Amatye Abhabhayo

NGABA wakha wayibona inkwenkwezi itsheka ngobusuku obuzolileyo? Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uza kuyibona kungekudala. Ngokutsho kwezazinzulu ezi zithatha zomlilo zendalo zibonakala esibhakabhakeni izihlandlo ezingama-200 000 000 mihla le!

Ziintoni ezi zithatha? Zingamaqhekeza amatye okanye ezinto eziyilwe ngentsimbi ezibizwa ngokuba ziimeteoroids ezivelisa ubushushu obuninzi gqitha xa zingena kumoya ojikeleze umhlaba. Umgca oqaqambileyo eziwulandelayo obonakalayo emhlabeni kuthiwa yimeteor.

Inkoliso yeemeteoroids itsha iphele ngaphambi kokuba ifike emhlabeni, kodwa zimbi zazo ziyasinda kobo bushushu bukhulu zize ziye kufika emhlabeni. Ezi zibizwa ngokuba ziimeteorites. Zimbi izazinzulu ziqikelela ukuba suku ngalunye kukho iitoni ezimalunga ne-1 000 zeli litye libhabhayo eziwela emhlabeni.a

Kunqabile ukuba ukuwa kwazo kube nobungozi ebantwini, ngenxa yokuba la matye abhabhayo mancinane gqitha. Enyanisweni, inkoliso yeemeteors ibangelwa ziimeteorites ezincinane kunesuntswana lentlabathi. (Bona ibhokisi ethi, “Amatye Asuka Kummandla Osemoyeni.”) Kodwa kuthekani ngamawaka amatye amakhudlwana abhabha emoyeni? Ngokomzekelo, kukho elinye elibizwa ngokuba yiCeres, elinobubanzi obuziikhilomitha ezili-1 000! Yaye kukho namanye amatye aziwayo anokuba ngama-30 anobubanzi obuziikhilomitha ezingaphezu kwezili-190. Enyanisweni la matye makhulu azizijikelezi-langa ezincinane. Izazinzulu ziwabiza ngokuba ziiasteroids.

Kunokwenzeka ntoni ukuba enye yezi asteroids ibinokuwela emhlabeni? Oku kubonakala kusisisongelo kusesinye sezizathu ezibalulekileyo zokuba izazinzulu zenze uphando ngeeasteroids. Nangona inkoliso yeeasteroids ijikeleza kummandla ophakathi koMars noJupiter, zimbi zazo ziye zabonwa zizazi ngeenkwenkwezi zinqumla kwindlela umhlaba ojikeleza kuyo. Esi sisongelo siye saqinisekiswa bubukho bezivongqo ezibangelwa ziimeteorites ezinjengeMeteor Crater (kwakhona eyaziwa ngokuba yiBarringer Crater) ekufutshane naseFlagstaff, eArizona, eUnited States. Enye yeengcamango ezingezizathu zokutshabalala kweedinosaurs kukuba ukungqubana ngamandla kwawutshintsha umoya ojikeleze umhlaba kwaza kwenza imozulu ebandayo yathabatha ixesha elide emhlabeni nto leyo ezingazange zikwazi ukumelana nayo iidinosaurs.

Ukungqubana okuyintlekele olo hlobo bekunokulutshabalalisa uluntu. Noko ke, iBhayibhile iyabonisa ukuba: “Amalungisa aya kulidla ilifa ilizwe, ahlale kulo ngonaphakade.”—INdumiso 37:29.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 24]

Ibhola Yomlilo Erekhodwe Kwividiyo

Zimbi iimeteors ngokuqhelekileyo ziqaqambile yaye zinkulu. Zibizwa ngokuba ziibhola zomlilo. Ngo-Oktobha 9, 1992, ibhola yomlilo eboniswe kulo mfanekiso ungasentla yaxwesa isibhakabhaka samazwe amaninzi aseUnited States. Le bhola yomlilo yaqala ukubonwa eNtshona Virginia ibe yavela kumhlaba oziikhilomitha ezingama-700. Elinye iceba layo, elalinobunzima obuziikhilogram ezili-12, lawela phezu kwenqwelo-mafutha emileyo ePeekskill, eNew York.

Okwasenza sahluka esi siganeko kukuba ngenxa yokuba le meteoroid yawugudla idlula umoya ojikeleze umhlaba, yavelisa ibhola yomlilo eqaqambileyo eyahlala ixesha elingaphezu kwemizuzwana engama-40. Oku kwavelisa ithuba elinqabileyo lokuyirekhoda kwividiyo ubuncinane ukusuka kwiindawo ezili-14 ezahlukahlukeneyo. Ngokutsho kwephephancwadi iNature, “le yimifanekiso yokuqala yeebhola zomlilo ezishukumayo apho kuye kwafunyanwa i-meteorite.”

