Ukubona I-Mars Eduze
NGO-AUGUST 2003, i-Mars yasondela emhlabeni ngamakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingu-56, okwakuwukusondela okukhulu osekwake kwenzeka eminyakeni engaba ngu-60 000. Ngokwesayensi yokuhlolwa kwezinkanyezi, lokho kwayisondeza eduze impela le planethi, bajabula kakhulu labo abafunda izinkanyezi namanye amaplanethi.
Ekuqaleni kuka-2004, imikhumbi-mkhathi eminingi yayisike yafinyelela kuyi-Mars. Eminye yayicwaninga ubuso bayo, eminye ukujikeleza kwayo. Yini esiyifundile ngokuhlolwa kwale planethi engumakhelwane wethu?
Ukuhlola Iplanethi Ebomvu
Isiphuphutheki esikuyi-Mars esibizwa ngokuthi i-Mars Global Surveyor safika kuyo ngo-1997. Sathola ukuthi le planethi yayike yaba namandla amakhulu kazibuthe. Lesi siphuphutheki sabonisa ngokunembile isimo se-Mars, phakathi kwezinye izinto sembula ukuthi ibanga elisuka endaweni ephansi kunazo zonke kuya kwephakeme lingamakhilomitha angu-29, uma liqhathaniswa nelasemhlabeni elingamakhilomitha angu-19.a
Isigodi esiphansi kunazo zonke kuyi-Mars sisesigodini esikhulu saseHellas, okubonakala sengathi saba khona ngenxa yokushayeka kwedwala elikhulu elivela emkhathini. Indawo ephakeme kakhulu yisiqongo esikhulu sentaba-mlilo i-Olympus Mons engamakhilomitha angu-21 ukuphakama. Ikhamera eyayifakwe kuyi-Surveyor nayo yathwebula amadwala ayebonakala engaphezu kwamamitha angu-18 ubukhulu kanye namagquma amakhulu esihlabathi kanye nemihosha eyayisanda kuvuleka. Omunye umshini wathola ukuthi amadwala amaningi ayephume entaba-mlilweni.
Nakuba ngo-November 2006 ukuxhumana ne-Mars Global Surveyor kwanqamuka, iziphuphutheki ezintathu—i-2001 Mars Odyssey, i-Mars Express ne-Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter—zaqhubeka zihlola le planethi ebomvu.b Zisebenzisa amakhamera anamandla nemishini yokuthungatha, zahlola isimo se-Mars kanye nomkhathi ozungezile, zaze zathola futhi zathwebula nemifanekiso yeqhwa eliningi enyakatho yale planethi.
I-Phoenix Mars Lander, eyafika kule planethi ebomvu ngaphandle kwenkinga ngo-May 25, 2008, igxile ekuhloleni leli qhwa. I-Lander inemishini ephambili yobuchwepheshe yokuhlola umkhathi neqhwa elisenyakatho. Ososayensi banethemba lokuthola ukuthi zazikhona yini izilwanyana ezake zaphila kule nhlabathi eyiqhwa. Kodwa, kwase kuqaliwe kakade ukufuna izinto eziphilayo—noma okungenani izimo ezingasekela ukuphila.
