Ukuzalwa Kwenkanyezi “Esidlekeni” Sokhozi
● IZINKANYEZI zizalwa kanjani? Kungani ezinye zinkulu futhi zikhanya kakhulu kunezinye? Ngendlela emangalisayo, izithombe ezathathwa yi-Hubble Space Telescope zingase zibonise indlela inkanyezi eyakheka ngayo. Lenqubo engavamile yenzeka phakathi kuyi-Eagle Nebula, ifu legesi nothuli elisemthaleni wethu i-Milky Way.
Kubantu ababuka izinkanyezi emhlabeni, i-Eagle Nebula ifana nenyoni evule amaphiko namazipho esobala. Isazi sezinkanyezi uJeff Hester nozakwabo e-Arizona State University babenesithakazelo sokuthatha isithombe sendawo enamazipho, okuthi ngalunye lwakhe okusansika okufana nemiboko yezindlovu. Lapho, imisebe e-ultraviolet ibilokhu ishintsha ama-molecule e-hydrogen iwenza ama-ion—okungukuthi, isusa ama-electron awo.
Ibalazwe lezithombe ze-Hubble liveza okusaminwe emincane okuningi okuvele emaphethelweni okusazinsika. Ezihlokweni zezinzwane, igesi ephenduka uketshezi yakha izigaxa eziyindilinga okwakheka kuzo izinkanyezi mhlawumbe ngisho namaplanethi, ngokusho kwezazi ezithile zezinkanyezi. Nokho, ukukhula kwalezi zinto kuphazanyiswa imimoya enamandla evela ezinkanyezini eziyizinsana ezicishe zibe yikhulu ezakheke kuyi-nebula ekuqaleni. Ekhanya kakhulu kunazo zonke kulezi zinkanyezi ingase ikhanye ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezingu-100-000 ngaphezu kwelanga lethu futhi ishise kunalo ngaphezu kokuphindwe kasishiyagalombili. Ngokusobala imisebe yazo isizidlile kakade izingxenye ze-nebula ezilula. Lenqubo, ebizwa ngokuthi i-photoevaporation, ingase ikhinyabeze ukwakheka kwezinkanyezi ngokususa izinto ebezingagwinywa yilezi zinkanyezi eziseyimibungu. Ezithombeni, igesi ehwamukayo ibukeka njengomusi ovela esikhatheni segesi nothuli.
Ukuze esisodwa salezi zigaxa zegesi siqale ukukhanya, kumelwe sibe sikhulu ngokwanele ukuba sibangele ukuhlangana kwamakhemikhali enuzi. Ososayensi balinganisela ukuthi ubukhulu baso kumelwe bube ngamaphesenti okungenani angu-8 kobelanga. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kudingeka kusuke uthuli olwanele ukuze ukukhanya kudlule. Nokho, uma lesi sigaxa singabi sikhulu ngokwanele ukuba sikhanye, singamane nje sibe ibhola legesi elimnyama elaziwa ngokuthi i-brown dwarf. Muva nje izazi zezinkanyezi zithole i-brown dwarf yokuqala ngqá.
Ukufana kwamafu othuli akuyi-Eagle Nebula namafu amakhulukazi abanekayo abonakala uma liguqubele kungase kukudide ucabange ukuthi lamafu othuli awamakhulu kakhulu. Eqinisweni, umdweshu ngamunye wefu mude kangangokuba umsebe wokukhanya osuka kolunye uhlangothi kumelwe uhambe cishe unyaka ukuze ufinyelele kolunye uhlangothi. Futhi isigaxa ngasinye “esincanyana” emfanekisweni silingana nesimiso sethu sonozungezilanga. Ngaphezu kwalokho, le-nebula ikude kangangokuba ukukhanya okuvela kuyo kwathatha iminyaka engaba ngu-7000 ukuze kufinyelele kithi—kuhamba ngesivinini samakhilomitha angu-299 792 ngomzuzwana. Lokhu kusho ukuthi sibuka i-Eagle Nebula njengoba yayinjalo ngaphambi kokuba kube khona umuntu emhlabeni.
Izazi zezinkanyezi ziphawula ukuthi kubonakala sengathi nakwamanye ama-nebula izinkanyezi ziyakheka, njenge-Orion Nebula. Nokho, indawo esizibuka zikuyo lezi ezinye izibonelo yenza ingabonakali kahle lenqubo. Izinkanyezi zingafa ngokuthi nje zishe, ngokuqhuma kakhulu zibe izinkanyezi ezinkulu, noma ngokuwohlozwa amandla adonsela phansi bese ziba imigodi emnyama. UMdali wendawo yonke, uJehova uNkulunkulu, uyazazi izinkanyezi, ngoba nguye owazi inani lazo nozetha amagama. (Isaya 40:26) “Isidleke” senkanyezi ebukeka njengokhozi singase sibonise ezinye zezindlela uNkulunkulu ‘enza ngazo ukukhanya’ futhi enza izinkanyezi ezinenkazimulo engafani.—Isaya 45:7; 1 Korinte 15:41.—Inikelwe.
[Isithombe esigcwele ikhasi ekhasini 15]
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 14]
J. Hester and P. Scowen, (AZ State Univ.), NASA