Umkhathi Ogcwele Izimangaliso
EKHULWINI nje leminyaka elidlule, ososayensi babekholelwa ukuthi wonke umkhathi uphelela kulo mthala wethu i-Milky Way. Kodwa, phakathi nekhulu lama-20 leminyaka, intuthuko enkulu kuyisayensi yezinkanyezi, yezemvelo neyezochwepheshe yembule ubukhulu obumangalisayo bendawo yonke. Ezinye zezinto ezitholakele zibafundise okuthile okubenze bathobeka. Ngokwesibonelo, emashumini eminyaka kamuva izazi zezinkanyezi ziye zathola ukuthi azazi ukuthi amaphesenti angu-90 endawo yonke akhiwa yini. Okukhulu kunalokho, ukuthi izinto ezazithola ezaholela kulesi siphetho zibangele ukuba osasoyensi bazibuze ngolwazi abanalo ngezinto eziyisisekelo zesayensi yemvelo ngokwayo. Empeleni, imibuzo enjalo ayimisha.
Ngokwesibonelo, ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-19, izazi zesanyensi yemvelo zaphawula okuthile okungavamile ngejubane lokukhanya. Zathola ukuthi kumuntu obukayo, ijubane lokukhanya alishintshi kungakhathaliseki ukuthi umuntu uyahamba noma umile. Kodwa lokhu kwabonakala kungenangqondo! Inkinga yaxazululwa ngo-1905, ngenkolelo-mbono ekhethekile ka-Albert Einstein yokuhlobana kwezinto, eyabonisa ukuthi ibanga (ubude), isikhathi nobukhulu akuzona izinto ezingenakuhlobana. Khona-ke, ngo-1907, ngemva kokuba nombono omusha awubiza ngokuthi “umbono ojabulisa kunayo yonke ekuphileni kwami,” waqala ukuthuthukisa inkolelo-mbono yakhe evamile yokuhlobana kwezinto wabe esenyathelisa incwadi ekhuluma ngalo mbono ngo-1916. Emsebenzini wakhe owaguqula izinto, u-Einstein waveza ukuhlobana kwamandla adonsela phansi, umkhathi nesikhathi futhi wathuthukisa nombono wesayensi yemvelo ka-Isaac Newton.
Ukwanda Komkhathi
Ngokobufakazi obabukhona ngaleso sikhathi, u-Einstein wayekholelwa ukuthi umkhathi awandi futhi awunciphi. Nokho, ngo-1929, isazi sezinkanyezi saseMelika u-Edwin Hubble, saveza ubufakazi obabonisa ukuthi umkhathi uyanda.
UHubble waphinda wacacisa izinto eziningi ezazilokhu ziyindida isikhathi eside ngokuphathelene namabala akhanyayo abonakala esibhakabhakeni ebusuku, ayebizwa ngokuthi i-nebulae ngoba ayebonakala efana namafu. Kodwa ingabe wonke la mafu ayengaphakathi komthala wethu, noma ayengaphandle kwawo njengoba kwasikisela isazi sezinkanyezi saseBrithani uSir William Herschel (1738-1822) eminyakeni eyikhulu ngaphambili?
Lapho uHubble eqala ukuhlawumbisela ibanga eliya kwelinye lala mafu, i-Great Nebula, elisemthaleni wezinkanyezi obizwa ngokuthi i-Andromeda, waphetha ngokuthi empeleni leli fu liwumthala oqhele ngebanga eliyiminyaka eyisigidi uma uhamba ngejubane lokukhanya. Lokhu kulibeka kude kakhulu leli fu kunomthala obizwa ngokuthi i-Milky Way, onobubanzi “nje” obungu-100 000 uma uhamba ngejubane lokukhanya. Njengoba uHubble ayekala ibanga eliya kwamanye amafu, waqala ukuthola ububanzi bendawo yonke, ngaleyo ndlela waletha izinguquko ekufundweni kwezinkanyezi nokwendawo yonke.a
Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, uHubble waphawula ukuthi umkhathi uyanda, ngenxa yokuthi waqaphela ukuthi imithala ekude yayiqhela kithi. Waphawula nokuthi ibanga umthala okude ngalo lenza ukuba uhlehle ngokushesha. Lokho abakubona kusikisela ukuthi umkhathi ngaleso sikhathi wawumncane kunalokho oyikho namuhla. Ngo-1929, lapho uHubble enyathelisa incwadi ekhuluma ngalokho ayekutholile, wavula indlela yokusungulwa kwenkolelo-mbono emangalisayo yesiqalo sendawo yonke, ebonisa ukuthi umkhathi waba khona ngemva kokuba khona kwendawo yonke cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyizigidi ezingu-13 edlule. Kodwa namanje abakabi nawo umbono ophelele ngale ndaba.
