The largest digital camera ever built for space scientists is ready to be put in place under the clear skies of northern Chile.有史以来为太空科学家建造的最大数码相机即将在智利北部晴朗的天空下安装到位。
The camera can produce images above 3.2 gigapixels in size and weighs nearly three tons.这款相机可以拍摄32亿像素以上的图像，并且重近3吨。
A pixel is the smallest area of detail in a digital image.像素是数字图像中最小的细节区域。
The camera is one of the main pieces required of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.这台相机是维拉·鲁宾天文台所需的主要部件之一。
The pieces include a telescope with a mirror that is 8.4 meters across and the huge camera.这些部件包括一台镜头尺寸为8.4米的望远镜和一台巨大相机。
The observatory is expected to start full science operations in 2025.该天文台预计将于2025年开始全面的科学运作。
The observatory is on the top of a mountain called Cerro Pachón in the Coquimbo area of Chile.该天文台位于智利科金博地区一座名为帕琼峰的山顶上。
It is on the edge of the Atacama Desert 565 kilometers north of Chile's capital Santiago.它位于智利首都圣地亚哥以北565公里的阿塔卡马沙漠边缘。
Chile has many of the largest research telescopes in the southern half of the world because of the clear skies above the Atacama Desert, one of Earth's driest places.由于阿塔卡马沙漠——地球上最干燥的地方之一——上空晴朗，智利拥有南半部许多最大的研究望远镜。
Stuartt Corder is chief science officer for AURA, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy.斯图尔特·科德是大学天文研究协会（AURA）的首席科学官。
He is also a director of the NOIRLab center, which will operate the telescope.他还是将操作该望远镜的美国国家光学红外天文研究实验室中心的主任。
Corder said, "Everything that we needed for operations is now on the summit and ready for checkout and hopefully for installation a little bit later this year."科德说：“我们运营所需的一切现在都在山顶上了，并且准备好进行检查，希望今年晚些时候可以安装上。”
AURA is a group of 49 U.S. institutions and three international ones.AURA是一个由49个美国机构和3个国际机构组成的组织。
AURA helps operate the astronomical observatories for the National Science Foundation and the U.S. space agency, NASA.AURA帮助美国国家科学基金会和美国航天机构NASA运营天文台。
It is responsible for operating the NOIRLab center.它负责运营美国国家光学红外天文研究实验室中心。
The camera will produce around 20 terabytes of data each night.该相机每晚将产生约20TB的数据。
It will take pictures of the sky for 10 years producing a huge database of information about all parts of the sky that can be seen from Chile.它将用10年的时间拍摄天空照片，建立一个庞大的数据库，数据库中的信息是关于从智利可以看到的天空所有部分。
Corder said one of the goals of the exploration will be to understand the nature of dark energy and dark matter in the universe.科德表示，该探索的目标之一是了解宇宙中暗能量和暗物质的本质。
Scientists say these are forms of energy and matter that exist in theory but have not been observed.科学家们表示，这些是能量和物质的形式，理论上存在，但尚未被观察到。
Corder said they are "names we give to things because we don't really know what they are".科德说，它们是“我们给事物起的名字，因为我们真的不知道它们是什么”。
Another goal will be to search for and study asteroids that threaten to strike the Earth or to look for nearby stars and planets.另一个目标是寻找和研究有撞击地球威胁的小行星或寻找附近的恒星和行星。
Corder said the arrival of the camera was "…a really inspiring moment where you can say - we're starting."科德表示，这台相机的到来是“一个真正鼓舞人心的时刻，你可以说——我们要开始了。”
And he added, "We're standing here at the precipice, getting ready to start a campaign that in ten years,他补充道：“我们正站在悬崖边，准备在十年内发起一场运动，
we hope will answer the questions of... when the universe was made and started into motion... and how will it continue to evolve in the future?"我们希望能够回答……宇宙何时形成并开始运动以及未来它将如何继续发展这个问题？”
The results may be similar to what we already know, Corder said, but they will help refine our understanding the universe.科德表示，结果可能与我们已经知道的相似，但它们将有助于完善我们对宇宙的理解。
