Ukuphahlazeka Kwenkanyezi Enomsila!
ISONTO lonke ngo-July 1994, ukushayisana kwezingcezu ezingaba ngu-20 zenkanyezi enomsila i-Shoemaker-Levy 9 neplanethi i-Jupiter kwadonsa ukunakekela kwababuki bezinkanyezi emhlabeni wonke. Ababuki bezinkanyezi ezinomsila babamba ongezansi, njengoba lombukwane waphenduka waba yilokho esinye isazi sezinkanyezi esakubeka ngokuthi “umbukwane wasezulwini ovelele kuleli khulu leminyaka.” Kungani lesi senzakalo saba ngaphezulu kakhulu kwalokho okwakulindelekile?
Okokuqala, izingcezu zalenkanyezi enomsila, njengoba zazihamba ngesivinini esingamakhilomitha angaba ngu-200 000 ngehora, zabangela ukuqhuma okukhulu okwakubikezelwe izibikezelo ezeqisayo kuphela. Ukungena kwazo emkhathini we-Jupiter kwabangela ukubaneka okwahlala imizuzwana embalwa nje. Khona-ke, kwaphuma amagesi ashisa ngendlela emangalisayo, enza umlilo omkhulu owawushisa ngaphezu kwezinga lokushisa kwelanga okwesikhashana! Emizuzwini eyishumi kuya kwengamashumi amabili eyalandela, kwaqubuka izikhatha zentuthu ezinkulu ezifinyelela ebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-3200.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, izimo ekuqaleni okwakucatshangwa ukuthi zaziyophazamisa izinga elikahle lokubuka cishe zaba ezinhle kakhulu. Ngenxa yokuthi lokhu kushayisana kwenzeka ohlangothini olumnyama lwe-Jupiter, ukubaneka okukhanya bhá nezikhatha zentuthu kwabonakala kalula. Ezinye izikhatha zentuthu zazibonakala ngaphezu komkhathizwe we-Jupiter, futhi phakathi nemizuzu eyishumi yalokhu kushayisana, ukujikeleza kwe-Jupiter kwenza ukuba lezi zindawo ukushayisana okwakwenzeke kuzo zibonakale ngokuqondile emhlabeni. Ngemva kweminye imizuzu eyishumi lezi zindawo ukushayisana okwakwenzeke kuzo zabonakala ekukhanyeni kwelanga. Ngaleso sikhathi, izikhatha zentuthu zase ziphelile, futhi esikhundleni sazo sekunemizizima emikhulu, emnyama. Lezi zindawo—enkulu kunazo zonke yayinkulu ngokuphindwe kabili kunomhlaba—zazingabikezelwanga izazi zezinkanyezi, kodwa kwaba yizo eziyizici ezigqame kakhulu ezazibonakala.
Umkhumbi-mkhathi i-Galileo wakubonisa ngokuqondile lokhu kushayisana. Njengoba ijikeleza umhlaba i-Hubble Space Telescope yabonisa lokhu kushayisana ngamaza okukhanya okubonakalayo noku-ultraviolet. Ezinye izindawo zalinganisa ukuqhuma kwalenkanyezi ngamaza anamazinga ahlukahlukene akhethwe ngokuqondile ukuze anikeze ukwaziswa okuyigugu. ESouth Pole, ilanga alizange liphume, okwanikeza ithuba lokubukwa kwalokhu kuqhuma usuku lonke ngesibonakude i-Infrared Explorer saseSouth Pole.
Ababuki besibhakabhaka baye babona into abangakaze bayibone. Uyoba khona nini omunye umbukwane wenkanyezi enomsila? Inkanyezi enomsila i-Hale-Bopp, esibonakala kakade ngeso lenyama, kungase kube inkanyezi enomsila egqame kunazo zonke esizoyibona kuleli khulu leminyaka. Iyodlula ebangeni eliqhele ngamakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingu-198 kuleplanethi yethu. Ababuki bezinkanyezi ezinomsila eNyakatho Nenkabazwe bangabona i-Hale-Bopp phakathi nenyanga ka-April 1997. Konke lokhu kusikhumbuza ukuthi siphila endaweni yonke enamandla, eguquguqukayo eyadalwa uJehova, ‘uYise wezinkanyiso zasezulwini.’—Jakobe 1:17; IHubo 115:16.
[Isithombe ekhasini 21]
Imizizima emnyama ibonisa izindawo lapho izingcezu zenkanyezi enomsila zaphahlazeka khona kuyi-Jupiter
[Umthombo]
Hubble Space Telescope Comet Team and NASA