Amadwala Andizayo

WAKE wayibona yini inkanyezi etshuzayo ivutha inqamula esibhakabhakeni esicwebile ebusuku? Kungenzeka ukuthi uzoyibona ngokushesha. Ngokososayensi lemililo engokwemvelo inqamula esibhakabhakeni izikhathi ezingu-200 000 000 nsuku zonke!

Iyini? Imane nje iyizigaxa zamatshe noma okusansimbi okwaziwa ngokuthi ama-meteoroid avutha njengomlilo lapho engena emkhathini womhlaba. Umudwa ogqamile wokukhanya eziwushiyayo lapho zinqamula esibhakabhakeni njengoba ubonakala emhlabeni waziwa ngokuthi i-meteor.

Iningi lama-meteoroid lisha liphele ngaphambi kokuba lifike emhlabeni, kodwa amanye ayasinda ekushiseni okukhulu abese efika ebusweni bomhlaba. Lawa aziwa ngokuthi ama-meteorite. Abanye ososayensi balinganisela ukuthi amathani angaba ngu-1 000 aleli dwala elindizayo alahlelwa emhlabeni usuku ngalunye.a

Akuvamile ukuba lokhu kuphahlazeka kube ingozi kubantu, ngokuyinhloko ngenxa yobuncane balamadwala andizayo. Eqinisweni, iningi lama-meteor libangelwa ama-meteorite amancane kunohlamvu lwesihlabathi. (Bheka ibhokisi elithi “Amadwala Avela Emkhathini.”) Kodwa kuthiwani ngezinkulungwane zamadwala amakhulu andiza emkhathini? Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela elibizwa ngokuthi i-Ceres, elinobubanzi obungamakhilomitha angaba ngu-1 000! Futhi kunamanye amadwala aziwayo angaba ngu-30 anobubanzi obungaphezu kwamakhilomitha angu-190. Eqinisweni lamadwala amakhulu angamaplanethi amancane. Ososayensi bawabiza ngokuthi ama-asteroid.

Kuthiwani uma enye yalama-asteroid ibingaphahlazeka emhlabeni? Kubonakala sengathi lolu songo luyisizathu esibalulekile esenza ukuba ososayensi batadishe ama-asteroid. Nakuba iningi lama-asteroid lizungeza endaweni ephakathi kwe-Mars ne-Jupiter, amanye aye athungathwa izazi zezinkanyezi empeleni anqamula lapho kuzungeza khona umhlaba. Usongo lokushayisana lwandiswa ukuba khona kwemigodi emikhulu enjenge-Meteor Crater (eyaziwa futhi ngokuthi iBarringer Crater), eduze naseFlagstaff, e-Arizona, e-U.S.A. Enye yezinkolelo-mbono ngokungabi khona kwezibankwakazi ukuthi ukushayisana okukhulu kwashintsha umkhathi futhi kwenza umhlaba waba nesimo sezulu esibandayo isikhathi eside izibankwakazi ezazingenakukwazi ukuphila kuso.

Namuhla ukushayisana okunjalo okuyinhlekelele ngokunokwenzeka kungabhubhisa isintu. Nokho, iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi “abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.”—IHubo 37:29.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 23]

Ilangabi Lomlilo Ekhasethini Le-video

Amanye ama-meteor makhulu futhi agqame ngendlela engajwayelekile. Aziwa ngokuthi amalangabi omlilo. Ngo-October 9, 1992, ilangabi lomlilo eliboniswe esithombeni esingenhla lanqamula esibhakabhakeni ezifundazweni eziningana e-United States. Leli langabi lomlilo labonakala okokuqala eNtshonalanga Virginia nasebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-700. Olunye ucezu, olunesisindo esingamakhilogremu angaba ngu-12, lwawela emotweni emile ePeekskill, eNew York.

Okuphawulekayo ngalesi senzakalo ukuthi ngenxa yokugudlana nomkhathi lapho le-meteoroid ingena kuwo, kwavela ilangabi lomlilo elahlala imizuzwana engaphezu kwengu-40. Lokhu kwaveza ithuba elingenakuqhathaniswa lokuliqopha nge-video okungenani ezindaweni ezingu-14 ezihlukahlukene. Ngokukamagazini i-Nature, “lezi izithombe zokuqala ezishukumayo zelangabi lomlilo okuye kwatholakala kuzo i-meteorite.”

