Ukusingasinga Isibhakabhaka—Mandulo Phayaa Nangoku

NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! ENETHERLANDS

UKUTHI ntla ngeenkwenkwezi zithe yala kwisibhakabhaka esimnyama nesilafulafu bekusoloko kubangela ukuba kuthi merhe uvalo ebantwini, yaye ukutyhubela imbali kuye kwabashukumisela ukuba bamdumise uMdali wezinto ezintle ngolo hlobo. Kude kudala, yakha yathi enye imbongi: “Izulu libalisa uzuko lukaThixo, saye isibhakabhaka sixela umsebenzi wezandla zakhe.” (INdumiso 19:1) Noko ke, abakhi-mkhanya bakudala besibhakabhaka sasebusuku babona enye into engaphezu kobuhle.

Ukukhangela Izinto Ezisesibhakabhakeni

Phambili phayaa izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zaphawula ukuba zonke nje iinkwenkwezi zihamba ngolungelelwano. Nangona iinkwenkwezi zihamba esibhakabhakeni zisuka empuma zisiya entshona, ukuma kwazo akutshintshi.a Ngamanye amazwi, busuku ngabunye kubakho udidi olufanayo lweenkwenkwezi. Ekubeni umntu wayefuna ukuyazi ngokolungelelwano le mithombo yahlukeneyo yokukhanya, wazahlulahlula iinkwenkwezi zangamaqela. Enomfanekiso-ngqondweni omncinane, la maqela wawathiya ngezilwanyana, ngabantu, okanye ngezinto ezingaphiliyo. Le ndlela yabangela ukuba iinkwenkwezi zaziwe ngokwamaqela.

Amanye ala maqela eenkwenkwezi esiwaziyo namhlanje aqala anikwa amagama kwiBhabhiloni yamandulo. Phakathi kwawo kwakukho amaqela ali-12 amela imiqondiso yezodiac. Le miqondiso yaba negalelo—yaye isenegalelo—elibalulekileyo ekuvumiseni ngeenkwenkwezi, nasekuchazeni impembelelelo ekucingelwa ukuba iinkwenkwezi zinayo kwimicimbi yabantu. Noko ke, ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi kuyagwetywa yiBhayibhile. (Duteronomi 18:10-12) Kodwa, abakhonzi bakaYehova uThixo babesazi ngobukho bamaqela eenkwenkwezi. Ngokomzekelo, incwadi yeBhayibhile kaYobhi ichaza uYehova njengalowo ‘wenza iinkwenkwezi zeBhere, namaKroza nesiLimela.’—Yobhi 9:9.

Amagama eenkwenkwezi ezininzi esizaziyo namhlanje asuka kwiintsomi zamaGrike. Amagama anjengooCepheus, ooCassiopeia, ooAndromeda, nooHercules asenokufunyanwa kwizicangca zeenkwenkwezi zale mihla.

Izicangca Zeenkwenkwezi Zamandulo

Malunga nowe-150 C.E., isazi ngeenkwenkwezi somGrike uPtolemy weza noshwankathelo lolwazi ngeenkwenkwezi lwexesha lakhe. Olu shwankathelo, lunomxholo othi Almagest, lunoludwe lweenkwenkwezi ezingama-48. Izicangca neencwadi ezineenkcukacha ngesibhakabhaka ezenziwa kwiinkulungwane zasemva koPtolemy zazisoloko zivelisa olo ludwe lweenkwenkwezi ezingama-48. Enyanisweni, de kwamalunga nenkulungwane ye-16, inani lezi nkwenkwezi alizange litshintshe.b Kamva, kongezelelwa ezinye iindidi zeenkwenkwezi ezingama-40. Ngowe-1922, i-International Astronomical Union yamkela ngokusemthethweni uludwe lwezi nkwenkwezi zingama-88.

Ngaphandle kwamaqela eenkwenkwezi, iimpapasho zikaPtolemy zinoludwe lweenkwenkwezi ezingaphezu kwewaka, kwakunye nenkcazelo ephathelele ukuqaqamba kwazo nendawo ezimi kuyo esibhakabhakeni. UPtolemy lo akaneli nje ngokuxela ukuma kwezi nkwenkwezi esibhakabhakeni kodwa wongezelela inkcazelo engakumbi. Ngokomzekelo, enye inkwenkwezi ekwiqela leenkwenkwezi elibizwa ngokuba yiUrsa Major okanye iGreat Bear, ichazwa “njengaleyo isencamini yomsila,” yaye kuthiwa le nkwenkwezi inotshoba “ingasekhohlo kwedolo lasekunene lika-Andromeda.” Ngenxa yoko, enye incwadi ithi “nasiphi na isazi ngeenkwenkwezi sifanele sizazi izinto ezisesibhakabhakeni!”

Noko ke, kutheni amaqela eenkwenkwezi amandulo ekwisibhakabhaka esikummandla osemantla? Umzobi weemaphu zesibhakabhaka uthi, loo nto ibangelwa kukuba ukufunda ngeenkwenkwezi ngokwamaqela azo kwaqalisa kummandla weMeditera esemantla apho sibonakala kakuhle khona isibhakabhaka. Kamva, abantu besakuba besingasinge isibhakabhaka esikummandla osemazantsi babona amaqela amatsha eenkwenkwezi. Amanye ala maqela matsha athiywa amagama anjengooChemical Furnace, ooPendulum Clock, ooMicroscope, nooTelescope.

