Ilanga Lethu Eliyingqayizivele

NJENGOBA ufunda lesi sihloko, kungenzeka ilanga seliphumile noma uyazi ukuthi selizophuma ngokushesha. Ingabe kubalulekile lokho? Yebo, ngoba ngaphandle kokukhanya kwelanga, izigidigidi zezinto eziphila emhlabeni—kuhlanganise nawe—bezingeke zibe khona. Bezingeke zibe khona izinto eziphilayo ezihlukahlukene ezitholakala ngezinhlobo eziyizigidi, kusukela kuma-bacterium anengqamuzana eyodwa kuya emikhomweni emikhulu.

Kuyiqiniso ukuthi amandla elanga afinyelela kuyiplanethi yethu ayisigamu sengxenye eyodwa kuphela kweziyizigidi eziyinkulungwane. Kodwa, ngisho nalezo “zinsalela” ezivela “etafuleni” lelanga zanele ukondla nokusekela ukuphila emhlabeni. Akukhona lokho kuphela, kodwa uma le ngxenyana efinyelela lapha ibisetshenziswa kahle, ibingazanelisa kalula izidingo zamandla zomphakathi wethu wanamuhla, kuze kudlulele ngalé.

Izincwadi eziningi zezinkanyezi zithi ilanga lethu liyinkanyezi evamile, “indikimba yasezulwini evamile.” Kodwa ingabe ngempela ilanga limane ‘liyindikimba yasezulwini evamile’? UGuillermo Gonzalez, oyisazi sezinkanyezi sase-University of Washington eSeattle, uveza ukuthi ilanga lethu liyingqayizivele. Ingabe lokhu kufanele kuthonye ukufunwa kokuphila kwamanye amaplanethi? UGonzalez uyaphendula: “Kunezinkanyezi ezimbalwa kakhulu kunalokho abantu abakucabangayo ezikufanelekele ukuphila okuhlakaniphile.” Uyanezela: “Ngaphandle kokuba izazi zezinkanyezi zifune kuphela izinkanyezi eziyingqayizivele njengeLanga, zichitha isikhathi sazo esiningi.”

Yiziphi ezinye izici ezenza ilanga lethu likufanelekele ukusekela ukuphila? Njengoba sicabangela lezi zici, kufanele sikhumbule ukuthi izinkulumo eziningi eziphathelene nokwakheka komkhathi ziwukucabangela nje.

Izici Ezithakazelisayo

● Inkanyezi ezihambela yodwa: Izazi zezinkanyezi zilinganisela ukuthi amaphesenti angu-85 ezinkanyezi ezingomakhelwane belanga zingamaqembu ezinkanyezi ezihamba ngambili noma ngaphezulu ezizungezanayo. Izinkanyezi ezinjalo zihlanganiswa amandla adonsela phansi.

Nokho, ilanga liyinkanyezi ezihambela yodwa. “Khona-ke ukuthi ilanga liyinkanyezi ezihambela yodwa kubonakala kungavamile,” kubhala isazi sezinkanyezi uKenneth J. H. Phillips encwadini yaso ethi Guide to the Sun. UGonzalez uthi ukuzihambela kwelanga lilodwa kwenza umzila wokuzungeza komhlaba uzinze, futhi lokho kuthuthukisa izimo ezibangela ukuphila kule mbulunga.

● Inkanyezi enkulu: Ngokusho kukaGonzalez, esinye isici esiyingqayizivele ngelanga ukuthi “liphakathi kwezinkanyezi ezinkulu kakhulu ezingamaphesenti ayishumi ezingomakhelwane balo,” kubika umagazini i-New Scientist. UPhillips uthi: “Ilanga linobukhulu obungu-99,87% besimiso sonozungezilanga futhi ngenxa yalokho linamandla adonsela phansi alawula zonke izindikimba zesimiso sonozungezilanga.”

Lesi sici senza ukuba umhlaba ube kude nelanga—amakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingu-150—kodwa ungadedi kulo. Leli banga elide kakhulu livikela ukuphila emhlabeni ukuba kungahangulwa yilanga.

