Ummandla Wendalo Omangalisayo
Uyimfihlelo Gqitha, Kodwa Mhle Gqitha
NGELI xesha lonyaka, isibhakabhaka ebusuku sikhazimla okwamatye anqabileyo. Phezulu esibhakabhakeni kukho iOrion enkulu, ebonakala kakuhle ngeengokuhlwa zikaJanuwari ukusuka eAnchorage, eAlaska, ukuya eKapa, eMzantsi Afrika. Ngaba ukhe waphos’ iliso kutshanje kubuncwane bezikhanyiso obunokufunyanwa kumaqela eenkwenkwezi ezaziwayo, njengeOrion? Kutshanje izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zikhe zanikel’ ingqalelo kuyo zisebenzisa iHubble Space Telescope esandul’ ukulungiswa.
Kwiinkwenkwezi ezintathu zeOrion kujinga ikrele layo. Inkwenkwezi emfiliba esembindini weli krele asiyonkwenkwezi ncam kodwa yiOrion Nebula yodumo, entle kakhulu xa uyijonga ngesibonakude esincinane. Noko ke, asikokukhazimla kwayo okungaqhelekanga okubangela ibe nomtsalane kwizazi ngeenkwenkwezi ezinobuchule.
UJean-Pierre Caillault wanikela le ngxelo kwiphephancwadi iAstronomy: “Izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zenza uphando ngeOrion Nebula nezinye iinkwenkwezi zayo ezininzi ngenxa yokuba ingowona mmandla mkhulu zizalelwa kuwo iinkwenkwezi ezininzi kwinxalenye yoMnyele wethu.” Inebula ibonakala ngathi ligumbi lendalo lokubelekela! Xa esi sibonakude siyiHubble safota iOrion Nebula, safota iinkcukacha ezazingazange zibonwe ngaphambili, izazi ngeenkwenkwezi azizange zibone nje iinkwenkwezi negesi ekhazimlayo kodwa zabona oko okaCaillault akuchaza “njengamaqanda amancinane amfiliba. Angamaqanda aorenji ngebala. Afana namasuntswana okutya awele kuloo foto ngempazamo.” Noko ke, kunokuba la maqanda amfiliba abe yindawo nje emnyama, izazinzulu zikholelwa ukuba “ayinkqubo yezijikelezi-langa, xa kanye esaqala ukwenziwa unokuwabona ukumgama onokuhamba iminyaka eli-1500 uhamba ngesantya sokukhanya.” Ngaba iinkwenkwezi—inkqubo yezijikelezi-langa zonke—zizalwa ngeli xesha kwiOrion Nebula? Izazi ngeenkwenkwezi ezininzi zikholelwa ukuba kunjalo.
Ukusuka Kwigumbi Lokubelekela Ukuya Kumangcwaba Eenkwenkwezi
Endleleni yayo iOrion, inesaphetha esandleni, kubonakala ukuba iqubisana neqela leenkwenkwezi zikaTaurus, inkunzi. Isibonakude esincinane singakubonisa into ekhanya kancinane ecaleni kwencam yophondo olusemazantsi lwale nkunzi. Ibizwa ngokuba yiCrab Nebula, ibe kwisibonakude esikhulu uba ngathi ubukele ugqabhuko-dubulo lwento ethile oluqhubekayo, njengoko kuboniswe kwiphepha 25. Ukuba iOrion Nebula yindawo yokunyamekela iinkwenkwezi eziziimveku, ngoko iCrab Nebula esecaleni kwayo isenokuba lingcwaba lenkwenkwezi eye yabulawa lugqabhuko-dubulo olukhulu.
