Ukuqondisisa Izindaba

Uphawu Olungamanga

“Luyini uphawu lwakho?” Ngezigidi zabantu ababheka amashadi “ophawu lwezinkanyezi” enziwe yizazi zokufundwa kwezinkanyezi, lowombuzo ubaluleke kakhulu. Bakholelwa ukuthi ukuma kwezinkanyezi, amaplanethi, ilanga, nenyanga emithaleni yezinkanyezi yezodiac ngesikhathi sokuzalwa ithonya ngokuqondile ukuphila komuntu. Nokho, ngokweIndependent ephuma nsuku zonke yaseLondon, izazi zokufundwa kwezinkanyezi zinika abantu uphawu olungamanga. Amashadi ‘ezimpawu zezinkanyezi’ asetshenziselwa ukufunda izinkanyezi asekelwe ‘emithethweni’ yolwazi lokufundwa kwezinkanyezi eyaklanywa eminyakeni eyizi-2 000 edlule.

I-Independent ithi: “Isazi sokufundwa kwezinkanyezi siyotshela abazali bengane esanda kuzalwa yanamuhla ukuthi iyiCancer.” Nokho, umbiko uyaphawula: “Uma kunalokho bebengabheka indawo ilanga elikuyo esibhakabhakeni, bebeyothola ukuthi ilanga empeleni likuGemini.” Yini ebangela lokhu? Ososayensi abayizazi zezinkanyezi bakubiza ngokuthi “ukushintsha kwesikhathi sokulingana kwemini nobusuku,” empeleni, okuyisehlakalo lapho iaxis yomhlaba, igexagexa khona kakhulu njengoba kuyaye kwenze itophi lapho isizokuma. Lokhu kushintsha, noma “ukugexagexa,” kujikeleza amadegree angama-360 njalo eminyakeni eyizi-25 800, okusho ukuthi isikhathi sokulingana kwemini nobusuku unyaka ngamunye sidlula ucezu lwesiyingi ngemizuzwana engama-50, noma idegree elilodwa eminyakeni engama-72. Ngakho-ke, eminyakeni eyizi-2 000 edlule, ukuma kwelanga esibhakabhakeni kuye kwagudlukela emuva ngophawu olulodwa olugcwele lwezodiac. Ngenxa yalokho, “umdwebo wokuma kwamaplanethi nezimpawu zezodiac okuhambelana nokuzalwa komuntu awuwona umbono oyiqiniso wamazulu ngesikhathi sokuzalwa komuntu,” kuchaza uRichard F. Smith encwadini yakhe ethi Prelude to Science. Uyachaza: “Abaningi beScorpio balomhlaba, empeleni bazalwa lapho ilanga lalikuLibra, abaningi beLeo empeleni bangabeCancer, abeCancer bangabeGemini, njalonjalo.”

Ukungathembeki kwamashadi ezinkanyezi nemidwebo yokuma kwamaplanethi nokwezimpawu zezodiac kugcizelela nje kuphela ukuhlakanipha kokubheka kuMdali ngesiqondiso futhi hhayi ezintweni azidalile. (Roma 1:24, 25) Nokho, isizathu esingaphezulu sokugwema ukusetshenziswa kwemidwebo yokuma kwamaplanethi nezimpawu zezodiac siwukuthi kungaholela ekukhulekeleni “ilanga, noma inyanga, noma ibandla lezulu, [mina Nkulunkulu] engingayalanga ngakho.”—Duteronomi 17:2-5.

Awekho Amanzi—Akukho Ukuphila

Lesi isiphetho esafinyelelwa uProfesa Norman H. Horowitz, isazi sesayensi esaba nesandla ekuthunyelweni kweMariner neViking kuplanethi iMars ngo-1965-76.

Encwadini yakhe ethi To Utopia and Back: The Search for Life in the Solar System, uProfesa Horowitz waphawula ukuthi okwatholakala kuloluhambo ngokusobala kwawuphendula umbuzo wokuthi kukhona yini ukuphila kuplanethi iMars noma kwenye yamaplanethi esimisweni sethu sonozungezilanga. Uthi: “Iplanethi iMars, intula lesosici esiphawulekayo esilawula indawo ezungezile yeplanethi yethu, izilwandle zamanzi awuketshezi asobala ngokuphelele elangeni.” Ukucwaninga kwaqinisekisa ukungabibikho kwamanzi kuleplanethi.

Ngemva kokuba ukuhlola ngokucophelela kuqede konke ukuba nokwenzeka kokuba nokuphila kuMars, uHorowitz wavuma: “Ukwehluleka ukuthola ukuphila kuMars kwakudumaza, kodwa futhi kwakuyisambulo. Njengoba iMars yanikeza indawo ethembisa kakhulu yokuhlala izinto eziphilayo ezingekho kulomhlaba esimisweni sonozungezilanga, manje kusobala ukuthi umhlaba uwukuphela kweplanethi enokuphila emthaleni wethu wezinkanyezi.”

Yeka ukuthi kufaneleka kanjani ukuthi lapho umprofethi wasendulo uIsaya ebhala ngomhlaba, wathi uMenzi wawo “wawubumba ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo”! (Isaya 45:18) Amanzi kukhulunywe ngawo ekuqaleni endabeni yokudala yeBhayibheli. Ngokusobala, ukulungiselela ukuba kube khona amanzi ngaphambi kokudala noma yiluphi uhlobo lokuphila emhlabeni kwakudingekile. Kunjengoba uhambo oluya kuplanethi iMars luye lwaqinisekisa: Ngaphandle kwendawo yomoya, lapho kungekho khona amanzi, akunakuba khona ukuphila.—Genesise 1:1-10.

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Indawo engenakho ukuphila yeplanethi iMars, ibhekwa kumkhumbi-mkhathi “iViking II”

[Umthombo]

NASA photo