Isijikelezi-langa Esinezinto Ezininzi Ezimangalisayo
KWINKULUNGWANE nje edluleyo, izazinzulu zazicinga ukuba sisonke isijikelezi-langa sikumnyele wethu, oyiMilky Way. Noko ke, kwinkulungwane yama-20, kuye kwathi ngenxa yenkqubela kwicandelo lezeenkwenkwezi, nelezobugcisa, yavela eyona nyaniso ngesijikelezi-langa. Ezinye izinto eziye zafunyaniswa ziye zothusa ngokwenene. Ngokomzekelo, kutshanje izazi ngeenkwenkwezi ziye zayitsho into yokuba azizazi izinto ezingama-90 ekhulwini ezikwisijikelezi-langa. Ukongezelela, ezi zinto zikhokelele ekubeni izazinzulu zithandabuze kwaukuba ibikho kwasekuqaleni into eziyaziyo ngezobugcisa. Kakade ke, akaqali ukubakho amathandabuzo alolo hlobo.
Ngokomzekelo, ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-19, iingcali zezobugcisa zafumanisa okuthile ngokuphathelele isantya sokukhanya. Zafumanisa ukuba ngokweliso lomntu obukeleyo, ukukhanya kusoloko kuhamba ngesantya esilinganayo enoba loo mntu uhamba ngesantya esingakanani na. Kodwa loo nto yayivakala ingekho ngqiqweni! Le ngxaki yaphendulwa ngowe-1905 ngumgaqo okhethekileyo ka-Albert Einstein yokuba umgama (ubude), ixesha, nobunzima ziyatshintshatshintsha. Kwathi ke ngowe-1907, emva kokuba efikelwe yenye ingcamango, awayibiza ngokuba “yeyona ayithandayo ebomini bakhe,” uEinstein wawuphuhlisa lo mgaqo wakhe uqhelekileyo wokutshintshatshintsha kwezinto, waza wawupapasha ngowe-1916. Kuwo, uEinstein wachaza indlela umxhuzulane, isijikelezi-langa nexesha ezisebenzisana ngayo, ngaloo ndlela ephucula ingcamango yezobugcisa kaIsaac Newton.
Ukwanda Kwesijikelezi-langa
Ngokolwazi olwalukho ngelo xesha, uEinstein wayecinga ukuba isijikelezi-langa simi ndawonye—asandi yaye asinciphi. Noko ke, ngowe-1929 ingcali yeenkwenkwezi, uEdwin Hubble, yeza nobungqina bokuba isijikelezi-langa siyanda.
Kanti lo kaHubble wacacisa into ekudala ingumnqa yezinto ezincinane ezikhanya luzizi esibhakabhakeni ebusuku, ezibizwa ngokuba ziinebula nezibonakala ngathi luhlobo oluthile lwamafu. Kodwa ngaba zonke ezi nebula zazikumnyele wethu, okanye ngaphandle kwawo, njengoko uMhlekazi uWilliam Herschel (owaphila ukususela ngowe-1738 ukuya kutsho ngowe-1822) watshoyo kwisithuba esimalunga nenkulungwane ngaphambi koko?
Xa uHubble waqala ukuqikelela umgama oya kwenye yezi nebula, iNebula Enkulu kumnyele iAndromeda, wagqiba kwelokuba lo mnyele ukude kangangomgama ozizigidi ngezigidi. Loo nto ithetha ukuba lo mnyele ukude kwiMilky Way, yona enobubanzi obulingana neminyaka eli-100 000 yokukhanya. Njengoko uHubble wayelinganisa umgama oya kwezinye iinebula, waqalisa ukufumanisa ubukhulu besijikelezi-langa, nto leyo yabangela utshintsho kulwazi ngeenkwenkwezi nangesijikelezi-langa.a
Akuzange kube kudala emva koko, uHubble wabona ukuba isijikelezi-langa siyanda, kuba wafumanisa ukuba iminyele ekude iya isithi qelele emhlabeni. Kanti waphawula ukuba okukhona umnyele usiba kude, kokukhona ubhekela ngesantya esiphezulu. Ezi zinto wazifumanisayo zibonisa ukuba isijikelezi-langa sandile kunokuba besinjalo ngaphambili. Xa uHubble wachaza oko akufumanisileyo ngowe-1929, loo nto yabangela ukuba kuvele ingcamango yokuba, isijikelezi-langa sabakho ngenxa yogqabhuko-dubulo olukhulu, olwenzeka malunga neminyaka engamawaka ezigidi ezili-13 eyadlulayo. Kodwa iseninzi into engekacaci.