Loo ntlekele yasezulwini isenokuba yabhalwa zizazi ngeenkwenkwezi zaseTshayina ezachaza “ngeNkwenkwezi Elundwendwe” kwiTaurus eyabonakala ngephanyazo ngoJulayi 4, 1054, yaza yakhazimla ngokuqaqambileyo nto leyo eyayisenza ibonakale nasemini iintsuku ezingama-23. Isazi ngeenkwenkwezi uRobert Burnham sithi: “Kangangeeveki ezimbalwa, le nkwenkwezi yayikhazimla ngokukhanya kwamalanga amalunga nama-400 ezigidi.” Le ndlela ibulawa ngayo le nkwenkwezi izazi ngeenkwenkwezi ziyibiza ngokuthi yinkwenkwezi eqaqambileyo. Kwanangoku, kwiminyaka ephantse ibe liwaka emva kohlolisiso, iingceba zolo qhushumbo zisandanda emajukujukwini ngesantya esiqikelelwa kwiikhilomitha ezingama-80 ezigidi ngosuku.
IHubble Space Telescope ibisetyenziswa nakulo mmandla, ijonga embindini wenebula ize ifote “iinkcukacha kwiCrab ezingazange zizilindele izazi ngeenkwenkwezi,” litsho iphephancwadi iAstronomy. Isazi ngeenkwenkwezi uPaul Scowen sithi ezi nkcukacha “ziya kushiya izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zibhula zisela kangangexesha elide elizayo.”
Izazi ngeenkwenkwezi, njengoRobert Kirshner waseHarvard, zikholelwa ekubeni ukuqonda amasalela enkwenkwezi eqaqambileyo njengeCrab Nebula kubalulekile kuba anokusetyenziselwa ukulinganisa umgama oya kweminye iminyele, ekwenziwa uphando olukhulu ngayo sithetha nje. Njengoko sesibonile, ukungavumelani ngomgama oya kweminye iminyele kutshanje kuye kwaphembelela ingxoxo ebangel’ umdla ngengcamango yogqabhuko-dubulo olukhulu olwadala ummandla wendalo.
Ngaphaya kweTaurus kukho ukukhazimla okumfiliba okukwiqela leenkwenkwezi zeAndromeda, kodwa sekunjalo okubonakalayo kuMntla weIkweyitha kwisibhakabhaka sasentshona ngoJanuwari. Oko kukhazimla ngumnyele iAndromeda, eyona nto ikude ibonakalayo kwiliso lenyama. IOrion neTaurus ezimangalisayo zikummandla wendalo okufuphi kuthi—kumgama onokuhamba amawaka ambalwa eminyaka uhamba ngesantya sokukhanya ukusuka eMhlabeni. Noko ke, ngoku sijonge kwindawo ekumgama onokuhamba iminyaka ezizigidi ezibini uhamba ngesantya sokukhanya kwisangqa seenkwenkwezi esikhulu esifana nomnyele wethu, oyiMilky Way, kodwa esikhulu gqitha—esimalunga nomgama onokuhamba iminyaka eli-180 000 ukusuka kwelinye icala ukuya kwelinye uhamba ngesantya sokukhanya. Njengoko ubukele ukukhanya okuluzizi kweAndromeda, amehlo akho agutyungelwe kukukhanya okusenokuba kungaphezulu kwezigidi ezibini zeminyaka ubudala!
Kwiminyaka yakutshanje uMargaret Geller nabanye baye baqalisa inkqubo enzima yokuzoba yonke iminyele esingqongileyo ngeendlela ezintathu, yaye imiphumo yoko iyenze yathandabuzeka ngakumbi ingcamango yogqabhuko-dubulo olukhulu. Kunokuba aba bazobi babone ukusasazeka kakuhle kweminyele macala onke, baye bafumanisa “iminyele entsonkothileyo engathi lilaphu elenziwe ngendlela entsonkothileyo” into onokuhamba kuyo iminyaka ezizigidi uhamba ngesantya sokukhanya. Ngokutsho kwengxelo yakutshanje yomnye ulindixesha ohlonelwayo iScience, “owona mbuzo unzima kwinzululwazi yommandla wendalo yindlela elenziwe ngokuntsonkothe ngayo elo laphu ngokusuka kwinto enye efanayo ukuze kuvele le mveku ingummandla wendalo.”
Le ngokuhlwa siyiqale ngokubukela isibhakabhaka sethu ngoJanuwari yaye ngokukhawuleza safumanisa ukuba asibobuhle nje obuchukumisayo kodwa kwakhona yimibuzo neemfihlelo eziphathelele eyona meko nemvelaphi yommandla wendalo. Waqala njani? Wafikelela njani kweli nqanaba ukulo ngoku lokuntsonkotha? Kuya kwenzeka ntoni kwizikhanyiso ezimangalisayo ezisingqongileyo? Ngaba ukho onolwazi? Makhe sibone.