● Izakhi ezisindayo: UGonzalez uphawula ukuthi ilanga linezakhi ezisindayo ezingamaphesenti angu-50—i-carbon, i-nitrogen, umoya-mpilo, i-magnesium, i-silicon nensimbi—ngaphezu kwezinye izinkanyezi ezilingana nalo futhi ezinjengalo. Kulokhu, ilanga lethu livelele kontanga yalo. UPhillips uthi: “Inani lezakhi ezisindayo elangeni liphansi kakhulu, kodwa ezinye izinkanyezi . . . zinenani eliphansi nakakhulu lezakhi ezisindayo.” Eqinisweni, izinkanyezi ezinenani elikhulu lezakhi ezisindayo njengelanga zingaphansi kweqembu elikhethekile okuthiwa yizinkanyezi ze-Population I.

Lokhu kuhlobana kanjani nokuba khona kokuphila emhlabeni? Izakhi ezisindayo zibalulekile ekusekeleni ukuphila. Kodwa ziyivelakancane, zakha ingxenye engaphansi kwephesenti elilodwa lomkhathi. Nokho, umhlaba wethu wakhiwa cishe ngokuphelele yizakhi ezisindayo. Ngani? Izazi zezinkanyezi zithi kungenxa yokuthi umhlaba uzungeza inkanyezi eyingqayizivele—ilanga.

● Umzila ongelona iqanda: Kunenye inzuzo elethwa ukuthi ilanga liyinkanyezi ye-Population I. Incwadi ethi Guide to the Sun ithi: “Izinkanyezi ze-Population I zinemizila ecishe ibe yisiyingi esenkabeni yomthala.” Umzila wokuzungeza kwelanga awulona iqanda njengowezinye izinkanyezi ezilingana nalo ngeminyaka futhi ezinjengalo. Lokhu kukuthinta kanjani ukuphila emhlabeni? Ngenxa yokuthi ukuba yisiyingi komzila wokuzungeza kwelanga kuvimba ilanga lingangeni lijule emthaleni, ogcwele ama-supernova (izinkanyezi eziqhumayo).

● Ukuguquguquka kokukhanya: Lapha, kuvela elinye iqiniso elithakazelisayo ngale nkanyezi yesimiso sethu sonozungezilanga. Ngokungefani nezinye izinkanyezi ezinjengalo, ilanga linokukhanya okungaguquki. Ngamanye amazwi, likhanya ngendlela efanayo futhi engashintshi.

Amandla okukhanya aphuma ngendlela efana kanje abalulekile ekuphileni kwasemhlabeni. Isazi-mlando sezesayensi uKarl Hufbauer sithi: “Kona kanye ukuphila kwethu kule planethi kuwubufakazi bokuthi ukukhanya kwelanga kungesinye sezici zemvelo ezingashintshi.”

● Ukuma lutsheku komzila wokuzungeza: Umzila wokuzungeza kwelanga uthanda ukuma lutsheku kancane kuyi-Milky Way. Lokhu kusho ukuthi igebe eliphakathi komzila welanga nomthala wethu lincane kakhulu. Lokhu kunezela kanjani enhlalakahleni yokuphila emhlabeni?

Ngalé kwamaphethelo esimiso sethu sonozungezilanga, sizungezwe iqoqo elikhulu lezinkanyezi ezinomsila, okuthiwa ifu i-Oort.a Ake sithi umzila wokuzungeza kwelanga emthaleni ubutsheke kakhulu. Khona-ke ilanga belingangena shí ongqimbeni lomkhathi wethu, obekungasakaza ifu i-Oort. Ubuyoba yini umphumela? Izazi zezinkanyezi zithi umhlaba ubuyoshayisana nethala lezinkanyezi ezinomsila.

Yini Esingayembulelwa Ukufiphala Kwelanga?

Kunezinyanga ezingaba ngu-60 esimisweni sethu sonozungezilanga. Zizungeza amaplanethi angu-7 kwangu-9 akulesi simiso. Nokho, kubonakala sengathi umhlaba uwukuphela kweplanethi esimisweni sonozungezilanga ejabulela umbukwane wokufiphala kwelanga ngokuphelele. Kubangelwa yini lokho?

