Inguzanguza Ebonakala Incanyana
ILANGA liyinguzanguza phakathi kwamaplanethi alizungezayo. Likhulu kangangokuthi imihlaba engu-1 300 000 ingangena iphelele ngaphakathi kulo. Kodwa qhathanisa ilanga nezinye izinkanyezi ezinkulukazi emthaleni wethu, futhi ngokushesha libonakala lilincane ngempela.
Ngokwesibonelo, ake ucabange ngokufaka izinkanyezi ezinkulukazi ezinhlobonhlobo lapho kanye ilanga lethu likhona. Kunezinye ezinkulu kangangokuthi bezingasibekela wonke umzila wokujikeleza womhlaba. Besingaba phakathi kwenkanyezi! Inkanyezi ebizwa ngokuthi iBetelgeuse ibinganwebekela cishe kuyiJupiter. Futhi ukuba inkanyezi iMu Cephei ibihleli lapho ilanga likhona, ibingagwinya iSaturn—nakuba iSaturn ikude kangangokuthi kwathatha umkhumbi-mkhathi iVoyager 2 iminyaka emine ukuba ufinyelele khona usuka eMhlabeni, uhamba cishe ngokushesha okuphindwe ka-20 kunenhlamvu yesibhamu entwizayo.
Umthala wethu, iMilky Way, uye wabizwa ngokuthi umthala ozongelezekile omkhulukazi. Ubizwa ngokufanele kanjalo. Ubukhulu bubodwa balomthala okhazimulayo wezinkanyezi ezingaphezu kuka-100 000 000 000, ezijikeleza ngendlela emangalisayo ebumnyameni bomkhathi, abuqondakali engqondweni yomuntu. Ukuba besingama kolunye unqenqema lomthala wethu bese sithumela umsebe wokukhanya onqenqemeni olungaphesheya, bekungathatha iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-100 000 ukuba lokhu kukhanya kuwelele ngaphesheya komthala ngisho nakuba lowomsebe ungajahela endaweni oya kuyo ngesivinini esisabekayo: amakhilomitha angu-300 000 ngomzuzwana ngamunye. Ngamanye amazwi, iMilky Way inobubanzi bamalight-year (isivinini sokukhanya) angu-100 000.
Nokho, umthala ozongolezekile ongumakhelwane wethu, iAndromeda, unobukhulu obuphindwe kabili kunalobo beplanethi yethu futhi ungangenisa kuwo izinkanyezi ezithi mazibe u-600 000 000 000. Okungaphezu kwalokho, izazi zezinkanyezi ziye zathola umthala omkhulukazi eziwubize ngokuthi iMarkarian 348. Mkhulu ngokuphindwe ka-13 ngobubanzi kunomthala wethu iMilky Way, eyisilinganiso samalight-year ukuya ngaphesheya angu-1 300 000 ububanzi!
Ngisho neMarkarian 348 enkulukazi ibingabonakala incane lapho iseduze komthala osanda kutholakala maphakathi nethala lemithala ebizwa ngokuthi iAbell 2029. Izazi zesayensi zikholelwa ukuthi lona umthala omkhulu kunayo yonke kwezake zayibona. Ngobukhulu uphindwe izikhathi ezingu-60 kunomthala wethu. Unesilinganiso samalight-year okuwelela ngaphesheya angu-6 000 000 futhi uyikhaya lezinkanyezi ezimisa ingqondo ngobuningi ezingu-100 000 000 000 000. Ngokombiko okuyiNew York Times, lona ungomunye futhi wemithala ekhanya kakhulu kweyake yabonwa. Futhi akuwona umkhiqizo ongahlelekile wamandla angahlelekile. “Lena inhlanganisela ehlelekile yokukhanya namandla,” kusho omunye wabayithola. “Umthala omkhulu kakhulu, ohlelekile.”
Izingqondo zethu azinakuqala ngisho nokuqala ukuqonda ubukhulu balenhlanganisela yezinkanyezi noma amabanga amakhulu ahilelekile. Phó, kuthiwani ngamandla okudala, okuhlela azibangela ukuba zibe khona? “Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu, nibone. Ngubani odalile lezizinto na? Nguye okhipha ibandla lazo, azibize zonke ngamagama.” (Isaya 40:26) Uma indalo yesabeka, khona-ke yeka ukuthi usabeka kakhulu kangakanani uMdali!
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24]
U.S. Naval Observatory photo