TED2018
Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil: A rare galaxy that's challenging our understanding of the universe
Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil: Unha galaxia rara que está a desafiar a nosa comprensión do universo
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Como é descubrir unha galaxia e poñerlle o teu nome? A astrofísica e membro de TED Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil explícanos nesta rápida conversa o sorprendente descubrimento do seu equipo dun misterioso novo tipo de galaxia.
Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil - Astrophysicist
Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil studies the structure and dynamics of galaxies to help us understand how they form and evolve. Full bio
Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil studies the structure and dynamics of galaxies to help us understand how they form and evolve. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
There are more than a trillion
galaxies in the universe.
galaxies in the universe.
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Hai máis dun billón
de galaxias no universo.
de galaxias no universo.
00:17
And my team discovered
an extremely rare one,
an extremely rare one,
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E o meu equipo descubriu
unha extremadamente rara,
unha extremadamente rara,
00:21
a galaxy that doesn't look
quite like anything observed before.
quite like anything observed before.
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unha galaxia que non se parece
a calquera outra cousa antes vista.
a calquera outra cousa antes vista.
00:27
This galaxy is so peculiar,
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Esta galaxia é tan peculiar,
00:29
that it challenges our theories
and our assumptions
and our assumptions
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que desafía as nosas teorías
e as nosas suposicións
e as nosas suposicións
00:33
about how the universe works.
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sobre como funciona o universo.
00:37
The majority of the galaxies are spiral,
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A maioría das galaxias son espirais,
00:40
similar to our own Milky Way.
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semellantes á nosa propia Vía Láctea.
00:42
We have strong theories about how
these common galaxies form and evolve.
these common galaxies form and evolve.
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Temos sólidas teorías sobre como
se forman e evolucionan as galaxias comúns
se forman e evolucionan as galaxias comúns
00:48
But we don't understand
how rare galaxies form and evolve.
how rare galaxies form and evolve.
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Pero non entendemos como se forman
e evolucionan galaxias raras.
e evolucionan galaxias raras.
00:55
An especially puzzling rare case
is Hoag's Object.
is Hoag's Object.
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Un caso raro especialmente desconcertante
é o obxecto de Hoag.
é o obxecto de Hoag.
01:00
It has a very symmetric central body
surrounded by a circular outer ring,
surrounded by a circular outer ring,
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Ten un corpo central moi simétrico
rodeado dun anel exterior circular,
rodeado dun anel exterior circular,
01:07
with nothing visible connecting them.
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sen nada visible que os conecte.
01:10
Hoag-type galaxies are among the rarest
types of galaxies currently known.
types of galaxies currently known.
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As galaxias tipo Hoag sondas máis raras
que se coñecen na actualidade.
que se coñecen na actualidade.
01:16
There are fewer than one
in 1,000 galaxies.
in 1,000 galaxies.
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Hai menos de unha así cada 1.000 galaxias.
01:22
It's a mystery how the stars
in the outer ring are just floating there
in the outer ring are just floating there
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É un misterio como as estrelas
do anel exterior só flotan alí
do anel exterior só flotan alí
01:28
in such an orderly manner.
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dun xeito tan ordenado.
01:30
That's interesting, right?
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É interesante, non si?
01:33
Hold on.
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Pois esperade.
01:34
Things are about to get more mysterious.
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Que aínda se vai poñer máis misterioso.
01:37
The galaxy that my team
discovered is even rarer
discovered is even rarer
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A galaxia que descubriu o meu equipo
é aínda máis rara
é aínda máis rara
01:41
and much more complex than that.
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e moito máis complexa que iso.
01:44
You know, sometimes, you search
and search for these objects,
and search for these objects,
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Xa saben, ás veces, un busca
e busca estes obxectos,
e busca estes obxectos,
01:48
and you find nothing.
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e non atopa nada.
01:50
But sometimes, it just appears
in the background,
in the background,
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Pero ás veces, aparece no fondo,
01:55
when you are not even looking for it.
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cando nin o estás buscando.
01:58
This system looks very similar
to Hoag's Object,
to Hoag's Object,
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Este sistema parece moi similar
ao obxecto de Hoag,
ao obxecto de Hoag,
02:01
with its central body
and circular outer ring.
and circular outer ring.
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co seu corpo central
e anel exterior circular.
e anel exterior circular.
02:05
We got very excited and thought
we discovered another Hoag's Object.
we discovered another Hoag's Object.
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Quedamos moi emocionados e pensamos
que descubriramos outro obxecto de Hoag.
que descubriramos outro obxecto de Hoag.
02:10
But my research showed
this is an entirely new galaxy type,
this is an entirely new galaxy type,
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Pero a miña investigación demostrou
que é un tipo novo de galaxia,
que é un tipo novo de galaxia,
02:17
now commonly referred to
as "Burçin's Galaxy."
as "Burçin's Galaxy."
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que agora se adoita citar
como "Galaxia de Burçin".
como "Galaxia de Burçin".
02:21
(Laughs)
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(Risas)
02:23
(Cheers) (Applause)
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(Aclamacións e aplausos)
02:27
We will not be visiting
this galaxy anytime soon.
this galaxy anytime soon.
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Non visitaremos esta galaxia
nun futuro cercano.
nun futuro cercano.
02:31
It is approximately 359 million
light years away from Earth.
light years away from Earth.
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Está a aproximadamente 359 millóns
de anos luz da Terra.
de anos luz da Terra.
02:38
You may think this is far.