Leli langabi lomlilo lahlukana laba okungenani izingcezu ezingu-70, ezibonakala kwamanye amakhasethi e-video njengemililo etshuzayo ehlukene. Nakuba kuye kwatholakala i-meteorite eyodwa kulesi senzakalo, ososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi ucezu olulodwa noma ezengeziwe kungenzeka zanqamula umkhathi womhlaba zase ziphahlazeka emhlabathini. Kungase kube yilokho kuphela okusele kuyi-meteoroid enkulu ngaphambili eyayinesisindo esingamathani angaba ngu-20.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 24]

Amadwala Avela Emkhathini

I-asteroid: Yaziwa futhi ngokuthi i-planetoid noma iplanethi encane. Lamaplanethi amancane ngokudlulele azungeza ilanga. Iningi lawo lime ngezindlela ezingefani okungase kubonise ukuthi ayizingcezu zezinguzunga ezithile ezazinkulu.

I-meteoroid: Isigaxa esincane esisansimbi noma esisatshe esintanta noma esiwela emkhathini. Abanye ososayensi bacabanga ukuthi ama-meteoroid amaningi ayizingcezu zama-asteroid avezwa ukushayisana noma imvithimvithi yamadwala ezinkanyezi ezinomsila esezingasekho.

I-meteor: Lapho i-meteoroid ingena emkhathini womhlaba, ukugudlana kwayo nomoya kubangela ukushisa okukhulu nelangabi eligqamile. Lomsila wamagesi avuthayo ubonakala okwesikhashana njengomudwa wokukhanya esibhakabhakeni. Lomudwa wokukhanya waziwa ngokuthi i-meteor. Abaningi bawubiza ngokuthi inkanyezi etshuzayo noma inkanyezi ewayo. Ama-meteor amaningi aqala ukubonakala lapho engaba amakhilomitha ayikhulu ngaphezu kobuso bomhlaba.

I-meteorite: Ngezinye izikhathi i-meteoroid inkulu kangangokuba ayishi ngokuphelele lapho ingena emkhathini wethu, abese iphahlazeka emhlabeni. I-meteoroid enjalo ibizwa ngokuthi i-meteorite. Amanye angaba izizemazema. Enye i-meteorite eNamibia, e-Afrika, inesisindo esingamathani angaphezu kwangu-60. Kuye kwatholakala ama-meteorite amakhulu anesisindo esingamathani angu-15 noma ngaphezulu eGreenland, eMexico, nase-United States.

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I-Ida Nomntwana Wayo Oyinyanga

Lapho uthwebula i-asteroid okuthiwa i-Ida, umkhumbi-mkhathi i-Galileo, lapho uya kuyi-Jupiter, wathola okuthile okungalindelekile—isibonelo sokuqala esinobufakazi senyanga ezungeza i-asteroid. Njengoba kwabikwa kuyi-Sky and Telescope, ososayensi balinganisela ukuthi lenyanga enjengeqanda okuthiwa i-Dactyl, inobude obungamakhilomitha angu-1,6 nobubanzi obungamakhilomitha angu-1,2. Indawo ezungeza kuyo iqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba yikhulu kusuka enkabeni ye-asteroid i-Ida, enobude obungamakhilomitha angu-56 nobubanzi obungamakhilomitha angu-21. Umbala wakho okhipha imisebe ubonisa ukuthi kokubili i-Ida nenyanga yayo encane kuyingxenye yomkhaya wama-asteroid i-Koronis, okucatshangwa ukuthi ayizingcezu zedwala elilodwa, elikhulu elavithizwa ukushayisana emkhathini.

[Umthombo]

NASA photo/JPL

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I-Meteor Crater, eduze naseFlagstaff, e-Arizona, e-U.S.A. inobubanzi obungamamitha angu-1 200 nokujula okungamamitha angu-200

[Umthombo]

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

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 23]

Sara Eichmiller Ruck