Ukudweba Amabalazwe Omkhathi Esikhathini Esidlule Nanamuhla

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ENETHERLANDS

UKUBUKA izinkanyezi zigcwele esibhakabhakeni ngobusuku obucwathile kuye kwashiya umuntu emangele, futhi kuwo wonke umlando kuye kwamshukumisela ukuba ababaze ukuvelela koMdali wezinto ezinhle kangaka. Endulo, imbongi ethile yathi: “Amazulu ayalanda ngenkazimulo kaJehova, nomkhathi ushumayela umsebenzi wezandla zakhe.” (IHubo 19:1) Nokho, abantu basendulo ababehlola umkhathi ebusuku babengaboni nje ubuhle kuphela.

Ukubona Izithunzi Emkhathini

Izazi zezinkanyezi zasendulo zaqaphela ukuthi yonke indikimba yezinkanyezi yayibonakala ihamba ngokuhleleka. Nakuba izinkanyezi zazisuka empumalanga ziye entshonalanga lapho zihamba emkhathini, yayingashintshi indlela ezakhelene ngayo.a Ngamanye amazwi, njalo ebusuku kwakubonakala amaqembu afanayo ezinkanyezi. Ngenxa yokuthi umuntu wayefuna indlela yokuhlela lezo zinkanyiso eziningi, wahlanganisa izinkanyezi ngamaqoqo. Esebenzisa ukucabangela, wabona la maqoqo efana nezilwane, abantu, ngisho nezinto ezingaphili. Ngale ndlela waqala umkhuba wokubheka ukuma kwezinkanyezi njengamaqoqo.

Amanye amaqoqo ezinkanyezi esiwaziyo namuhla achazwa ngokokuqala ngabaseBabiloni lasendulo. Phakathi kwawo kunamaqoqo angu-12 amelela izimpawu ze-zodiac. Lezi zimpawu zazifeza indima ebalulekile—futhi zisayifeza—ekufundweni kwezinkanyezi, ukubikezela ithonya okucatshangwa ukuthi izinkanyezi zinalo ezindabeni zabantu. Nokho, iBhayibheli liyakulahla ukufuna amabika ezinkanyezini. (Duteronomi 18:10-12) Nokho, abakhulekeli bakaJehova uNkulunkulu babazi ukuthi akhona amaqoqo ezinkanyezi. Ngokwesibonelo, incwadi yeBhayibheli kaJobe ithi uJehova “wenza umlaza i-Eshi, umlaza iKhesili, nomlaza iKhima.”—Jobe 9:9, NW.

Amagama amaqoqo amaningi ezinkanyezi esiwaziyo namuhla asuselwa ezinganekwaneni zamaGreki. Amagama anjengoCepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, nelithi Hercules asatholakala emashadini ezinkanyezi osuku lwanamuhla.

Amashadi Ezinkanyezi Asendulo

Cishe ngo-150 C.E., isazi sezinkanyezi esingumGreki uPtolemy saloba incwadi efingqiwe yolwazi lwezinkanyezi lwangosuku lwaso. Le ncwadi, enesihloko esithi Almagest, iqukethe uhlu lwamaqoqo ezinkanyezi angu-48. Amashadi namabalazwe omkhathi enziwa emakhulwini eminyaka ngemva kukaPtolemy ngokuvamile ayenamaqoqo afanayo ezinkanyezi angu-48. Eqinisweni, inani lamaqoqo ezinkanyezi alizange lishintshe kwaze kwaba cishe ngekhulu le-16.b Kamuva, kwanezelwa amanye amaqoqo ezinkanyezi angu-40. Ngo-1922 i-International Astronomical Union yalugunyaza ngokusemthethweni uhlu lwala maqoqo ezinkanyezi angu-88.

Ngaphandle kwamaqoqo ezinkanyezi, incwadi kaPtolemy ihlanganisa nohlu lwezinkanyezi ezingaphezu kwenkulungwane, kanye nokwaziswa okuphathelene nokukhanya kwazo nokuthi zikuphi emkhathini. UPtolemy akanikezi nje kuphela ukuthi inkanyezi ikuphi emkhathini kodwa unezela neminye imininingwane. Ngokwesibonelo, inkanyezi ethile yomlaza i-Ursa Major, noma i-Great Bear, ichazwa ngokuthi “inkanyezi engasekuqaleni komsila,” kanti inkanyezi ethile enomsila kuthiwa “ingakwesokhohlo sedolo lesokudla lika-Andromeda.” Ngakho, enye incwadi iphawula ukuthi “zonke izazi zezinkanyezi ezingongoti kwakufanele zazi ukuthi umkhathi umi kanjani!”

Pho, kungani amaqoqo amaningi ezinkanyezi asendulo etholakala emkhathini osenyakatho? Umdwebi othile wamabalazwe omkhathi uthi lokho kungenxa yokuthi umkhuba wokuhlukanisa izinkanyezi ngamaqoqo waqala endaweni yaseMediterranean, lapho kubonakala khona umkhathi wasenyakatho. Amaqoqo amasha ezinkanyezi atholakala kamuva, lapho umuntu eqala ukuhlola umkhathi waseningizimu. Amanye ala maqoqo amasha anamagama anjengokuthi Chemical Furnace, Pendulum Clock, Microscope, nelithi Telescope.