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Poden pensar que está lonxe.
02:40
Well, actually, this is one
of the nearby galaxies.
of the nearby galaxies.
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Pero en realidade,
é unha das galaxias próximas.
é unha das galaxias próximas.
02:45
I study this object in different light --
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Estudo este obxecto con diferentes luces,
02:48
in ultraviolet, optical and near-infrared.
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en ultravioleta, óptica e infravermella.
02:53
Small details on our body,
like a scar or wrinkles,
like a scar or wrinkles,
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Pequenos detalles sobre o noso corpo,
como unha cicatriz ou engurras,
como unha cicatriz ou engurras,
02:57
tell the story of our lives.
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contan a historia das nosas vidas.
02:59
Similarly, a galaxy's structure
in different light
in different light
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Do mesmo xeito, a estrutura dunha galaxia
baixo diferentes luces
baixo diferentes luces
03:03
can help us trace back
their origin and evolution.
their origin and evolution.
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pode axudarnos a rastrexar
a súa orixe e evolución.
a súa orixe e evolución.
03:07
How do I look for these details?
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Como busco estes detalles?
03:10
I model the bright central body
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Modelo o corpo central brillante
03:13
and remove my model from the image
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e elimino o meu modelo da imaxe
03:15
to check for any hidden features,
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para buscar características ocultas,
03:18
because a bright structure in a galaxy
may blind our views of faint features,
may blind our views of faint features,
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porque a estrutura brillante dunha galaxia
pode ocultar as características débiles,
pode ocultar as características débiles,
03:24
just like using sunglasses
when you are blinded by the intense light.
when you are blinded by the intense light.
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ao igual que usar lentes de sol
cando están cegados por unha luz intensa.
cando están cegados por unha luz intensa.
03:30
The result was a big surprise.
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O resultado foi unha gran sorpresa.
03:33
This galaxy doesn't just
have an outer ring,
have an outer ring,
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Esta galaxia non só ten un anel exterior,
03:37
it has an additional, diffused inner ring.
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ten un anel interno adicional e difuso.
03:41
We were having a hard time
explaining the origin of the outer ring
explaining the origin of the outer ring
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Foinos difícil explicar
a orixe do anel exterior
a orixe do anel exterior
03:46
in Hoag-type galaxies.
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en galaxias tipo Hoag.
03:48
Now we also need to explain
this mysterious second ring.
this mysterious second ring.
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E agora tamén necesitamos explicar
este misterioso segundo anel.
este misterioso segundo anel.
03:53
There is currently no known mechanism
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Actualmente non hai
ningún mecanismo coñecido
ningún mecanismo coñecido
03:56
that can explain the existence of an inner
ring in such a peculiar galaxy.
ring in such a peculiar galaxy.
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que poida explicar a existencia dun
anel interior nunha galaxia tan peculiar.
anel interior nunha galaxia tan peculiar.
04:01
So the discovery of Burçin's Galaxy
clearly highlights the gap
clearly highlights the gap
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Así que o descubrimento da Galaxia
de Burçin resalta claramente a fenda
de Burçin resalta claramente a fenda
04:06
in our knowledge of galaxy evolution.
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no noso coñecemento
sobre a evolución das galaxias.
sobre a evolución das galaxias.
04:09
Further research into how
this extremely rare galaxy was formed
this extremely rare galaxy was formed
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E máis investigación sobre como
se formou esta galaxia extremadamente rara
se formou esta galaxia extremadamente rara
04:14
can provide us with new clues
on how the universe works.
on how the universe works.
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pode brindarnos novas pistas
sobre como funciona o universo.
sobre como funciona o universo.
04:21
This discovery tells us
that we still have a lot to learn,
that we still have a lot to learn,
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Este descubrimento dinos
que aínda nos queda moito por aprender,
que aínda nos queda moito por aprender,
04:25
and we should keep looking
deeper and deeper in space
deeper and deeper in space
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e que deberiamos seguir mirando
máis e máis no espazo
máis e máis no espazo
04:29
and keep searching for the unknown.
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e seguir buscando o descoñecido.
04:32
Thank you.
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Grazas.
04:34
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil - AstrophysicistBurçin Mutlu-Pakdil studies the structure and dynamics of galaxies to help us understand how they form and evolve.
Why you should listen
Dr. Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil is searching for the most peculiar objects in the Universe. Her research has led to a discovery of an extremely rare galaxy with a unique circular structure, which is now commonly referred to as Burçin's Galaxy. Her work has provided the first description of a double-ringed elliptical galaxy, challenging current theories and assumptions about how the universe works and how galaxies start and evolve.
Mutlu-Pakdil earned her PhD at the University of Minnesota, and her undergraduate degree is from Bilkent University in Turkey. She is currently a postdoctoral research associate at University of Arizona and a 2018 TED Fellow. She spends most of her time searching for hierarchical structure at the scale of dwarf galaxies as a novel test of the Cold Dark Matter paradigm. She uses data gathered in a large range of wavelengths from premier telescopes worldwide and wants to learn more about how the Universe came to be the way it is today.
Mutlu-Pakdil's findings have been featured by CNN, Science Daily, Astronomy Magazine, Independent and MPR News, among many others. Damon Brown wrote in his regular Inc. Magazine online column: “Many organizations are dedicated to filling the STEM pipeline with more girls and women. Others are supporting the cause by being an example. TED Fellow Burçin is representing by being one of the most notable astrophysicists today.”
Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil | Speaker | TED.com