Izinkanyezi Nomuntu—Ingabe Kuhlobene?

UMKHUBA wokubheka izinkanyezi awumusha. Ngokwe-World Book Encyclopedia, eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane edlule abalimi “babebheka izinkanyezi ukuze bazi isikhathi sokutshala izilimo zabo. Izihambi zafunda ukusebenzisa izinkanyezi ukuze zibone izindlela.” Ngisho nanamuhla ohambweni lwasemkhathini, izinkanyezi zisasetshenziswa njengeziqondiso. Abasendulo baqamba nezinganekwane ngabantu nezilwane ababenomuzwa wokuthi kwakufanekiselwa amaqoqo ezinkanyezi, noma imithala. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi abantu baba nomuzwa wokuthi izinkanyezi zazingakuthonya ukuphila kwabo.

Izinkanyezi Eziyinqwaba Okukhethwa Kuzo

Liyesabeka inani nobukhulu bezinkanyezi. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi endaweni yonke kunemithala, noma amaqoqo amakhulu ezinkanyezi, angaba izigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyikhulu! I-International Encyclopedia of Astronomy ithi: “Lelo inani lezinhlamvu zerayisi ezingagcwala phama esakhiweni sesonto esivamile.” Umthala i-Milky Way, isimiso sethu sonozungezilanga esiyingxenye yawo, kulinganiselwa ukuthi okungenani unezinkanyezi eziningi. Inkanyezi eseduze kakhulu noMhlaba wethu (ngaphandle kweLanga), enye yeqembu i-Alpha Centauri, iqhele ngama-light-year angaba ngu-4,3. I-light-year ibanga elihanjwa ukukhanya ngonyaka. Lokhu kusho ukuthi uma sibheka leyonkanyezi, ukukhanya okungena emehlweni ethu kwasuka kuleyonkanyezi eminyakeni engu-4,3 edlule futhi kuso sonke lesosikhathi kwakuthubeleza emkhathini ngejubane elingamakhilomitha angu-299 792 ngomzuzwana. Kunzima ukucabanga ibanga elihilelekile. Kodwa, leyo inkanyezi eseduze kakhulu. Ezinye izinkanyezi ziqhele emthaleni wethu ngama-light-year ayizinkulungwane eziyizigidi. Akumangalisi ukuthi umprofethi kaNkulunkulu wathi: “Bheka, izizwe zinjengethonsi kwasesitsheni, zibalwa njengothuli lwesilinganiso; bheka, iziqhingi uyaziphakamisa njengothuli olucolekileyo.” (Isaya 40:15) Ubani okhathazekayo ngesilongotshana sothuli?

Indikimba yasezulwini eseduze kakhulu nomhlaba inyanga, enethonya elisobala emhlabeni wethu, amandla ayo adonsela phansi abangela ngisho nomehluko wamamitha angaphezu kuka-15 phakathi kwamagagasi aba semanzini aphakeme naphansi kwezinye izindawo. Ngokososayensi abathathu baseFrance, kukholelwa ukuthi amandla enyanga adonsela phansi yiwo asegciné i-axis yomhlaba ithambekele kuma-degree angu-23, ngaleyondlela kuqinisekisa ukushintshashintsha kwezinkathi zonyaka. (Nature, February 18, 1993) Njengoba inyanga inethonya elingaka phezu kweplanethi yethu, kunengqondo ukubuza, Kuthiwani ngezinkanyezi eziyizinkulungwane zezigidi? Kodwa okokuqala, imithombo yasendulo, njengeBhayibheli, isitshelani ngezinkanyezi?