“Umkhathi WamaKristu Ogcwele Izinkanyezi”

Ngo-1627, isazi esingumJalimane uJulius Schiller sanyathelisa ibalazwe lezinkanyezi elinesihloko esithi Coelum Stellatum Christianum (Umkhathi WamaKristu Ogcwele Izinkanyezi). Sasinomuzwa wokuthi kwase kuyisikhathi sokwenza amazulu amukeleke nakubantu abangamakholwa. Ngakho, saqala ukususa amagama obuqaba emkhathini futhi esikhundleni sawo safaka amagama avela eBhayibhelini. Incwadi ethi The Mapping of the Heavens ichaza ukuthi wahlobanisa “amazulu asenyakatho neTestamente Elisha, aseningizimu neTestamente Elidala.” “Iningizimu nenkabazwe kaSchiller yenziwa uchungechunge lwabalingiswa beTestamente Elidala—uJobe uthatha indawo yeNdiya nePigogo, uCentaur uguqulwa abe u-Abrahama no-Isaka.” ENyakatho Nenkabazwe, “uCassiopeia uba uMariya Magdalena, uPerseus abe uSt Paul, bese kuthi izimpawu eziyishumi nambili ze-Zodiac zithathelwe indawo abaphostoli abayishumi nambili.”

Lilodwa kuphela iqoqo lezinkanyezi elasinda kulolu shintsho. Lelo kwakuyiColumba (Ijuba), okuthiwa lalimelela ijuba uNowa alithuma ukuba liyofuna indawo eyomile.

Ukushintsha Kwamabalazwe

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, indlela amashadi ezinkanyezi ayebukeka ngayo yashintsha. Ekhulwini le-17, ngemva kokusungulwa kwesibonakude, kwaphakama isidingo samashadi ayebonisa ngokuqondile indawo izinkanyezi ezikuyo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, imihlobiso eminingi eyayigcwele emashadini okuqala yancipha futhi ekugcineni yakhishwa ngokuphelele. Namuhla, amabalazwe amaningi ezinkanyezi aqukethe kuphela izinkanyezi, amaqoqo ezinkanyezi, ama-nebula, imithala nezinye izinto ezingase zithakazelise umuntu obuka isibhakabhaka ebusuku.

Maphakathi nekhulu le-19, kwaqala ukwenziwa kwamabalazwe anemidanti eminingi. Elinye lamavulandlela kulo mkhakha kwakuyisazi sezinkanyezi esingumJalimane uFriedrich Wilhelm Argelander. Ekanye nedlanzana labasizi bakhe, waqala umsebenzi omkhulu wokubhala ibalazwe lezinkanyezi zasenyakatho. Besebenzisa isibonakude, bathola izinkanyezi ezingaba ngu-325 000 futhi balinganisa ukuma namandla okukhanya kwenkanyezi ngayinye. Njengoba isikhungo ababesebenzela kuso sasisedolobheni laseJalimane iBonn, leyo ncwadi yabizwa ngokuthi Bonner Durchmusterung (Bonn Overall Survey). Yanyatheliswa ngo-1863. Ngemva kokufa kuka-Argelander, omunye wabasizi bakhe waqhubeka nomsebenzi. Wenza ibalazwe lezinkanyezi zaseningizimu futhi wanyathelisa incwadi ethi Südliche Bonner Durchmusterung (Bonn Southern Overall Survey). Ucwaningo lokugcina lwanyatheliswa ngo-1930. Lwakhishwa eCordoba, e-Argentina. Lezi zincwadi ziseyigugu ngisho nanamuhla.

Namuhla Nangomuso

Ngemva komsebenzi ka-Argelander nabalandela ngemva kwakhe, kwaba nezincwadi ezingcono nakakhulu. Nokho, eminyakeni yamuva nje, ngemva kokusungulwa kwezibonakude zasemkhathini, kwavela amakhono okudweba amabalazwe ayengaziwa ngaphambili. Ngosizo lwe-Hubble Space Telescope, izazi zezinkanyezi sezilobe incwadi equkethe izinkanyezi ezibalelwa ezigidini ezingu-15!

Intuthuko yamuva nje ekudwebeni amabalazwe omkhathi yizincwadi ezimbili ezintsha ezinyatheliswe yi-European Space Agency. Lezi zincwadi zisekelwe emiphumeleni etholwe isibonakude sasemkhathini sesiphuphutheki i-Hipparcos. Awatholakali amabalazwe anembe kangaka. Ngenxa yalezi zincwadi, kuye kwenziwa amabalazwe ezinkanyezi amasha. Elinye lawo yibalazwe lezinkanyezi elinemiqulu emithathu okuthiwa i-Millennium Star Atlas.

Leso sihloko singase sikhumbuze abafundi beBhayibheli ngenkathi yokuthula yokuBusa KukaKristu Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane, iBhayibheli elikhuluma ngayo. (IsAmbulo 20:4) Akungabazeki ukuthi ngaleso sikhathi umuntu uyofunda okwengeziwe ngendawo yonke emangalisayo, amabalazwe ezinkanyezi anamuhla amakhulu aqukethe ingxenye yayo encane kuphela.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

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IShadi Lezinkanyezi Le-Apian, lango-1540

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By permission of the British Library (Maps C.6.d.5.: Apian’s Star Chart)

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Umdwebo womkhathi weNingizimu Nenkabazwe wangekhulu le-19

[Umthombo]

© 1998 Visual Language

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Umlaza i-Orion oseshadini lezinkanyezi lanamuhla

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Background on pages 25-7: Courtesy of ROE/Anglo-Australian Observatory, photograph by David Malin