Indawo Yonke—Ukwembulwa Kwezinye Izimfihlakalo

NGOMHLA ka-4 kuJuly, ngonyaka ka-1054, uYang Wei Te wagqolozela esibhakabhakeni ekuseni kakhulu. Njengesazi sezinkanyezi esingokomthetho seImperial Court yaseShayina, wayephawula ngokunakekela ukuhamba kwezinkanyezi lapho ngokungazelele ukukhanya okukhulu eduze kweqoqo lezinkanyezi iOrion kudonsa ukunaka kwakhe.

“Inkanyezi eyisivakashi”—okuyigama lomShayina wasendulo aqamba ngalo leyonto eyayivela kancane—yayibonakele. Ngemva kokubika ngenhlonipho kumbusi wakhe, uYang waphawula ukuthi “inkanyezi eyisivakashi” yayikhanya kakhulu kangangokuthi yaze yadlula iVenus ngokukhanya futhi yayingase ibonwe emini libalele amasonto amaningana.

Kwadlula iminyaka engamakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye ngaphambi kokuba lombukwane ukwazi ukuchazwa ngokwanelisayo. Manje kukholelwa ukuthi lesosazi sezinkanyezi saseShayina sasibona isupernova, iminjunju yokufa kwenkanyezi enkulu. Izizathu nezimbangela zesici esinjalo esingaphezu kwesivamile zimane nje zingezinye zezimfihlakalo ulwazi lwezinkanyezi oluzama ukuzixazulula. Okulandelayo kuyincazelo eye yahlanganiswa ngokunakekela yizazi zezinkanyezi.

Nakuba izinkanyezi njengelanga lethu zingase zibe nokuphila okuthatha isikhathi eside nokuzinzile, ukwakheka kwazo nokufa kubangela imibono emikhulu ewumbukwane esibhakabhakeni. Izazi zesayensi zikholelwa ukuthi indaba yokuphila yenkanyezi iqala ngaphakathi kwenebula.

Inebula. Leli igama elinikezwe ifu legesi nothuli eliphakathi kwezinkanyezi. Amanebula aphakathi kwezinto ezinhle kakhulu esibhakabhakeni sasebusuku. Leyo ebonakala esembozweni salomagazini ibizwa ngokuthi Trifid Nebula (noma inebula enemifantu emithathu). Phakathi kwalenebula kuye kwakheka izinkanyezi ezintsha, okubangela inebula inikeze ukukhanya okubomvana.

Ngokusobala, izinkanyezi zakheka phakathi kwenebula lapho izinto ezisakazekayo zidonswa amandla adonsela phansi ziyiswa ezindaweni ezinegesi. Lamabhola amakhulu egesi ayama lapho efinyelela ezingeni lokushisa elivumela imicikilisho yenuzi ukuba iqale maphakathi nefu, kuvimbele ukufinyela okwengeziwe. Ngaleyondlela kwakheka inkanyezi, ngokuvamile ngokuvumelana nezinye, eyakha nazo iqoqo lezinkanyezi.

Amaqoqo ezinkanyezi. Emfanekisweni osekhasini 8, sibona iqoqo elincane elaziwa ngokuthi iJewel Box, okucatshangwa ukuthi lakheka eminyakeni eyizigidi ezimbalwa nje edlule. Igama lalo laqanjwa isazi sezinkanyezi sekhulu le-19 leminyaka uJohn Herschel ngalencazelo engumfanekiso: “ibhokisi lamatshe ayigugu anemibala ehlukahlukene.” Umthala wethu uwodwa kwaziwa ukuthi unamaqoqo afanayo angaphezu kwenkulungwane.

Amandla enkanyezi. Inkanyezi eqalisayo, noma eyakhekayo, ima lapho kuthungeleka isithando somlilo senuzi ngaphakathi kuyo. Iqala ukuguqula ihydrogen ibe ihelium ngenqubo yokuhlangana efanayo ngandlela-thile naleyo eyenzeka ebhomini lehydrogen. Njengelanga, inkanyezi yangempela ingashisa isivuthela-mlilo sayo esiyinuzi izigidi zezigidi zeminyaka ngaphandle kokuba siphele.

