Indawo Enhle Umhlaba Okuyo
INDAWO esihlala kuyo ngokuvamile ihlanganisa izwe esikulo, idolobha nomgwaqo. Ngomqondo ongokomfanekiso, ake sibize umthala i-Milky Way umhlaba okuwo ngokuthi “izwe,” isimiso sonozungezilanga—ilanga namaplanethi alo—kube “idolobha” bese umzila umhlaba ojikeleza kuwo esimisweni sonozungezilanga kube “umgwaqo.” Ngenxa yentuthuko kwezokuhlolwa kwezinkanyezi nesayensi yemvelo, ososayensi sebeyiqonda kangcono indawo encane esikuyo endaweni yonke.
Okokuqala nje, “idolobha” lethu, isimiso sethu sonozungezilanga, lisengxenyeni ye-Milky Way ososayensi abaningi abayibiza ngokuthi indawo yomthala okuhlaleka kuyo (galactic habitable zone). Le ndawo ingaba ibanga elingathatha iminyaka engu-28- 000 uma uhamba ngejubane lokukhanya ukusuka enkabeni yalo mthala futhi inesilinganiso esifanele samakhemikhali adingekayo ukuze isekele ukuphila. Ngaphandle, lawo makhemikhali awekho; ekujuleni komthala, indawo iyingozi kakhulu ngenxa yobuningi bemisebe ebulalayo nezinye izinto. Umagazini i-Scientific American uthi: “Sihlala endaweni enhle kakhulu.”
“Umgwaqo” Omuhle
Enye “indawo enhle” kakhulu yomhlaba “umgwaqo” okuwo, umzila ozungeza kuwo “edolobheni” lethu lesimiso sonozungezilanga. Lo mzila ongaba amakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingu-150 ukusuka elangeni, ukulokho ososayensi abakubiza ngokuthi indawo enezinkanyezi okuhlaleka kuyo (circumstellar habitable zone), engabandi kakhulu futhi engashisi kakhulu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umzila womhlaba cishe uyisiyingi, usigcina cishe sisebangeni elifanayo ukusuka elangeni unyaka wonke.
Ilanga lona “liyisikhungo samandla” esimangalisayo. Lihlala lishisa, linobukhulu obufanele, futhi likhipha isilinganiso esifanele samandla. Libizwa ngokufanelekile ngokuthi “inkanyezi ekhetheke kakhulu.”
Umakhelwane Omuhle
Ukube ubungakhetha “umakhelwane” womhlaba, akekho ongcono kakhulu kunenyanga. Ubukhulu bayo bungaphezudlwana kwezingxenye ezintathu kwezine zobukhulu bomhlaba. Ngakho, uma iqhathaniswa nezinye izinyanga esimisweni sethu sonozungezilanga, inyanga yethu inkulu kakhulu uma iqhathaniswa neplanethi ehambisana nayo. Kodwa lokhu akwenzekanga ngephutha.
Okokuqala, inyanga iyona ngokuyinhloko elawula ukuphakama kwamagagasi asolwandle, okubalulekile esimisweni semvelo somhlaba. Inyanga yenza nokuba izisekelo zomhlaba zizinze. Ngaphandle kwale nyanga eklanywe ngokukhethekile, iplanethi yethu ibiyophenduphenduka njengethophi eselizokuwa, mhlawumbe ize igingqike ngokuphelele! Izinguquko esimweni sezulu, ekuphakameni kwamagagasi nakwezinye izinto beziyoba inhlekelele.
Ukutsheka Nokujikeleza Komhlaba Okumangalisayo
Ukutsheka komhlaba ngama-degree angu-23,5 kubangela ukushintsha kwezinkathi minyaka yonke, kugcina amazinga okushisa esesilinganisweni futhi kwenza kube nesimo sezulu esishintshashintshayo. Incwadi ethi Rare Earth—Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe ithi: “Izisekelo zokutsheka kweplanethi yethu zibonakala ‘zifaneleke ngokuphelele.’”
Okunye okuhle kakhulu ubude bemini nobusuku, obubangelwa ukujikeleza komhlaba. Ukube umhlaba ubujikeleza isikhathi eside, uhlangothi olubheke elangeni beluyokusha kanti olungalé beluyokuba iqhwa. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukube izinsuku bezimfushane, mhlawumbe zithathe amahora nje ambalwa, ukujikeleza komhlaba ngokushesha bekuyobangela izivunguvungu neminye imiphumela eyingozi.
Yebo, yonke into ngeplanethi yethu—kusukela endaweni ekuyo kuya ekujikelezeni kwayo nomakhelwane wayo oyinyanga—inikeza ubufakazi bomklamo wokuhlakanipha woMdali onobuchule.a UPaul Davies, oyisazi semvelo nesokuziphendukela kwayo, uthi: “Ngisho nososayensi abangakholelwa ebukhoneni bukaNkulunkulu bayoshukumiseleka ngokujulile ngenxa yobukhulu, ubuhle, ukuvumelana, nobunyoninco obukhulu bendawo yonke.”
Ingabe ubunyoninco obunjalo buwumphumela wengozi, noma bubonisa ukuthi baklanywa ngenjongo? Cabanga ngalowo mbuzo njengoba ufunda isihloko esilandelayo esifushane, esichaza izivikelo ezimbili ezimangalisayo ezivikela ukuphila emhlabeni ezinsongweni ezivela emkhathini.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Kunamandla ayizinhlobo ezine abalulekile ekuphileni kwendawo yonke aqondisa izinto ezikhona: amandla adonsela phansi, akazibuthe, kanye namandla enuzi amakhulu namancane. Zonke lezi zinhlobo zamandla zivumelana ngokuphelele.—Bheka isahluko 2 sencwadi ethi Is There a Creator Who Cares About You? enyatheliswa oFakazi BakaJehova.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 5]
INGABE UHAMBA NGESIVININI ESIDLULA ESENHLAMVU YESIBHAMU?
Lapho uqeda ukufunda leli bhokisi, uyobe usuhambe izinkulungwane zamakhilomitha—ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka! Cabangela okulandelayo.
Umhlaba unobukhulu obungamakhilomitha angu-40 000 futhi ujikeleza kanye njalo ngemva kwamahora angu-24. Ngakho, izindawo ezisenkabazwe noma eziseduze kwayo zihamba ngesivinini esingamakhilomitha angaba ngu-1 600 ngehora. (Kodwa-ke, izindawo ezisemaphethelweni enyakatho naseningizimu zijikeleza ndawonye.)
Umhlaba ngokwawo uzungeza ilanga ngesivinini esingamakhilomitha angu-30 ngomzuzwana, kanti isimiso sonozungezilanga sisonke sihamba kuyi-Milky Way ngesivinini esiphakeme esingamakhilomitha angu-249 ngomzuzwana. Uma kuqhathaniswa, izinhlamvu zesibhamu zihamba ngesivinini esingaphezudlwana kwekhilomitha elilodwa ngomzuzwana.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 4]
Milky Way: NASA/JPL/Caltech
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 5]
Earth: Based on NASA/Visible Earth imagery