kuiper-belt though these astronomers
have found other big things out there. This is, you know, this is another one ...in, in their cap.

(Michele)
And it's bigger than Pluto as I understand. How did astronomers MISS this for so long?

(Richard)
That's right. It's about one and a half times the size of... Pluto, and, uh,
the reason they didn't find it was they weren't exactly looking in the right place.

Most planets lie in a same plain and if you are to draw a picture on a paper on Earth, March,
Jupiter, and so on, and laid out all nice and flat.
That would be a reasonable representation of how planets are, actually lined place.

But this one is sometimes above the plain and sometimes uh below that plain. So uh we nobody was actually looking before in this survey was first really explore in details some of those more unusual orbits.

(Michele)
So is this legitimately a planet, or we see a new ring on the chart of all those school textbooks?

(Richard)
Well, that's a good question. There is no formal definition of a planet. And in fact once astronomers realized that Pluto was simply one of many objects in the Kuiper-belt. Some of them argue that each would not be called a planet anymore.

So the compromise thus far as it is called Pluto a minor planet. The astronomers who discovered this new object argue that, well Pluto was a planet, surely 2003UB3-13 should be called a planet, too.

So you could say that this is the tenth planet in that regard.
Or you could say that there are millions or thousands, at least, of them in the solar system you count, everything that has an orbit around the sun are planets.

(Michele)
Thank you, Richard.

(Richard)
My pleasure.

(Michele)
NPR's Richard Harris.

(Origianl Copyright by NPR)

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◆ 3. Editor's Notes （編集後記）

先週の木曜日に「英語の森（http://www.eigonomori.com/）」主宰の
あれっくすさんとお会いして色々と話をする機会がありました。

　日英バイリンガルのあれっくすさんの力作メルマガ：
　「映画で学ぼう！英会話〜59秒の英会話レッスン」
　 → http://www.mag2.com/m/0000141528.html

そんな彼と色々とメルマガ運営上の楽しみや、悩み、将来など語りつつ
飲んでいるうちに、時間があっという間に過ぎてしまいました。

しかし、音声も自分で、というのは凄いですよね。ポチももっと発音を良くしたら
自分でできるかもしれないけど・・・まぁ今は遠慮しときますね。f(^_^);

ということで今号も最後まで読んでくださり、ありがとうございました。
m(_ _)m 次号、233号で大意と解説をお送りします。

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