Le bhola yomlilo yaqhekeka yaba ziingceba ezingama-70, ezibonakala ngathi zizinto ezizimeleyo ezikhanyayo kwezinye zeevidiyo. Nangona inye kuphela imeteorite eye yafunyanwa kwesi siganeko, izazinzulu zikholelwa kukuba iceba elinye okanye angaphezu kwelinye asenokuba aye adlula phakathi komoya ojikeleze umhlaba aza awela emhlabeni. Oko koko kusenokuba kuphela kwento eseleyo kwimeteoroid enkulu eyayinobunzima obuziitoni ezingama-20 ngaphambili.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 24]

Amatye Asuka Kummandla Osemoyeni

Iasteroid: Ikwabizwa ngokuba yiplanetoid okanye isijikelezi-langa esincinane. Ezi zijikelezi-langa zincinane gqitha zihamba kwindlela yazo zijikeleza ilanga. Inkoliso yazo ayinamacala alinganayo nto leyo esenokubonisa ukuba zingamaceba ezinto ezithile ezinkulu.

Imeteoroid: Liqhekeza elincinane gqitha ngokwentelekiso lento eyilwe ngentsimbi okanye ilitye elibhabha emoyeni okanye eliwa lidlula kumoya ojikeleze umhlaba. Zimbi izazinzulu zicinga ukuba inkoliso yeemeteoroids ingamaceba eeasteroids awabakho ngokungqubana okanye ngobutyobo obavela kwiintshakatsholo (comets) ezacimayo.

Imeteor: Xa imeteoroid ingena kumoya ojikeleze umhlaba, ukugudlana komoya kuvelisa ubushushu obugqithiseleyo nokukhanya okuqaqambileyo. Lo mzila wemimoya etshisayo neqaqambileyo ngamanye amaxesha ubonakala ungumgca wokukhanya osesibhakabhakeni. Loo mgca ubizwa ngokuba yimeteor. Abaninzi bayibiza ngokuthi yinkwenkwezi etshekayo okanye ewayo. Inkoliso yeemeteors iqala ukubonakala xa ikummandla oziikhilomitha ezili-100 ukusuka emhlabeni.

Imeteorite: Maxa wambi imeteoroid iba nkulu kangangokuba iye ingatshi ngokupheleleyo xa ifika kumoya wethu ojikeleze umhlaba, ize iye kuwa emhlabeni. Imeteorite libinzana elisetyenziswayo kwimeteoroid elolo hlobo. Ezinye zinokuba nkulu yaye zibe nzima kakhulu. Enye imeteorite eseNamibia, eAfrika, inobunzima obuziitoni ezingama-60. Ezinye iimeteorites ezinkulu ezinobunzima obuziitoni ezili-15 okanye ngaphezulu ziye zafunyanwa eGreenland, eMexico, naseUnited States.

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]

UIda Kunye Nenyanga Yakhe Encinane

Ngoxa yayithabatha imifanekiso yeasteroid egama linguIda, inqwelo yoosomajukujuku enguGalileo, isendleleni esinge kuJupiter yabhaqa into ethile eyayingayilindelanga—umzekelo wokuqala ongqinisisiweyo wenyanga ejikeleza iasteroid. Kunjengokuba iSky and Telescope sinikela ingxelo yokuba izazinzulu ziqikelela ukuba le nyanga imile okweqanda, ebizwa ngokuba nguDactyl, iziikhilomitha ezisisi-1,6 nezisisi-1,2 ububanzi. Ijikeleza kwiikhilomitha ezili-100 ukusuka kumbindi weasteroid uIda, enobude obuziikhilomitha ezingama-56 nezingama-21 ububanzi. Iimpawu zombala obomvu zibonisa ukuba uIda nenyanga yakhe encinane bayinxalenye yohlobo lweeasteroids ekuthiwa ziiKoronis, ekucingelwa ukuba zingamaceba elitye elinye, elikhulu elaqhekezwa kukungqubana emoyeni.

[Inkcazelo]

NASA photo/JPL

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

IMeteor Crater, kufutshane naseFlagstaff, eArizona, eUnited States inobubanzi obuziimitha ezili-1 200 nobunzulu obuziimitha ezingama-200

[Inkcazelo]

Photo by D. J. Roddy and K. Zeller, U.S. Geological Survey

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

Sara Eichmiller Ruck