[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 24]
Zazi Njani Ukuba Ukude Kangakanani?
Xa izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zisixelela ukuba umnyele weAndromeda ukumgama ongathabatha iminyaka ezizigidi ezibini uhamba ngesantya sokukhanya, eneneni zisinika uqikelelo oluhlaziyiweyo. Akukho namnye oza nendlela ethe ngqo yokulinganisa umgama onjalo ukubangel’ imincili. Imigama eya kwezona nkwenkwezi zikufuphi, ezo zikumgama ongathabatha iminyaka emalunga nama-200 uhamba ngesantya sokukhanya, inokulinganiswa ngokuthe ngqo ukusuka kwindawo ezime kuyo iinkwenkwezi, kusetyenziswa uhlobo lokubala oluyitrigonometry elula. Kodwa oku kusebenza kuphela kwiinkwenkwezi ezikufuphi gqitha emhlabeni ezo zibonakala zihamba kancinane njengoko umhlaba ujikeleza ilanga. Iinkwenkwezi ezininzi neminyele yonke zikude gqitha. Xa kufikelelwa apho kuyaqikelelwa. Kwaneenkwenkwezi ezikufuphi kuthi, njengenkwenkwezi enkulu ebomvu eyaziwayo iBetelgeuse ekwiOrion, umgama wazo uyaqikelelwa, kuqikelelwa ukuba ikumgama ongahamba iminyaka emalunga nama-300 ukuya kweli-1000 uhamba ngesantya sokukhanya. Ngoko ke, akufanele kusimangalise ukufumanisa ukuba izazi ngeenkwenkwezi ziyaphikisana ngokuphathelele imigama yeminyele, emikhulu ngokuphindwe ngesigidi.
[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 24]
Iinkwenkwezi Eziqaqambileyo, Ezifileyo Nemingxuma Emnyama
Embindini weCrab Nebula kukho enye yezona zinto zingaqhelekanga kummandla wendalo owaziwayo. Ngokutsho kwezazinzulu, isidumbu esincinane senkwenkwezi efileyo, esicinezeleke kwindawo emxinwa, sijikeleza kwingcwaba laso izihlandlo ezingama-30 ngomzuzwana, sikhupha umtha wamaza kanomathotholo owafunyanwa okokuqala emhlabeni ngowe-1968. Sibizwa ngokuba yinkwenkwezi efileyo ekuthiwa yipulsar, liceba lenkwenkwezi eqaqambileyo ecinezelwe ngohlobo lokuba amandla ombane awayekwiiathom zenkwenkwezi yantlandlolo aminxiselane ukuze akhuphe olunye uhlobo lwamandla ombane oluziineutron. Izazinzulu zithi sasikhe sayinxalenye enkulu yenkwenkwezi enkulu njengeBetelgeuse okanye iRigel ekwiOrion. Xa le nkwenkwezi yaqhushumbayo waza umaleko wayo ongaphandle waphumela emajukujukwini, kwasala iceba elishwabeneyo kuphela, lililahle elimhlophe elikhazimlayo, umlilo walo wenyukliya sele wacima kudala.
Khawube nombono kuthatyathwa inkwenkwezi enkulu enokulingana nelanga lethu liphindwe kabini ize ishwatyaniswe ibe yingqukuva enesiqu esiziikhilomitha ezili-15 ukuya kwezingama-20! Khawube nombono kuthatyathwa isijikelezi-langa esinguMhlaba size sishwatyaniswe sibe ziimitha ezili-120. Iikyubhiki sentimitha ezili-16 zale nto zinokuba nobunzima obuziitoni ezili-16 zamawaka ezigidi.