Kodwa kwenzekani lapho inkanyezi enjalo ekugcineni iqeda isivuthela-mlilo sayo esiyihydrogen? Umnyombo uyafinyela, futhi izinga lokushisa liyanyuka lapho leyonkanyezi iqeda ihydrogen ezindaweni ezimaphakathi. Ngalesosikhathi, izingqimba ezingaphandle zinwebeka kakhulu, zandise ubukhulu baleyonkanyezi izikhathi ezingu-50 noma ngaphezulu, futhi iba inkanyezi enkulu ebomvu.

Izinkanyezi ezinkulu ezibomvu. Inkanyezi enkulu ebomvu iyinkanyezi ezinga layo lokushisa langaphandle lipholile ngokuqhathaniswa; ngaleyondlela umbala wayo ubonakala ubomvu, kunokuba ube mhlophe noma ube phuzi. Lelibanga ekuphileni kwenkanyezi lincane ngokuqhathaniswa, futhi liyaphela—lapho kuphela ihelium eningi—kubonakale imililo esibhakabhakeni. Lenkanyezi, esashisa ihelium, iqhumisa izingqimba zayo zangaphandle ezakha inebula eyiplanethi, ekhazimulayo ngenxa yamandla ewathole enkanyezini esuka kuyo. Ekugcineni, leyonkanyezi ifinyela ngokuphawulekayo ibe iwhite dwarf engakhanyi kangako.

Nokho, uma inkanyezi yokuqala inkulu ngokwanele, umphumela ekugcineni uwukuthi leyonkanyezi ekugcineni iyaqhuma. Lokho kubizwa ngokuthi isupernova.

Amasupernova. Isupernova iwukuqhuma okuqeda ukuphila kwenkanyezi leyo ekuqaleni eyayiyinkulu kakhulu ukwedlula ilanga. Uthuli negesi okuningi kakhulu kukhafulelwa emkhathini ngamaza anamandla ngamajubane amakhilomitha angu-10 000 ngomzuzwana. Ukukhanya okukhulu kokuqhuma kukhanya kangangokuba kwedlula okwamalanga ayizigidi eziyizigidi, kubonakala njengedayimane elicwazimulayo esibhakabhakeni. Amandla adedelwa ekuqhumeni okukodwa kwesupernova alingana nengqikithi yamandla abengasakazwa ilanga eminyakeni eyizigidi zezigidi eziyisishiyagalolunye.

Eminyakeni engamakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye ngemva kokuba uYang aphawule isupernova, izazi zezinkanyezi namanje zisakwazi ukubona imfucumfucu esakazekile yalokho kuqhuma, okuyinto ebizwa ngokuthi iCrab Nebula. Kodwa kwasala okuthile okungaphezu kwenebula. Emnyombweni wayo bathola okuthile—into encane, ephenduka izikhathi ezingu-33 ngomzuzwana, ebizwa ngokuthi ipulsar.

Amapulsar nezinkanyezi zeneutron. Ipulsar iqondwa njengomnyombo ogqishelene kakhulu, ojikelezayo wezinsalela zokuqhuma kwesupernova engengaphezu kwesisindo selanga esiphindwe kathathu. Njengoba enobukhulu obungaphansi kwamakhilomitha angu-30 ukuzungeza, kuyathukela ukuba akwazi ukubonwa ngezibona-kude zamehlo. Kodwa angabonwa ngezibona-kude zamaza, ezikwazi ukuthungatha izimpawu zemisebe ekhishwa ukuzungeza kwawo okusheshayo. Ukukhanya kwamaza emisebe kujikeleza nalenkanyezi, njengokukhanya kwendlu yokukhanyisa, kubonakale njengokubaneka kobukele, kubangele ukuba ibizwe ngokuthi ipulsar. Amapulsar abizwa nangokuthi izinkanyezi zeneutron ngenxa yokuthi ngokuyinhloko akhiwa ngamaneutron amaningi agqishelene. Lokhu yikho okubangela isisindo sawo esikhulu—amathani angaphezu kwezigidi eziyikhulu ngecubic sentimitha.

Kodwa yini ebingenzeka uma inkanyezi enkulu ngempela iba nesupernova? Ngokokubala kwezazi zezinkanyezi, umnyombo ubuyoqhubeka uwohloka uze udlule ebangeni lenkanyezi yeneutron. Ngokokucabangela, amandla adonsela phansi afinyeza umnyombo abeyoba makhulu kangangokuthi bekuyophumela kulokho okubizwa ngokuthi iblack hole.

