Isibona-kude SikaGalileo—Simane Nje Siyisiqalo!

LAPHO uGalileo ebhekisa isibona-kude sakhe ayesanda kusisungula esibhakabhakeni, kwabonakala umbono omusha ngokuphelele. Wakwazi ukubona izinkanyezi eziningi ngokuphindwe kashumi kunalezo noma imuphi umuntu ayeke wazibona ngaphambili. IMilky Way manje yabonakala, hhayi njengendikimba ehlangene, kodwa njengezinkanyezi ezingenakubalwa ezimibalabala, ezinkulu nezincane. Ubuso benyanga babonakala phambi kwamehlo akhe bungebona obucwebezelayo kodwa buyinhlanganisela yezintaba, imigodi, nezilwandle ezingenamanzi.

Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa kamuva, wabona ezine zezinyanga zeJupiter. Wabe esebona iziyingi ezinhle zeSaturn. Eqondisa isibona-kude sakhe kuyiVenus, waphawula izimo ezithile zaleyoplanethi, ukushintsha okungaphawuleki ngokushesha kokukhanya nokuma kwayo okusobala. Lezimo zazingachazwa kuphela uma leplanethi yayizungeza ilanga. Kodwa uma iplanethi eyodwa izungeza ilanga, namanye—kuhlanganise nomhlaba—kumelwe enze njalo, ephetha. Wayeqinisile. Kanjalo, ngonyaka ka-1609, umhlaba wehla esikhundleni sawo esidunyiswayo sokubhekwa njengophakathi nendawo endaweni yonke.

Kodwa izinkolelo ezihlonishwayo azizange zishiywe kalula. ISonto lamaKatolika lanquma ukuthi “umbono wokuthi umhlaba awukho phakathi nendawo endaweni yonke futhi ngisho nokuthi awuzungezi nsuku zonke . . . okungenani uyinkolelo eyiphutha.” UGalileo walethwa phambi kweNkantolo Yamacala Ezihlubuki futhi wachitha iminyaka yokugcina yokuphila kwakhe evalelwe. Nokho, imfundiso yenkolo ayikwazanga ukuvimbela ilukuluku lokwazi elalilethwe ukusungulwa kwesibona-kude. Inselele yokwembula izimfihlakalo zendawo yonke yakhanga inani elandayo lezazi zesayensi.

Manje, ngemva kweminyaka ecishe ibe ngamakhulu amane yokuhlolisisa okujulile, ulwazi lwethu lwendawo yonke luye lwakhula ngokuphawulekayo. Kuye kwatholakala izinhlobonhlobo zezinkanyezi, njengamared giant, amawhite dwarf, namapulsar. Muva nje, amaquasar—izinto eziyimfihlakalo ezikhipha izilinganiso ezinkulu zamandla—aye atholakala emabangeni akude impela emkhathini. Futhi amablack hole ayimfihlakalo—njengezishingishane ezinamandla ngokungenakulinganiswa zendawo yonke—manje kukholelwa ukuthi akhona ngokungabonakali emithaleni eminingi.

Izibona-kude ezinamandla zenza izazi zezinkanyezi zikwazi ukuhlola kude emkhathini futhi ngaleyondlela kufane nokuthi zihlehlela emuva ngezigidi zezigidi zeminyaka, kuze kube khona kanye emaphethelweni endawo yonke ebonakalayo. Kuye kwatholakala uchungechunge olukhulu lwezinkanyezi nemithala, ezinye zikude kangangokuthi kulinganiselwa ukuthi ukukhanya kwazo kuye kwathatha iminyaka eyizigidi zezigidi ezingu-15 ukuba kufinyelele kithi.a

Nakuba cishe zonke izinkanyezi ziyimithombo ebuthakathaka yamaza, ezinye izinto zasemkhathini, njengamapulsar namaquasar, ziye zatholakala ngokuyinhloko ngenxa yezibona-kude zamaza. Njengoba igama libonisa, lezibona-kude zithungatha amaza emisebe kunamaza abonakalayo. Kusukela ngo-1961, kuye kwatholakala amakhulu amaningi amaquasar, amaningi awo emaphethelweni endawo yonke eyaziwayo.

Umsebenzi wokwenza ibalazwe lendawo yonke wawumkhulu ukwedlula lokho okungenzeka uGalileo wayekucabanga. Kukulelikhulu leminyaka kuphela lapho umuntu eye waqala khona ukuqonda ubukhulu bendawo yonke, izigidi zezigidi zemithala eyakhiwa yizo, namabanga amade azihlukanisayo.

Ukuze sisisize ukuba sicabange ngamabanga endawo yonke, isazi sesayensi yemvelo uRobert Jastrow sisikisela okufanayo okulandelayo. Cabanga ngelanga elifinyeziwe laba ngangewolintshi. Khona-ke umhlaba ubuyomane nje ube uhlamvu lwenhlabathi oluzungeza ilanga ebangeni lamamitha angu-9. IJupiter ibiyoba njengenhlamvu yecherry ezungeza iwolintshi ebangeni eliqhele ngesitaladi sasedolobheni, futhi iPluto ibiyoba olunye uhlamvu lwesihlabathi ebangeni eliqhele ngezitaladi eziyishumi zasedolobheni ukusuka ewolintshini lethu esilicabangayo, ilanga. Kulesosilinganiso esifanayo, umakhelwane welanga oseduze kakhulu, inkanyezi iAlpha Centauri, ubeyoqhela ngamakhilomitha angu-2 100, futhi yonke iMilky Way ibe inqwaba yamawolitshi angahlangene ahlukaniswe elinye kwelinye ngamakhilomitha angu-3 200, inobukhulu obungamakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingu-30 ukuzungeza. Ngisho nalapho konke kufinyezwa, amanani ngokushesha aba makhulu kakhulu.

Akuwona amabanga nje kuphela amangazayo. Njengoba izazi zesayensi ziye zembula izimfihlakalo zendawo yonke, izici ezikhethekile ziye zaba sobala. Kunezinkanyezi zeneutron eziqukethe okugqisheke kangangokuthi okugcwele ithisipuni kunesisindo esilingana nesezindlovu eziyizigidi ezingu-200. Kunezinkanyezi ezincane ezibizwa ngokuthi amapulsar, enye yazo ebanika cishe izikhathi ezingu-600 ngomzuzwana. Futhi, kunalawomablack hole aphazamisayo izazi zesayensi eziwacabangelayo. Wona ngokwawo awanakubonwa, kodwa isifiso sawo esinganeliseki sokugwinya ukukhanya nezinto ezisemkhathini sembula ukuba khona kwawo okuyimfihlo.

Yebo, kuningi okusalokhu kuyimfihlakalo, okufihlwe yilawomabanga amade nesikhathi esingenakubalwa. Kodwa yini izazi zesayensi eseziyitholile kuze kube manje ngendawo yonke? Ingabe lokho ezikwaziyo kwembula okuthile okusha ngendlela nangesizathu sokuba khona kwendawo yonke?

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

Isibona-kude semisebe seBhange laseJodrell, esakhiwa ngo-1957 eNgilandi, kwakungesokuqala esasiqondiseka ngokuphelele

[Umthombo]

Courtesy of Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope