Ukuhlola Indawo Yonke

Ngumlobeli wePhaphama! eHawaii

UMA ubufuna ukuhlehlela emuva ngesikhathi, ingabe ubungakwenza? Impendulo inguyebo!

Eqinisweni, ngaso sonke isikhathi lapho sibheka isibhakabhaka esigcwele izinkanyezi, sisuke sihlola isikhathi esidlule. Kodwa ikuphi lapho singaya khona ukuze sibone umbono onjalo okhangayo wesikhathi esidlule? Nokho, njengabantu basendulo basePolynesia abalandela izinkanyezi baze bathola iHawaii, ngakho namuhla abaningi abafuna ukulandela noma ukubona izinkanyezi beza kulelizwe eliyisiqhingi. Nokho, bathola uhlobo oluphakeme kakhulu lobuchwepheshe bezinkanyezi​—⁠ubuchwepheshe obenza abantu bakwazi ukuhlola isikhathi eside kakhulu esidlule.

Ake siye esiqhingini saseHawaii, noma isiQhingi Esikhulu. Lapho sizokwenyukela esiqongweni sentaba-mlilo engasavuthi ebizwa ngokuthi iMauna Kea. Njengoba iphakeme ngamamitha angu-⁠4 205, sizohambela ezinye zezindlu ezinhle kakhulu emhlabeni ezinezipopolo zokubuka umkhathi, ezinikelwe ekuhloleni indawo yonke.

Ukucaca IMauna Kea

Kusukela ekuseni kakhulu, uhambo lwethu ngemoto oluya esiqongweni seMauna Kea lude futhi lumazombezombe. Siyaphuma esimweni sezulu esishisayo saphansi, lapho kunemvula engaphezu kwamamilimitha angu-5 000 ngonyaka, futhi senyukela emiqanseni engenalutho yalentaba-mlilo engasavuthi, lapho iqhwa lingahlala likhona izinyanga eziningana onyakeni. Njengoba sinyuka sidlula lapho kuphelela khona izihlahla, sizithola sisemgwaqweni owumqansa nowubhuqu obucayi. Manje siyaqonda ukuthi kungani imoto edonsa ngamasondo amane idingekile.

Ekugcineni, sifinyelela esiqongweni futhi sithola ukuthi sinezindlu eziningi ezinezipopolo ezisakazekile. Umoya lapha upholile, uhlanzekile, futhi cishe awunankungu. Simisa imoto futhi sehle. Imimoya evunguzayo, nebanda kakhulu isihlaba ngokushesha. Nokho, njengoba siqalaza nxazonke, ngokushesha sizizwa sinesiyezi. Simi phezu kwentaba-mlilo engasavuthi, ngalé kwamafu azungezile ayisembozo, kubonakala sengathi sivalelekile ekuboneni izwe nolwandle!

Kungani Ilapha?

Ekuqaleni kwawo-1960, izazi zezinkanyezi zaqala ukwakha indlu yazo yokuqala enezipopolo yasesiQhingini Esikhulu ukuze zihlole umkhathi ongaphandle kanye nesikhathi esidlule. Kodwa kungani bayakha lapha, phezu kwentaba-mlilo esesiqhingini, kude lé oLwandlekazini iPacific?

Kunezizathu ezine eziyisisekelo zokuba lendawo ekhethekile ibe usizo kangaka ekuhloleni amazulu agcwele izinkanyezi: (1) ingxenye enkulu yobusuku obucwathile minyaka yonke; (2) ukungabi nankungu nokungaguquguquki komoya, kuvumela ukubuka okungaphazamisekile; (3) izinga eliphansi kakhulu lokukhanya ebusuku, okuvinjelwa imithetho yokukhanyisa edolobheni yasesiQhingini Esikhulu; kanye (4) nezinga lomswakama eliphansi kakhulu. Kungani lesosici sokugcina sibalulekile? Ngenxa yokuthi umswakama ulimaza ezinye izinhlobo zamathuluzi.

Ngisho nangeso lenyama, singazibona kalula izici ezingavamile zomoya ezenza lena kube indawo enhle kakhulu yokuhlola emkhathini ongaphandle. Yingakho iMauna Kea ibhekwa njengendawo ecishe ibe efaneleka kahle yokubuka izinkanyezi.

Ngaphakathi Kwezindlu Ezinezipopolo

Sihlangana nomqondisi wethu futhi siqhubekela naye eW. M. Keck Observatory. Lendlu iqukethe isibona-kude esikhulu kunazo zonke futhi esinamandla kunazo zonke eziye zakhiwa kuze kube manje.

Njengoba singena, ngokushesha siqaphela ukuthi izazi zezinkanyezi azisabuki kulezibona-kude ngeso lenyama. Cha, sezadlula lezozinsuku! Namuhla, ososayensi basebenzelana nesibona-kude ngamacomputer anamandla neminye imishini eyinkimbinkimbi. Lemishini esizwa icomputer iyakwazi ukubona izikhathi eziphindwe kazinkulungwane zezigidi kunalokho iso lenyama elingakubona.

Kudida ingqondo, akunjalo? Ngalobuchwepheshe izazi zezinkanyezi zingaqoqa ngezinsuku ezimbalwa zokubuka ukwaziswa okwanele ukuba kuzigcine zimatasa izinyanga eziningi kamuva zihlola lokho ezikutholile.

Umqondisi wethu manje udonsela ukunakekela kwethu kulokho okwenza iW. M. Keck Observatory ihambe phambili kwezobuchwepheshe bolwazi lwezinkanyezi​—⁠umklamo oyingqayizivele wesibona-kude sayo. Sibona izingxenye zesibuko ezingu-36 ezinezinhlangothi eziyisithupha, ngayinye inobubanzi obucishe bube amamitha angu-1,8. Lokhu kulingana nesibuko esisodwa esingamamitha ayishumi ukuzungeza.