Lokhu Kwanda Kushesha Kangakanani?
Kusukela ngesikhathi sikaHubble, izazi zezinkanyezi bezilokhu zizama ukuthola ngokunembile ukuthi lokhu kwanda kwenzeka ngezinga elingakanani, bebhekisela kukho ngokuthi ‘indlela kaHubble engaguquki (Hubble constant).’ Kungani leso silinganiso sibaluleke kangaka? Uma izazi zezinkanyezi zikwazi ukuthola ukuthi umhlaba wanda ngejubane elingakanani, zingakwazi ukusebenzisa lezo zibalo ukuthola ukuthi umhlaba mdala kangakanani. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinga lokwanda lingase libangele imiphumela engathi sina ngekusasa. Kanjani? Ngokwesibonelo, kucatshangelwa ukuthi uma indawo yonke yanda ngezinga elincane kakhulu, amandla adonsela phansi angase ayilawule ngokuphelele futhi abangele ukuba zonke izinto ziwe! Kodwa uma ijubane lokwanda komkhathi lishesha kakhulu, umkhathi ungase uqhubeke wanda unomphela futhi ube yinhlakanhlaka ngokuphelele.
Nakuba izibalo ezinembile zinikeze izimpendulo emibuzweni ethile, kuphakame eminye imibuzo—imibuzo ebangela ukungabaza ngolwazi lwethu lwamanje ngezinto namandla ayisisekelo emvelo.
Amandla Amnyama Nesigaxa Esimnyama
Ngo-1998, abacwaningi ababehlaziya ukukhanya okwakuvela ohlotsheni olukhethekile lwenkanyezi eqhumayo, bathola ubufakazi bokuthi empeleni ukwanda komkhathi kuyashesha!b Ekuqaleni, ososayensi babe manqikanqika, kodwa ubufakazi banqwabelana ngokushesha. Njengokuvamile, babefuna ukwazi ukuthi hlobo luni lwamandla olwalusheshisa ukwanda. Ngoba okokuqala, ayebonakala ephikisana namandla adonsela phansi; futhi kwakungakaze kukhulunywe ngawo. Lolu hlobo lwamandla angavamile, lubizwa kufanele ngokuthi amandla amnyama, ngoba kungenzeka lwakha amaphesenti angu-75 endawo yonke!
Nokho la mandla amnyama akuwona kuphela ayinto engaqondakali etholakale ezikhathini zakamuva. Olunye uhlobo lwamandla lwatholakala ngawo-1980 lapho izazi zezinkanyezi zihlola imithala ehlukahlukene. Le mithala kuhlanganisa nowethu, yabonakala izungeza ngejubane elikhulu ukuba ingahlangana ndawonye. Khona-ke, kusobala ukuthi kunohlobo oluthile lwento oluyinikeza amandla abangela ukuba ingadonseleki phansi. Kodwa iyini leyo nto? Ngenxa yokuthi ososayensi abayazi, baye bayibiza ngokuthi isigaxa esimnyama, ngenxa yokuthi ayikwazi ukudonsa, ikhiphe noma ibuyisele amandla abonakalayo emisebe.c Kodwa sikhulu kangakanani lesi sigaxa? Izibalo zikhombisa ukuthi singaba amaphesenti angu-22 noma ngaphezulu kunobukhulu bendawo yonke.