Izinqola Zasemkhathini I-Spirit Ne-Opportunity
IziNqola Zokuhlola Umkhathi ezimbili, i-Spirit ne-Opportunity, zafika kuyi-Mars ngo-January 2004, futhi izindawo ezafikela kuzo zazikhethwe ngokwaziswa okwakutholakale ohambweni lwangaphambili. Ngayinye yalezi zinqola engase ilingane nemotshwana yokudlala yanciphisa ijubane lapho ingena emkhathini we-Mars ngokusebenzisa izivikelo zokushisa, amapharashuthi namarokhethi. Lapho zithi cababa, igobolondo eliyibhaluni ezazivalelwe kulo labhampa njengoba kwenza i-Mars Pathfinder ngaphambi kwalokho, ngo-1997.c
I-Mars cishe inendawo elingana nendawo eyinhlabathi emhlabeni, ngakho kunendawo enkulu engahlolwa amarobhothi. Indawo okwakhethwa ukuba i-Opportunity isebenze kuyo kwakuyi-Meridiani Planum, ithafa lamadwala asendulo elineminerali eligcwele okusansimbi okuthiwa i-hematite. Inqola i-Spirit yahlala ngalé kolunye uhlangothi lwe-Mars ukuze ihlole umgodi omkhulu wentaba-mlilo iGusev, abanye abacwaningi abakholelwa ukuthi kungenzeka yayiyichibi endulo. Incwadi echaza izinjongo ze-NASA ithi inhloso yalo mkhankaso okabili “kwakuwukuhlaziya umlando wesimo sendawo ezindaweni okungenzeka zake zaba namanzi futhi zisekela ukuphila.”
“Izazi Zokuma Kwezwe” Kuyi-Mars
Lapho inqola i-Spirit ifika endaweni eyayilibangise kuyo ngo-January 4, 2004, yayisendaweni ewugwadule, enamatshe enezigojana ezincane eziyisiyingi. Le nqola yahlola indawo ngendlela isazi sokuma kwezwe esingumuntu ebesingenza ngayo, ngokuhlola izinhlobonhlobo zenhlabathi, amadwala nokuma kwezwe. Ososayensi ababeqondisa le nqola bathola ukuthi indawo eyahlala kuyo yayinamadwala entaba-mlilo kanye nezigojana ezibangelwe amatshe ayevela emkhathini. Le nqola yabe isihamba amakhilomitha angu-2,6 ukuze ihlole idlanzana lamagquma. Lapho, yathola amadwala angavamile namadwala athambile okungenzeka kwakungawentaba-mlilo.
Phakathi naleso sikhathi, ngo-January 25, 2004, ngemva kokuhamba amakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingu-456, inqola i-Opportunity yahlala ebangeni elingaba amakhilomitha angu-25 ukusuka maphakathi nendawo eyayiya kuyo. Igobolondo eliyibhaluni le nqola eyayifakwe kulo, labhampa endaweni yaseMeridiani lagingqika layongena emgodini omncane. Usosayensi othile wafanisa ukuhlala kwaleli gobolondolo nesimangaliso!
I-Opportunity yahlola imigodi eminingana yezintaba-mlilo eyayinamadwala amancane agcwele i-hematite anikezwa igama elithi amajikijolo aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Nakuba engenawo ngempela umbala oluhlaza, umbala wawo ompunga uhluke ngokuphelele uma uqhathaniswa nenhlabathi namadwala abomvu. Amanye amadwala angamazombezombe njengesihlabathi esisemanzini agelezayo. Abanye ososayensi banomuzwa wokuthi ukwakheka kwala madwala ngale ndlela, kanye ne-chlorine ne-bromine etholakala emadwaleni, kubonisa ukuthi kwake kwaba namanzi anosawoti kule ndawo.
Umkhankaso ka-2008 we-Phoenix Mars Lander uye wanikeza ukwaziswa okwengeziwe mayelana nokwakheka kwe-Mars, ikakhulukazi indawo yayo eneqhwa. Kunengalo yaleli robhothi eye yamba yangena ngaphansi eqhweni, yathatha amasampula enhlabathi neqhwa yawafaka “ezindaweni zokucwaninga” ze-Phoenix ukuze ahlolwe. Kodwa umagazini i-Science uchaza ukuthi lo mkhankaso wawuhloselwe isikhathi esifushane nje ngoba ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa le nqola iqede umsebenzi wayo, ubusika bakuyi-Mars “babuyogubuzela i-Phoenix ngongqimba olukhulu lukangqoqwane wesikhutha.”