Amablack hole. Lawa kuthiwa ayizishingishane ezinkulu kakhulu zasendaweni yonke okungekho lutho olungabaleka kuzo. Ukudonsa kwangaphakathi kwamandla adonsela phansi kunamandla kangangokuthi kumunca ngokungaguquguquki kokubili ukukhanya nalokho okusondela kakhulu kuwo.

Ayikho iblack hole eke yabonwa ngokuqondile—ngokwencazelo lokho akunakwenzeka—nakuba izazi zesayensi yemvelo zinethemba lokubonisa ukuthi akhona ngemiphumela anayo ezintweni eziseduze. Izinqubo ezintsha zokupopola zingase zidingeke ukuze kuxazululwe lemfihlakalo ekhethekile.

Izimfihlakalo Zemithala

Umthala uyinto esemkhathini eyakhiwa izigidi zezigidi zezinkanyezi. Ngo-1920 kwatholakala ukuthi ilanga lalingekho maphakathi nomthala wethu, njengoba kwakucatshangwa kanjalo esikhathini esidlule. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, izibona-kude ezinamandla zembula eminye imithala eminingi, futhi umuntu waqala ukuqonda ubukhulu bendawo yonke.

Inxanxathela eluvindi esiyibiza ngokuthi iMilky Way empeleni iwumbono omncane womthala wethu. Uma singayibona sikude, ibiyobonakala ifana kakhulu nesondo elikhulu elijikelezayo. Ukuma kwayo kuye kwafaniswa namaqanda amabili athosiwe abekwe afulathelana, kodwa, njengokulindelekile, ngesilinganiso esikhulu kakhulu. Kuhanjwa ngesivinini sokukhanya, bekungathatha iminyaka engu-100 000 ukunqamula umthala wethu. Ilanga, njengoba lingasemaphethelweni alomthala, lithatha iminyaka eyizigidi ezingu-200 ukuqeda ukuzungeza kwalo imaphakathi lalomthala.

Imithala, njengezinkanyezi, isathwele izimfihlakalo eziningi ezimangalisa umphakathi wezesayensi.

Amaquasar. Ngawo-1960, kwathungathwa izimpawu zemisebe ezinamandla ezintweni ezikude, ezikude kakhulu kuneqembu lethu lemithala. Zabizwa ngokuthi amaquasar—okuyisifushaniso selithi “quasi-stellar radio sources”—ngenxa yokufana kwazo nezinkanyezi. Kodwa izazi zezinkanyezi zamangazwa amandla amaningi ayekhishwa amaquasar. Ekhanya kakhulu ikhanya izikhathi eziphindwe kazinkulungwane eziyishumi kuneMilky Way, futhi lawo aqhele kakhulu athungathwa aqhele ngamalight-year angaphezu kwezigidi zezigidi eziyishumi.

Ngemva kwamashumi amabili eminyaka okuhlolisisa, izazi zezinkanyezi ziye zafinyelela esiphethweni sokuthi lamaquasar aqhelile awumnyombo osebenza kakhulu wemithala engaphandle. Kodwa yini eyenzeka emnyombweni walemithala eyenza ikhiphe amandla amakhulu kangaka? Ezinye izazi zesayensi zisikisela ukuthi lamandla adedelwa izinqubo zamandla adonsela phansi kunokuba abangelwe ukuqhuma kwenuzi njengoba kunjalo ngezinkanyezi. Okucatshangwayo manje kuhlanganisa amaquasar anamablack hole amakhulu. Ukuthi lokhu kuyiqiniso noma cha kusalokhu kungaqinisekile okwamanje.

Amaquasar namablack hole amane nje ayizibonelo ezimbili zezindida okusadingeka zixazululwe. Eqinisweni, ezinye zezimfihlakalo zendawo yonke kungenzeka singaziqondi phakade. Nakuba kunjalo, lezo eziye zaxazululwa zingasifundisa izifundo ezinamandla, izifundo ezisho okukhulu kakhulu kulomkhakha wolwazi lwezinkanyezi.

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Umthala onjengesipilingi iM83

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Photo: D. F. Malin, courtesy of Anglo-Australian Telescope Board

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IJewel Box

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Photo: D. F. Malin, courtesy of Anglo-Australian Telescope Board

I“nebula” iOrion, nomfanekiso ophakathi obonisa i“nebula” iHorsehead

Iqoqo lezinkanyezi ezivulekile, amaPleiades kuyiTaurus, iM45

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Photo: D. F. Malin, courtesy of Anglo-Australian Telescope Board