Oku Kwanda Kukhawuleza Kangakanani?
Ukususela ngexesha likaHubble, izazi ngeenkwenkwezi bezizama ukulinganisa lo mkhamo wokwanda ngendlela echane kangangoko kunokwenzeka, ndlela leyo ekubhekiselwa kuyo “njengomgaqo kaHubble.” Kutheni ibaluleke kangaka nje le ndlela yokulinganisa? Ukuba izazi ngeenkwenkwezi ziyakwazi ukubala indlela isijikelezi-langa esanda ngokukhawuleza ngayo, zinokusebenzisa loo ndlela yokubala ukuze ziqikelele ubudala baso. Ngaphezu koko, umkhamo wokwanda kwaso kunokusichazela okuninzi ngoko kuya kwenzeka kwikamva. Njani? Ngokomzekelo kuye kwathiwa, ukuba isijikelezi-langa siyacotha ukwanda, umxhuzulane unokubangela ukuba kuwohloke yonke into. Kodwa ukuba sanda ngokukhawuleza, isijikelezi-langa sinokwanda singayeki size sinyamalale ngokupheleleyo.
Ngoxa imilinganiselo echanileyo iye yayiphendula eminye imibuzo, kuvele eminye, nto leyo eyenza ukuba singaqiniseki ngendlela esiziqonda ngayo ngoku izinto ezilawula esi sijikelezi-langa.
Amandla Andisa Isijikelezi-langa Namasuntswana Akuso
Ngowe-1998, abaphengululi ababehlolisisa ukukhanya okuvela kwinkwenkwezi egqabhukayo, bafumanisa ukuba ukwanda kwesijikelezi-langa kwenzeka ngesantya esithe chatha!b Ekuqaleni, izazinzulu zazingaqinisekanga, kodwa akuzange kube kudala kwabakho ubungqina obuninzi. Ngokuzenzekelayo, babefuna ukwazi le nto ikhawulezisa oku kwanda. Phakathi kwezinye izinto, le nto yayibonakala isilwa nomxhuzulane; okwesibini yayingadibani nezinto ababesele bezifumanisile. Iyafaneleka into yokuba le nto ingabonakaliyo kuthiwe ngamandla andisa isijikelezi-langa yaye imalunga nama-75 ekhulwini esijikelezi-langa!
Noko ke, la mandla asikokuphela kwento “engaziwayo” eye yafunyaniswa kutshanje. Enye yafunyaniswa ngeminyaka yee-1980 xa izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zazihlola iminyele eyahlukahlukeneyo. Le minyele, equka nowethu, yayibonakala ijikeleza kakhulu ukuba ingadibana. Ngoko, kucacile ukuba ikho le nto iyenza idibane ngenxa yomxhuzulane. Kodwa yintoni leyo? Ngenxa yokuba zingayazi, izazinzulu ziye zayibiza ngokuba ngamasuntswana, ekubeni engafunxi, okanye akhuphe imitha.c Angakanani amasuntswana akhoyo? Xa bekubalwa, kufunyaniswe ukuba ama-22 ekhulwini obunzima besijikelezi-langa abunjwa ngawo.