Cabangela lokhu: Ngokokulinganisela kwanamuhla, isilinganiso samandla avamile singaba amaphesenti amane obukhulu bomkhathi. Lezi zinhlobo ezimbili zamandla angaziwa—isigaxa esimnyama namandla amnyama—zibonakala zenza ingxenye esele. Ngakho-ke, cishe amaphesenti angu-95 endawo yonke asalokhu eyimfihlakalo ngokuphelele!d
Ukufuna Okungenamkhawulo
Isayensi ifuna izimpendulo, kodwa ngokuvamile ukutholakala kwezimpendulo ezithile kuholela kweminye imibuzo edidayo. Leli qiniso lisikhumbuza inkulumo enengqondo eseBhayibhelini kumShumayeli 3:11. Ithi: “[UNkulunkulu] wenzé konke kwaba kuhle ngesikhathi sako. Ufake ngisho nobuphakade ezinhliziyweni zawo, ukuze abantu bangawutholi nanini umsebenzi uNkulunkulu weqiniso awenzile kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekupheleni.”
Yiqiniso, okwamanje lulinganiselwe kakhulu ulwazi esilutholayo ngenxa yokuthi isikhathi sethu sokuphila sifushane, futhi oluningi lwalolo lwazi luwukuqagela, lungabuye lushintshwe. Kodwa lesi simo esesikhashana, ngoba uNkulunkulu uhlose ukunikeza abantu abathembekile ukuphila okungapheli ePharadesi emhlabeni, lapho bengakwazi ukuhlola khona indalo yakhe phakade futhi bathole ulwazi lweqiniso.—IHubo 37:11, 29; Luka 23:43.
Ngakho-ke, akufanele sesabe inhlekelele yendawo yonke ecatshangelwayo. Kakade, kuncane kakhulu okwaziwa isayensi ngezinto ezikhona, kanti uMdali wazi konke.—IsAmbulo 4:11.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Ukufundwa kwezinkanyezi kusho ukufunda ngezinto ezisemkhathini. Isayensi yokuhlola indawo yonke engomunye umkhakha wokufundwa kwezinkanyezi, “ifundisa ngokwakheka, ukwanda komkhathi namandla asebenza kuwo,” kusho i-World Book Encyclopedia. “Izazi zesayensi yendawo yonke ziyazama ukuchaza ukuthi yakheka kanjani, ukuthi yini eyenzeka kusukela yaqala ukuba khona, nokuthi yini engase yenzeke kuyo ngesikhathi esizayo.”
b Izinkanyezi eziqhumayo zibizwa ngokuthi uhlobo 1a, futhi zingakhipha ukukhanya okulingana nokwamalanga ayisigidi sezigidi ngesikhathi esincane. Izazi zezinkanyezi zisebenzisa lezi zinkanyezi eziqhumayo njengesilinganiso esisetshenziswayo.
c Ukuba khona kwalesi sigaxa esimnyama kwatholakala ngawo-1930 futhi kwaqinisekiswa ngawo-1980. Namuhla izazi zezinkanyezi zikwazi ukulinganisa ukuthi iqoqo lemithala linesigaxa esimnyama esingakanani ngokubheka ukuthi iqoqo ngalinye likuvimba kangakanani ukukhanya okuvela kwezinye izinto ezikude.
d Unyaka ka-2009 uye wabizwa ngokuthi “Unyaka Wezazi Zezinkanyezi Womhlaba Wonke,” futhi kukhunjulwa iminyaka engu-400 kwaqala ukusetshenziswa kwesibonakhulu sezinkanyezi esasungulwa uGalileo Galilei.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 17]
BHEKA PHEZULU UTHOBEKE
Lapho inceku kaNkulunkulu yasendulo ibuka phezulu esibhakabhakeni esicwebile, nesingangcolile ebusuku, yabonisa ukwesaba okunenhlonipho ejulile ngamazwi asankondlo. IHubo 8:3, 4, lithi: “Lapho ngibona amazulu akho, imisebenzi yeminwe yakho, inyanga nezinkanyezi okulungiselele, uyini umuntu ofayo ukuba umkhumbule, nendodana yomuntu wasemhlabeni ukuba uyinakekele?” Nokho, umhubi wayengenazo izibonakude noma amakhamera akhethekile. Khona-ke, yeka ukuthi kufanele sizizwe sinenhlonipho ejule kangakanani thina!
[Umdwebo ekhasini 18]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
74% amandla amnyama
22% isigaxa esimnyama
4% amandla avamile
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 16]
Background: Based on NASA photo
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 18]
Background: Based on NASA photo