Ukufiphala kwelanga kwenzeka lapho inyanga ingena phakathi kwelanga nomhlaba. Ukuze ilanga lifiphale kahle, ubukhulu belanga nenyanga kufanele bucishe bulingane, ukuze inyanga ivale ilanga cishe ngokuphelele. Futhi yilokho kanye okwenzekayo! Nakuba ilanga linobukhulu obuphindwe izikhathi ezingu-400 kunenyanga, liphinde libe kude kunenyanga izikhathi ezingu-400 ukusuka emhlabeni.

Kodwa ibanga umhlaba okulo ukusuka elangeni—kanjalo nobukhulu belanga—alisona nje isici esibangela ukufiphala kwelanga ngokuphelele. Libuye libe yisici esibalulekile ekubeni khona kokuphila emhlabeni. UGonzalez uthi: “Ukuba besithé ukusondela noma sathi ukuqhela kancane eLangeni, uMhlaba ubuyoshisa noma ubande kakhulu futhi kungahlaleki kuwo.”

Akugcini lapho. Inyanga yomhlaba enkulu ngokungavamile isiza izinto eziphila kule planethi ngoba amandla ayo adonsela phansi avimbela umhlaba ungazamazami ezisekelweni zawo. Ukuzamazama okunjalo bekungabangela ukushintsha okubi kakhulu kwesimo sezulu. Ngakho ukuze kube nokuphila emhlabeni, kudingeka inhlanganisela enembile yebanga elifanele phakathi kwelanga nomhlaba kanye nenyanga enobukhulu obufanele—ngaphandle nje kwazo zonke izinto esesizicabangele ngelanga lethu. Angakanani amathuba okuba konke lokhu kuvele ngengozi?

Kwenzeka Ngengozi?

Ake sithi uyisa imoto yakho kumakhenika oqeqeshiwe nonolwazi ukuba ayisevise. Uwuqeda ngenkuthalo umsebenzi wakhe, futhi nawe ujabule ngomsebenzi awenzile. Ucabanga ukuthi ubengazizwa kanjani uma kamuva wena uthi kwenzeke ngengozi ukuba imoto yakho ihambe kahle?

Kungabuzwa umbuzo ofanayo ngelanga lethu eliyingqayizivele. Abanye ososayensi bafuna ukuba ukholelwe ukuthi ukwakheka kwelanga lethu, umzila wokuzungeza kwalo, ibanga lalo ukusuka emhlabeni kanye nezinye izici zalo kumane nje kwenzeka ngengozi. Ingabe lokhu kunengqondo? Ucabanga ukuthi kuyisiphetho esibonisa ukuhluzeka?

Njengoba imoto eseviswe kahle isitshela okuthile ngokuqeqeshwa nekhono likamakhenika, kanjalo nelanga lethu—phakathi kwezinye izindikimba zasezulwini—lisitshela okuthile. Izimfanelo eziyingqayizivele zale nkanyezi yethu ezenza kube nokuphila emhlabeni zidlulisela umyalezo ocacile wokuthi le nkanyezi iwumsebenzi wobuciko woMklami noMdali ohlakaniphile nonamandla. Umphostoli uPawulu wakubeka ngale ndlela: “Izimfanelo zakhe ezingabonakali zibonakala ngokucacile kusukela ekudalweni kwezwe kuye phambili, ngoba ziqondakala ngezinto ezenziwe, ngisho namandla akhe angunaphakade nobuNkulunkulu bakhe.”—Roma 1:20.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 17]

Amandla elanga afinyelela kuyiplanethi yethu ayisigamu sengxenye eyodwa kuphela kweziyizigidi eziyinkulu- ngwane

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Imisebe yelanga enamandla njengalona ayikakusongeli ukuphila emhlabeni

[Umthombo]

Pages 2, 15, and 16: NASA photo

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Kwenzeka ngengozi? Ukulingana kwelanga nenyanga kubangela ukufiphala kwelanga okubabazekayo

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Ukube umzila wokuzungeza kwelanga ubuhlukile, umhlaba ubuyohlaselwa yithala lezinkanyezi ezinomsila eziyingozi