Khawucinge ngoku: Uqikelelo lwakutshanje lubonisa ukuba izinto eziqhelekileyo zisisi-4 ekhulwini sobunzima besijikelezi-langa. Izinto ezimbini ezinkulu ezingaziwayo—amandla andisa isijikelezi-langa namasuntswana akuso—zizalisa isithuba esiseleyo. Loo nto ithetha ukuba, malunga nama-95 ekhulwini esijikelezi-langa akaziwa!d
Iphulo Elingasoze Liphele
Inzululwazi isenezinto eziyixakayo, kodwa ixesha elininzi kuthi kwakuphendulwa omnye umbuzo kuvele intaphane yeminye. Oku kusikhumbuza amazwi abalulekileyo aseBhayibhileni kwiNtshumayeli 3:11. Ithi: “Yonk’ into [uThixo] uyenze yantle ngexesha layo. Kwanexesha elingenammiselo ulibeke ezintliziyweni zabo, ukuze uluntu lungaze luwufumane umsebenzi uThixo oyinyaniso awenzileyo ukususela ekuqaleni kuse ekupheleni.”
Kambe ke, silinganiselwe kwizinto esinokuzifunda ngenxa yobufutshane bobomi bethu, yaye uninzi lwezo zinto siyaziqikelela, yaye zinokutshintsha. Kodwa loo meko yeyokwexeshana, kuba uThixo unenjongo yokunika abantu abathembekileyo ubomi obungunaphakade kwiParadesi esemhlabeni, apho baza kukwazi ukuhlolisisa umsebenzi wakhe ngonaphakade baze ngaloo ndlela bafumane ulwazi lokwenene.—INdumiso 37:11, 29; Luka 23:43.
Ngenxa yoko, akuyomfuneko ukoyika ukuba isijikelezi-langa siya kuze sitshatyalaliswe. Ngapha koko, incinane kakhulu into eyaziwa yinzululwazi ngesijikelezi-langa, logama uMdali wethu esazi yonke into ngaso.—ISityhilelo 4:11.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a Izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zihlolisisa izinto ezingaphandle kwesijikelezi-langa. Zona izazi ngesijikelezi-langa zijongene, “nendlela isijikelezi-langa esibunjwe nesitshintshatshintsha ngayo,” ngokutsho kweThe World Book Encyclopedia. “Ezi zazi ngesijikelezi-langa zizama ukufumanisa indlela esibunjwe ngayo isijikelezi-langa, izinto eziye zenzeka kuso ukususela ekusekweni kwaso, kwakunye nezo ziza kwenzeka kwikamva.”
b Iinkwenkwezi ezidubulayo zibizwa ngokuba ziitype 1a, yaye ukukhanya kwazo kunokuqaqamba njengamalanga angamawaka ezigidi kangangethutyana nje. Izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zisebenzisa ezi nkwenkwezi ukuze zifumane umlinganiselo.
c La masuntswana kwaqala ukuthethwa ngawo ngeminyaka yee-1930 kwaza kwaqinisekiswa ubukho bawo ngeminyaka yee-1980. Namhlanje izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zinokulinganisa la masuntswana akwiqela leminyele ngokujonga indlela le minyele ekuthumela ngayo ukukhanya kwizinto ezimgama.
d Unyaka wama-2009 uye wabizwa ngokuba “nguNyaka Wehlabathi Lonke Wolwazi Ngeenkwenkwezi,” yaye lo nyaka ngowama-400 kwaqalayo ukusetyenziswa kweteleskopu kaGalileo Galilei.
[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 17]
KHANGELA PHEZULU UZE UTHOBEKE
Omnye umkhonzi kaThixo wamandulo wathi akukhangela phezulu kwisibhakabhaka esikrelekrele sasebusuku wabona ummangaliso awawubhala phantsi. INdumiso 8:3, 4 ithi: “Xa ndibona amazulu akho, imisebenzi yeminwe yakho, inyanga neenkwenkwezi ozilungiseleleyo, uyintoni na umntu ofayo le nto umkhumbulayo, nonyana womntu wasemhlabeni le nto umnyamekelayo?” Kodwa umdumisi wayengenazo iiteleskopu okanye iikhamera ezikhethekileyo. Thina sinezizathu ezingakumbi zokumangaliswa.
[Umzobo okwiphepha 18]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
Amandla andisa isijikelezi-langa ngama-74 ekhulwini
Amasuntswana angama-22 ekhulwini
Izinto eziqhelekileyo zisisi-4 ekhulwini
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 16]
Background: Based on NASA photo
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 18]
Background: Based on NASA photo