Ukuthi ososayensi bangahlola amanye amaplanethi aqhele ngezigidi zamakhilomitha kubonisa lokho okungenziwa uma abantu bebambisana benomgomo owodwa. Ukufinyelela izinto ezinjalo kubonisa nokuthi umuntu uhlakaniphile. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ukuhlola umkhathi—empeleni, wonke umkhakha wezesayensi—kungenzeka kuphela ngenxa yemithetho yemvelo engaguquki nethembeke ngokuphelele elawula indawo yonke. Le mithetho ayivelanga ngengozi kodwa yamiswa uMklami Omkhulu wendawo yonke, uJehova uNkulunkulu.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Amakhilomitha angu-19 ayibanga elisuka ekujuleni kweMariana Trench oLwandle iPacific kuya esiqongweni seNtaba i-Everest.
b Iziphuphutheki i-2001 Mars Odyssey ne-Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter zacitshwa i-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), kanti i-Mars Express yacitshwa i-European Space Agency.
c Bheka isihloko esithi “Irobhothi Lihlola I-Mars,” kuyi-Phaphama! ka-June 22, 1998.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 16]
INGABE KUKHONA UKUPHILA KUYI-MARS?
USir William Herschel noPercival Lowell, izazi zezinkanyezi zekhulu le-18 nele-19, basikisela ukuthi le planethi ebomvu yayigcwele izinto eziphilayo, futhi imfundiso kaDarwin yokuziphendukela kwemvelo kwabonakala iwusekela lowo mbono. Kodwa yonke leyo mibono iye yabonakala ingamanga. Izithombe zeziphuphutheki ziye zembula izwe eliwugwadule nomoya omncane womkhathi owakhiwa isikhutha ngokuyinhloko. Ngo-1976, ukuhlola okwenziwa inqola i-Viking 1 kwathola ukuthi akukho kuphila kuyi-Mars.d
Kodwa ososayensi basaqhubeka befuna izimpawu zokuphila, futhi i-Phoenix Mars Lander iwumzamo wabo wamuva wokwenza kanjalo. Ngenxa yokuthi amagciwane athile ayakwazi ukuqhubeka ephila ngaphansi kwezimo ezeqisayo emhlabeni, ososayensi banomuzwa wokuthi kungenzeka akhona ezindaweni ezithile kuyi-Mars. Inqola i-Beagle 2, exhunywe kuyi-Mars Express, yayiklanyelwe ukuhlola izinto zemvelo enhlabathini ye-Mars, kodwa yehluleka ukufika khona ngasekupheleni kuka-2003. Ngonyaka owalandela ososayensi bathola izinsalela ze-methane emkhathini we-Mars, okwabangela ukuqagela okukhulu kokuthi le gesi yayingokwemvelo noma ivela entaba-mlilweni yini.
Ingabe ukuphila kungavela ngokuzenzekelayo noma kuphi endaweni yonke? IBhayibheli liyaphendula, lithi: “Ukuwe [Nkulunkulu] umthombo wokuphila.” (IHubo 36:9) Yebo, ukuphila kungavela ekuphileni kuphela, kanti uMniki-kuphila wokuqala nguMdali, uJehova uNkulunkulu.—IzEnzo 17:25.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
d Bheka isihloko esithi “Ukuvakashelwa Kweplanethi Ebomvu Futhi” kuyi-Phaphama! ka-November 22, 1999.
[Umthombo]
NASA/JPL/Cornell
[Isithombe ekhasini 15]
Ingalo yerobhothi i-Phoenix Mars Lander—enehalavu, isibonakhulu nekhamera
[Isithombe ekhasini 15]
Isithombe esinombala ogqamile “samajikijolo aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka”
[Isithombe ekhasini 15]
Intaba-mlilo engasaqhumi i-Olympus Mons, engamakhilomitha angu-21 ukuphakama
[Isithombe ekhasini 15]
Inqola i-Spirit yamba futhi yahwaya leli dwala
[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 15]
Top left: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University; top right: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems; bottom left and right: NASA/JPL/Cornell