Izinkanyezi EmiBhalweni

IBhayibheli libhekisela kaningi ezinkanyezini, kokubili ngomqondo ongokoqobo nongokomfanekiso. Ngokwesibonelo, ngokomunye umhubi, uMdali wenza “inyanga nezinkanyezi ukuba kubuse ubusuku” ukuze izinkanyezi zisize ekukhanyiseni umhlaba. (IHubo 136:9, Tanakh) Kamuva, lapho enza isivumelwano no-Abrahama othembekile, uNkulunkulu wathi: “Bheka ngasezulwini, ubale izinkanyezi, uma ungazibala. Wathi kuye: Kuyakuba-njalo inzalo yakho.” (Genesise 15:5) Umphostoli uPawulu ubonisa ukuthi izinkanyezi azifani, ethi: “Iyodwa inkazimulo yelanga, iyodwa inkazimulo yenyanga, iyodwa inkazimulo yezinkanyezi; yebo, enye inkanyezi yahlukile kwenye inkanyezi ngokukhazimula.”a (1 Korinte 15:41) Ngesikhathi esifanayo, lenqwaba yezinkanyezi nenkazimulo yazo kulawulwa uMdali wakho: “Uyabala inani lezinkanyezi, azibize zonke ngamagama.”—IHubo 147:4.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, emiBhalweni sithola ukuthi ngokuvamile izinkanyezi zisetshenziselwa ukubhekisela kubantu, ababusi, nezingelosi. Indodana kaJakobe uJosefa iphupha abazali bayo befaniswa ‘nelanga nenyanga’ futhi abafowabo befaniswa “nezinkanyezi.” Izingelosi zibizwa ngokuthi “izinkanyezi zokusa.” Inkosi yaseBabiloni kuthiwa ihlose ukuba ngaphezu “kwezinkanyezi zikaNkulunkulu,” ababusi besizwe sakwa-Israyeli abasohlwini lukaDavide. Amadoda angaqinile ebandleni lobuKristu afaniswa ‘nezinkanyezi ezidukayo,’ kuyilapho izindikimba ezithembekile zabadala bebandla zibizwa ngokuthi “izinkanyezi” ezisesandleni sokunene sikaKristu.—Genesise 37:9, 10; Jobe 38:7; Isaya 14:13; Juda 13; IsAmbulo 1:16.

Okunye ukulandisa eBhayibhelini kuthi “izinkanyezi ezindleleni zazo zalwa noSisera,” induna yempi yeNkosi uJabini yaseKanani, eyayicindezele isizwe sakwa-Israyeli iminyaka engu-20. UJehova wabela uMahluleli wakwa-Israyeli uBaraki ukuba asindise u-Israyeli ebugqilini futhi wamenza wanqoba uSisera, nakuba uSisera ayenezinqola zempi ezingamakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye ezazinamasikela ensimbi emasondweni azo. Engomeni yokunqoba, ama-Israyeli ahlabelela: “Kwaliwa ezulwini; izinkanyezi ezindleleni zazo zalwa noSisera.” Ayikho incazelo enikezwayo ngendlela ezalwa ngayo lezizinkanyezi. Kunokuba sicabange ukuthi lezinkanyezi zaba nethonya eliqondile kulempi, kunengqondo kakhudlwana ukukholelwa ukuthi lamazwi abonisa ukungenela kwaphezulu ngandlela-thile ukuze kusizwe abakwa-Israyeli.—AbAhluleli 5:20.

“Inkanyezi” YaseBetlehema

Cishe inkanyezi eyaziwa kakhulu kwezishiwo eBhayibhelini “inkanyezi” yaseBetlehema eyaqondisa izazi zezinkanyezi ezazivela “empumalanga” yaziyisa endlini uJesu ayebekwe kuyo abazali bakhe ngemva kokuba ebelethelwe esitebeleni. Yayiyini leyonkanyezi? Ngokuqinisekile kwakungeyona inkanyezi evamile, njengoba yayiphansi ngokwanele ukuba lezizazi zezinkanyezi ziyilandele amakhilomitha angaba ngu-1 600. Okokuqala ‘lenkanyezi’ yaziholela eJerusalema. Izwa ngalokhu, iNkosi uHerode yabaphenya yase inquma ukubulala usana olunguJesu. Khona-ke ‘lenkanyezi’ yaholela lezizazi zezinkanyezi endlini ethile uJesu ayekuyo. Ngokuqinisekile ayikho inkanyezi evamile eyayingenza lokho. Ingabe lento eyayifana nenkanyezi yayivela kuNkulunkulu? Njengoba ukuvakasha kwalezizazi zezinkanyezi kwaholela ngokungaqondile ekubulaweni kwabo “bonke abantwana besilisa baseBetlehema nasendaweni yonke yangakhona, abaminyaka-mibili nangaphansi,” akunangqondo yini ukuphetha ngokuthi ‘lenkanyezi’ yayingokuthile okwakusetshenziswa iSitha sikaNkulunkulu, uSathane, sizama ukubhubhisa iNdodana kaNkulunkulu?—Mathewu 2:1-11, 16.

Kufanele kukhunjulwe futhi ukuthi lezizazi zezinkanyezi zazivela eMpumalanga, mhlawumbe eBabiloni, okwakuyisikhungo sasendulo semilingo, ukulumba, nokufunda izinkanyezi. Izindikimba eziningana zasezulwini ziye zaqanjwa ngamagama onkulunkulu baseBabiloni. Ezinsukwini zeNkosi uNebukadinesari, kwakusetshenziswa ukubhula ekumsizeni anqume indlela ayengayithatha emkhankasweni wakhe wempi.—Hezekeli 21:20-22.