Lichaza indlela lesibona-kude esisebenza ngayo, iphephabhuku elikhishwa iCalifornia Association for Research in Astronomy lithi: “Njengoba ukuma kwazo kulawulwa ngomshini ukuze kukwazi ukubonisa into eyingxenye eyodwa kweziyisigidi zemitha​—⁠okuyinto engaphansi kobubanzi bonwele lomuntu ngokuphindwe kazikhathi eziyinkulungwane,” futhi ngengxenye eyodwa kuphela kwezine yezibuko zaso ezifakwe kahle, “kakade sesilingana namandla eSibonakude iHale [esingamamitha ayisihlanu] esisePalomar Observatory” eCalifornia.

Akupheleli lapho. Umqondisi wethu usitshela ukuthi basanda kuthola izimali zesibona-kude sesibili esizohlala eduze kwalesi, esisakhiwa. Lezibona-kude ezingamawele ziyosebenza njengezibona-kude ezimbili ezinkulu zasemkhathini, ezibona kude impela emkhathini ongaphandle ukwedlula noma ikuphi okuke kwacatshangwa ukuthi kungenzeka. Kujabulisa ngempela ukuba lapha!

Nokho, njengoba sisendaweni ephakeme, asifuni ukujabula ngokweqile ngoba ingozi yokuthola ihypoxia, ukuntuleka komoya-mpilo ezicutshini zomzimba, isobala kithi. Siyezwa ukuthi ikhono lethu lokucabanga alikho eqophelweni elikahle njengoba silwela ukugxilisa imicabango yethu futhi sikhuluma. Eqinisweni, ukushesha kakhulu noma ukusebenzisa amandla amaningi kulokhu kuphakama, kungabangela ubuhlungu bekhanda, isicanucanu, nokuquleka. Ngokuqinisekile, lena akuyona indawo yanoma ubani onempilo ebuthaka.

Ngakho-ke, ngemva kokuchitha amahora ayisihlanu esiqongweni, yisikhathi sokwehla entabeni sibuyele emamitheni angu-2 800 phansi. Kube isikhathi sasekuseni esibalulekile kuze kube kulomzuzu.

Zisitshelani Izinkanyezi?

Phansi emamitheni angu-2 800, kunezindawo zokulala nezindlu zezazi zezinkanyezi nezisebenzi ezingabasizi ezingu-50. Futhi kulendawo kunesikhungo sezivakashi, lapho ungezwa khona izinkulumo ngezindlu ezinezipopolo zaseMauna Kea.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengendlela yokujabulisa labo abafuna ukuhlala kuze kube sebusuku, kuyoba nokubukwa kwasebusuku kwezinkanyezi ngesibona-kude esingamasentimitha angu-28, kanye nokukhulumela kwesazi sesayensi esifundile sayo kanye iYunivesithi yaseHawaii. Uma uhlala, njengoba senza, ngeke udumale. Engingakusho nje ukuthi, kuyindlela enhle ngokukhethekile yokufunda ubufakazi obunganikezwa yizinkanyezi nokuphetha usuku olungavamile kakhulu.

Kungenzeka uyazibuza ukuthi kungani ngaphambidlana sithe singahlehlela emuva ngesikhathi. Isibonelo singase sikusize uwuqonde lomqondo. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela umthala iAndromeda. Ebusuku obucwathile, ukukhanya kwawo kungabonakala ngeso lenyama. Manje, njengoba bazi ukuthi lesosiqhingi sezinkanyezi siqhele kangakanani emhlabeni nokuthi ukukhanya kuhamba ngejubane lamakhilomitha angu-299 792 ngomzuzwana, ososayensi baye bathola ukuthi ukukhanya okubonayo kuvela emthaleni iAndromeda sekuneminyaka eyizigidi ezingu-1,5 ubudala! Yebo, ukubuka ukukhanya kwezinkanyezi eqinisweni kuwukubheka emuva ngesikhathi.

Ngalezibona-kude ezintsha ezithuthukile eMauna Kea, umuntu manje useyakwazi ukuhlehlela ngisho nasemuva impela ngesikhathi nakude impela emkhathini ongaphandle. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi izibona-kude zanamuhla zinamandla amakhulu kakhulu kuneso lenyama. Ngempela, kulinganiselwa ukuthi ngezobuchwepheshe bamanje, izazi zezinkanyezi zibona ukukhanya kwezinkanyezi okuneminyaka eyizinkulungwane zezigidi eziyisishiyagalombili ubudala! Ngokuqoqa ukwaziswa okunjalo, bathemba ukuqonda kangcono indlela izinkanyezi ezaqala ngayo nendlela indawo yonke eyakheka ngayo.

Ngokuqinisekile lolu bekuwusuku olungafani nezinye kithina zivakashi. Esiye sakubona kuyohlala isikhathi eside enkumbulweni yethu. Lokho izazi zezinkanyezi ezikubonayo nezisazokubona kusenza simangale ngezimangaliso zendalo. Ngeke sisamane nje sibheke isibhakabhaka esinezinkanyezi ebusuku bese sihamba. Cha, kusukela namuhla siyosikhumbula lesenzakalo nobuhle balesikhungo sokubuka esisentabeni.

Kwangathi okuhlangenwe nakho okunjalo kungasishukumisa sonke ukuba simazise Lowo owadala indawo yonke esenza sikhexe ngokumangala.​—⁠Isaya 40:​26; 42:⁠5.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 25]

California Association for Research in Astronomy