“Isibhakabhaka Esineenkwenkwezi Ezithiywe NgamaKristu”

Ngowe-1627, umphengululi ongumJamani uJulius Schiller wapapasha incwadi enemaphu yeenkwenkwezi enomxholo othi Coelum Stellatum Christianum (Isibhakabhaka Esineenkwenkwezi Ezithiywe NgamaKristu). Wavakalelwa kukuba elo yayilixesha lokususa bonke ubuhedeni ezulwini. Ngenxa yoko wazimisela ukususa izinto ezinokuthanani nobuhedeni esibhakabhakeni aze afake ezisuka eBhayibhileni. Incwadi ethi The Mapping of the Heavens ithi wathiya “isibhakabhaka sasemantla ngeTestamente Entsha waza esasemazantsi wasithiya ngeTestamente Endala.” “USchiller wawuthiya ngokutsha ummandla osemazantsi kweikhweyita ngongcelele lweziganeko zeTestamente Endala—i-India nePeacock zatshintshwa zaba nguYobhi, iCentaur yatshintshwa yaba nguAbraham noIsake.” KuMntla weIkhweyitha, “iCassiopeia yaba nguMariya Magadala, iPerseus yaba yiNgcwele uPawulos, ngoxa imiqondiso elishumi elinesibini yeZodiac ngokulula nje yathatyathelwa indawo ngabapostile abalishumi elinesibini.”

Linye kuphela iqela elasindayo koku kucocwa. Elo laliyiColumba (iHobe), ekusenokwenzeka ukuba limela ihobe elathunyelwa nguNowa ukuya kukhangela umhlaba owomileyo.

Ukutshintsha Kweemaphu

Ekuhambeni kwexesha zatshintsha izicangca zeenkwenkwezi. Kwinkulungwane ye-17, emva kokuveliswa kweteleskopu, kwafuneka kubekho izicangca ezaziza kuchaza eyona ndawo zikuyo kanye kanye iinkwenkwezi. Ukongezelela, ubuxhakaxhaka bemizobo yezicangca zangaphambili baya buphelelwa ludumo baza ekugqibeleni banyamalala. Namhlanje, iincwadi ezininzi ezinenkcazelo engeenkwenkwezi zineenkwenkwezi kuphela, imikrozo yeenkwenkwezi, iinebula, iminyele, nezinye izinto ezibangela umdla kumntu obukele isibhakabhaka ebusuku.

Phakathi kwinkulungwane ye-19 kwaqulunqwa enye inkcazelo engakumbi. Omnye wabantu ababephambili kuloo nto yayisisazi ngeenkwenkwezi esingumJamani uFriedrich Wilhelm Argelander. Ekunye neqela lamahlakani, waqalisa iphulo elikhulu lokuqulunqa inkcazelo engeenkwenkwezi ezikwisibhakabhaka esisemantla. Besebenzisa iteleskopu bafumana iinkwenkwezi ezimalunga nama-325 000 baza balinganisa ubukhulu bendawo ezikuyo nomlinganiselo wokukhanya kwayo nganye kuzo. Ekubeni isakhiwo ababejonga kuso isibhakabhaka sasikwisixeko saseJamani iBonn, le nkcazelo yabizwa ngokuba yiBonner Durchmusterung (Bonn Overall Survey). Yapapashwa ngowe-1863. Emva kokufa kuka-Argelander, elinye lamahlakani akhe laqhubeka nomsebenzi. Lasingasinga isibhakabhaka esisemazantsi laza lapapasha inkcazelo yalo njengeSüdliche Bonner Durchmusterung (Bonn Southern Overall Survey). Uphengululo lokugqibela lwapapashwa ngowe-1930. Lwakhutshwa eCordoba, eArgentina. Le nkcazelo isaxabiseke unanamhla.

Ngoku Nakwikamva

Umsebenzi ka-Argelander namahlakani akhe walandelwa zezinye iinkcazelo ezibhetele. Noko ke, kwiminyaka yakutshanje, emva kokuveliswa kweeteleskopu zesibhakabhaka, kwabakho ezinye iindlela zokwenza iimaphu ezingazange zibonwe. Ngoncedo lweHubble Space Telescope, izazi ngeenkwenkwezi ziye ngoku zaqulunqa inkcazelo ephathelele iinkwenkwezi ezimalunga nezigidi ezili-15!

Inkqubela yakutshanje kusingasingo lwesibhakabhaka kukupapashwa kweenkcazelo ezimbini yiEuropean Space Agency. Ezi zisekelwe kuhlolisiso olwenziwa ngeeteleskopu zesatellite yeHipparcos. Ayikabikho inkcazelo echane njengale. Kuye kwashicilelwa iincwadi ezinenkcazelo yeenkwenkwezi ezintsha ezisekelwe kwezi nkcazelo. Enye kwezi ncwadi iyimiqulu emithathu ebizwa ngokuba yiMillennium Star Atlas.

Lo mxholo usenokukhumbuza abafundi beBhayibhile ngeWaka leMinyaka okanye uLawulo lukaKristu loxolo lweMinyaka Eliwaka, olukhankanywe eBhayibhileni. (ISityhilelo 20:4) Ngelo xesha, ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo abantu baya kufunda okungakumbi ngendalo emangalisayo, leyo kwaneencwadi ezinenkcazelo yeenkwenkwezi zanamhlanje ezichaza inxalenye encinane yayo.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]

ISicangca Seenkwenkwezi sika-Apian, ngowe-1540

[Inkcazelo]

By permission of the British Library (Maps C.6.d.5.: Apian’s Star Chart)

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

UMzantsi weIkhweyitha njengoko wasingasingwa ngenkulungwane ye-19

[Inkcazelo]

© 1998 Visual Language

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 27]

Inxalenye esembindini weOrion njengoko ibonakala kwisicangca seenkwenkwezi sala maxesha

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 27]

Background on pages 25-7: Courtesy of ROE/Anglo-Australian Observatory, photograph by David Malin