Kwanoku akuyenzi icace indlela eshwatyaniswe ngayo. Ukuba besinokushwabanisa umhlaba ube ngangebhastile, umxhuzulane ubuya kuba namandla kangangokuba ubuya kubamba nokukhanya. Xa kwenziwe oku umhlaba wethu ubuya kuba ngathi ufakwe koko kubizwa ngokuba ngumngxuma omnyama. Nangona izazinzulu ezininzi zikholelwa kuyo, sekunjalo abukabikho ubungqina obubonisa ukuba le mingxuma ikho, yaye akubonakali ixhaphake ngendlela ekwakucingwa ngayo kwiminyaka embalwa edluleyo.
[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 26]
Ngaba Loo Mibala Yeyokwenene?
Abantu abasingasinga isibhakabhaka ngesibonakude esincinane badla ngokuphoxeka xa beqala ukubona umnyele owaziwayo okanye inebula. Iphi laa mibala mihle bebeyibona emifanekisweni? Isazi ngeenkwenkwezi nombhali ngezenzululwazi uTimothy Ferris sithi: “Imibala yeminyele ayinakubonakala ngokuthe ngqo ngeliso lomntu, kwanangezona zibonakude zinkulu ezikhoyo, kuba ukukhanya kwayo kumfiliba kakhulu ukuba iliso lenyama lingakubona.” Oku kuye kwabangela ukuba abantu abathile bagqibe ngelithi imibala emihle ebonakala kwimifanekiso yezazi ngeenkwenkwezi yeyenkohliso, iye yongezelelwa ngeendlela ezithile ngoxa ibisenziwa. Noko ke, oku akuyonyaniso. Lo kaFerris uyabhala: “Imibala yona ngokwayo yeyokwenyaniso, yaye le mifanekiso ibonisa imigudu emikhulu yezazi ngeenkwenkwezi yokuyikhupha ngokuchanileyo.”
Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Galaxies, lo kaFerris uchaza ukuba imifanekiso engakumbi yezinto ezikude ezimfiliba, ezinjengomnyele okanye iinebula, “ifumaneka ngokujolisa isibonakude kumnyele othile kuze kujoliswe kuwo ngqo kangangeeyure eziliqela size ke sona sifote ukukhanya kweenkwenkwezi. Ngeli xesha kusetyenziswa umatshini owenza ukuba ukujikeleza komhlaba kungasiphazamisi esi sibonakude size sihlale sijonge ngqo kumnyele othile, ngoxa isazi ngeenkwenkwezi okanye kwiimeko ezithile isixhobo esithile esizisebenzelayo sisenza iinguqu ezincinane.”
[Umzobo/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 23]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
1 Iinkwenkwezi zeOrion, umbono oqhelekileyo oba sesibhakabhakeni ngoJanuwari ehlabathini lonke
2 IOrion Nebula, umfanekiso okhwankqisayo “wenkwenkwezi” emfiliba
3 Ngaba umbindi weOrion Nebula—ligumbi lendalo lokubelekela?
[Inkcazelo]
#2: Astro Photo - Oakview, CA
#3: C. R. O‘Dell/Rice University/NASA photo
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]
Umnyele weAndromeda, yeyona nto ikude ibonakalayo kwiliso lenyama. Isantya sawo sokujikeleza sibonakala ngathi saphula umthetho kaNewton womxhuzulane yaye siphakamisa umbuzo wento emnyama engabonakaliyo kwizibonakude
[Inkcazelo]
Astro Photo - Oakview, CA
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]
ICrab Nebula ekwiTaurus—ngaba ngamangcwaba eenkwenkwezi
[Inkcazelo]
Bill and Sally Fletcher
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 26]
Ngasentla: Umnyele iCartwheel. Umnyele omncinane ungqubana nawo, uthambekele ngakuwo yaye emva kwawo ushiya isangqa esiluhlaza seenkwenkwezi ezingamawaka ezigidi ezisandul’ ukwenziwa sirhangqa umnyele iCartwheel
[Inkcazelo]
Kirk Borne (ST Scl), and NASA
Ngezantsi: ICat’s Eye Nebula. Imiphumo yokujikelezana kweenkwenkwezi ezimbini ichaza ngokulula ngakumbi izakhiwo ezintsonkothileyo
[Inkcazelo]
J. P. Harrington and K. J. Borkowski (University of Maryland), and NASA