Umprofethi u-Isaya wabekela abeluleki baseBabiloni inselele, ethi: “Awunamandla [Babiloni] naphezu kweseluleko ositholayo. Abafundi bakho bezinkanyezi mabavele obala bakusindise—labobantu abatadisha izinkanyezi, abalinganisa izingqimba zomkhathi futhi bakutshele nyanga zonke ukuthi kuzokwenzekani kuwena. Bayoba njengemvithi yezibi, futhi bayoshiswa umlilo! Ngeke bakwazi ngisho nokuzisindisa . . . futhi akekho oyosala ukuze akusindise.” Ngokuvumelana nesiprofetho sika-Isaya, iBabiloni elinamandla lawela kuKoresi Omkhulu ngo-539 B.C.E. Ukuqondisa labobafundi bezinkanyezi baseBabiloni ababethi bakuthola ezinkanyezini kwaphenduka inhlekelele kubo bonke ababehilelekile.—Isaya 47:13-15, Today’s English Version.

Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi akukho esingakufunda ezinkanyezini?

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 5]

Okuye Kwashiwo Abanye

UKUFUNDWA KWEZINKANYEZI: “umxhantela nomngane wesayensi yokuhlolwa kwezinkanyezi.”—UJohannes Kepler (1571-1630) isazi sesayensi yokuhlolwa kwezinkanyezi saseJalimane.

“Ukufundwa kwezinkanyezi kuyisifo, akuyona isayensi. . . . Kuyisihlahla esinethunzi okukhula ngaphansi kwalo zonke izinhlobo zezinkolelo-ze.”—UMoses Maimonides (1135-1204), isazi esingumJuda seNkathi Ephakathi.

“Isayensi yasendulo ethi iyakwazi ukuqonda ubuntu nokuziphatha komuntu ngamunye nokubikezela imikhuba nezenzakalo zesikhathi esizayo ngokusebenzisa ukuma kwamazulu. . . . Cishe ekhulwini le-6 BC—kucatshangwa ukuthi amaKaledi aseningizimu Iraq aqala i-horoscope ephathelene nabantu. Lokhu kwakuqondene namathonya izinkanyezi ezingahambi eziba nawo ngesikhathi sokuzalwa, kanye neLanga, iNyanga, namaplanethi amahlanu. . . . Izinqubo zokufundwa kwezinkanyezi nokuchazwa kwe-horoscope kuncike emiqondweni izazi zesayensi yokuhlolwa kwezinkanyezi nabanye ososayensi abaningi abayithola ingenasisekelo futhi ingamukeleki.”—UC. A. Ronan, umxhumanisi womsebenzi, e-East Asian History of Science Trust, eCambridge, eNgilandi, nomlobeli we-International Encyclopedia of Astronomy okuthathwe kuyo lengcaphuno.

Ukuze afanekise lokhu kuntula isisekelo, uRonan uchaza ukuthi nakuba emqondweni wabaseNtshonalanga, iplanethi ebomvu, i-Mars, ihlotshaniswa nempi nentukuthelo, kwabaseChina, umbala obomvu umbala omuhle, futhi i-Mars ibhekwa njengenethonya elihle. Ngokuphambene, iqoqo lezinganekwane zaseNtshonalanga lihlobanisa i-Venus nombala omhlophe nobuhle. KwabaseChina “umbala omhlophe . . . ubhekwa njengombala wokufa, ukubola nembubhiso; ngakho-ke i-Venus yayibizwa ngokuthi ‘iplanethi efiphele yempi.’”

URonan uyaqhubeka: “Nakuba kuyisayensi yasendulo, ezikhathini zasendulo ukufundwa kwezinkanyezi kwasiza ngokuthuthukisa ukuhlolwa kwezindikimba zasezulwini nangokukuxhasa ngezimali ukuze kuqhubeke.”

Abazuza umklomelo ka-Nobel abangu-19, benabanye ososayensi, ngo-1975 bakhipha isimemezelo sasobala esasinesihloko esithi “Ukuphikiswa Kokufundwa Kwezinkanyezi—Ukulandisa Kososayensi Abaphambili Abangu-192.” Sasithi:

“Ezikhathini zasendulo abantu . . . babengenalo ulwazi lwamabanga amade ukusuka emhlabeni kuya kumaplanethi nasezinkanyezini. Manje njengoba lamabanga asengabalwa futhi eseye abalwa, singabona indlela amandla adonsela phansi namanye amathonya avezwa amaplanethi akude nezinkanyezi ezikude okukuncane ngayo ngokungenakubalwa. Kumane kuyiphutha ukucabanga ukuthi amandla akhishwa izinkanyezi namaplanethi ngesikhathi sokuzalwa angathonya ikusasa lethu nganoma iyiphi indlela.”b

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