Abagibeli Abangaqondakali Bemimoya Yasesibhakabhakeni
“Ubani ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu ongasungula imibukwane yenkazimulo engenamkhawulo njengaleyo? Ubani ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu ongayiveza, ehlobisa amazulu ngemibukiso ewubucwazicwazi kanjalo?”
YINI eyavusa umuzwa wokudumisa uNkulunkulu kuCharles F. Hall, inhloli ye-Arctic yekhulu le-19? Esinye sezimangaliso zemvelo ezesabeka kunazo zonke ezingase zibonwe yihlo lomuntu, i-aurora borealis—ngokuvamile eyaziwa ngokuthi ukukhanya kwasenyakatho.
Ukuthatheka yilokhu kukhanya kwasesibhakabhakeni kwaqala emuva ekhulwini lesine B.C.E., lapho isazi sefilosofi esingumGreki u-Aristotle sibhala umbono waso ocatshangelwe ngalesisimangaliso. Nokho, kwaze kwaba ngo-1621 lapho isazi sesayensi nezibalo esingumFulentshi uPierre Gassendi saqala khona ukusebenzisa igama elithi “aurora borealis” (noma, ukuntwela kwasenyakatho) njengoba silisebenzisa manje. Elithi Aurora kwakuyigama likankulunkulukazi wokuntwela waseRoma owayeneminwe enombala we-rose enganekwaneni yasendulo. Futhi wayengunina wemimoya, umoya wasenyakatho ubizwa ngokuthi iBoreas.
Yini ebangela i-aurora? Kungenzeka yini ukuthi ibangelwa ukukhanya kwemisebe yelanga okuvela ezinhlayiyeni ezincanyana zeqhwa ezisemoyeni? Noma ukukhanya kwelanga okuvela ezintabeni zeqhwa ezintanta olwandle? Noma ukuqhuma okubangelwa ukuhlangana komoya ofudumele nomoya obandayo? Akukho kulokhu okuyimbangela. Ukuhlola kwesayensi okuthuthukile kuye kwathungatha futhi kwathola ukuthi lesisimangaliso sibangelwa ukuhlangana okuqondile phakathi kwalokho okwenzeka elangeni nasendimeni yomhlaba enozibuthe.
Umbukwane omangalisayo we-aurora uqala ebangeni eliqhele ngamakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingu-150, enkabeni yesimiso sethu sonozungezilanga. Ukuqhuma kwenuzi okwenzeka phezu kwelanga naphakathi kulo kujikijela imithamo emikhulu yegesi emkhathini ngejubane abanye abalinganisela ukuthi lifinyelela amakhilomitha angu-4 000 000 ngehora. Lemimoya enamandla evela elangeni, equkethe ithala lezinhlayiya ezinamandla amakhulu, ingafinyelela emoyeni ongaphandle ozungeze umhlaba phakathi namahora asukela kwangu-24 kuya kwangu-48. Njengoba ingena emaphethelweni angaphandle endima yomhlaba enozibuthe, izinhlayiya eziningi ezinamandla ziyabhajwa bese zidonselwa enyakatho naseningizimu yomhlaba. Kamuva zishayisana nezilongotshane ze-nitrogen nama-athomu omoya-mpilo, zikushukumisa futhi zibangela ukuvezwa kokukhanya. Kwenzeka into efanayo lapho ukhanyisa isibani se-neon.
Ngezinye izikhathi kubonakala sengathi okufana namakhethini e-aurora kucishe kuthinte umhlabathi. Nokho, lesisimangaliso senzeka ebangeni lamakhilomitha aphakathi kwekhulu ne-1 000 ngaphezu kobuso bomhlaba. Ukushayisana okwenzeka eduze kuveza izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zemibala ephuzi neluhlaza, kanti okwenzeka kude, kuveza ebomvu neluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Eminye imibukiso mikhulu—iwugqinsi olungamakhilomitha asukela kwamathathu kuya kwamahlanu namakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-160 ukuphakama—ithatha indawo eyizinkulungwane ezingokoqobo zamakhilomitha ubude.
Singawabonaphi, Futhi Abukeka Kanjani?
Ngeshwa, yiphesenti elincane kakhulu labantu abasemhlabeni eliyoke liyibone i-aurora. Abantu abahlala emazweni ashisayo abayazi nhlobo. Nokho, uma uhlala eningizimu Greenland, e-Iceland, enyakatho Norway, noma enyakatho Alaska, i-aurora ihamba yehla yenyuka ubusuku obungaba ngu-240 ngonyaka. Inyakatho Siberia neCanada ephakathi iwabona ubusuku obungaba yikhulu ngonyaka, kuyilapho abahlala eningizimu Alaska bewabona ubusuku obuhlanu kuphela ngonyaka. IMexico ephakathi ingase iyibone kanye eminyakeni eyishumi. ENingizimu neNkabazwe, lokhu kukhanya okuhamba kwehla kwenyuka, okubizwa ngokuthi i-aurora australis, kubukelwa ngokuyinhloko izimvu zamanzi, imikhomo, nama-penguin. Nokho, iNew Zealand, izingxenye ze-Australia, ne-Argentina ngamazwe asendaweni ye-aurora engahlalwa abantu abaningi ngakho abantu bakhona bayakwazi ukuwubona lombukiso wasesibhakabhakeni.
Isibhakabhaka esingenamafu ebusuku siyinkundla ekahle yalombukiso oshintsha njalo wamakhethini, amagobela, nezimo ezinjengezimpophoma ezikhukhumalayo zishwibeke esibhakabhakeni. Ibhande elingabonakali, elizungelezela inyakatho neningizimu yomhlaba enamandla kazibuthe, endaweni ethile phakathi kwama-degree angu-55 nangu-75 enyakatho naseningizimu nenkabazwe, libonakala liyiyona ndawo lapho lokhu kukhanya kugqame ukwedlula zonke ezinye izindawo. Inhloli yezindawo ezisenyakatho naseningizimu yomhlaba uWilliam H. Hooper iyavuma: “Ulimi luyahluleka lapho luzama ukuchaza izimo zayo eziguquguqukayo neziwubucwazicwazi; akukho peni napensela elingaveza imibala yayo eguquguqukayo, ukukhazimula kwayo, nobuhle bayo obumangalisayo.”
Ingabe Ungawezwa Ngempela?
Nakuba ososayensi bengakushayi indiva ukuthi kungenzeka kuzwakale imisindo ngenxa ye-aurora, nokho akucaci ukuthi kungenzeka kanjani ukuba kuvele ukuphazamiseka okuphawulekayo embukisweni ngokwawo. Lesisimangaliso senzeka ebangeni elikude ngaphezu komhlaba. Umsindo uthatha imizuzwana ecishe ibe mithathu ukuba ihambe ikhilomitha, ngakho umsindo ungasalela emuva ngokuphawulekayo ngemva kokunyazima okubonakalayo.
Ngokuthakazelisayo, ngesinye isikhathi lapho kukhanya i-aurora egqamile, umuntu othile wavalwa amehlo, futhi “cishe ngaso sonke isikhathi lapho kubaneka ukukhanya okugqamile kwe-aurora, wayememeza, ‘Aniwuzwa?’” Isazi esithile sezinkanyezi esiyimfunda sathi: “Kwakuzwakala njengomsindo wokufohlozela kwe-cellophane nokufutha kwesisi. Kwakungesinye sezikhathi ezisabisa kunazo zonke ekuphileni kwami.” Um-Inuit womdabu waseFort Chimo, e-Ungava, eCanada, wacelwa ukuba achaze lokho akuzwa ngobunye ubusuku njengoba ayelibangise ekhaya neqembu lakhe lezinja. “Ayethi whoo-o-o-sh, whish- whoo-o-o-sh, kanjalo. Kwakungewona umoya. Kwakuwubusuku obuzole ngempela. . . . Izinja zazesaba. Zasakazeka yonke indawo, zazesaba kabi.”
Ingabe imisindo enjalo iyinto engekho—imisindo esekhanda lomuntu? Abanye bacabanga kanjalo. Nokho, usosayensi uWilliam Petrie encwadini yakhe ethi Keoeeit—The Story of the Aurora Borealis unikeza incazelo okungenzeka ibe yiqiniso. Uthi: “Iswishi kagesi engalunganga ingawenza umsindo omncane wokufutha noma ofohlozelayo lapho amandla kagesi ephuma endleleni esikhundleni sokuba alandele indlela evamile ayophuma ngeswishi. Manje-ke njengoba i-aurora iwumphumela wokungena kwezinhlayiya ezinogesi emoyeni ozungeze umhlaba, umuntu angalindela ukuba izimo zikagezi eziseduze nobuso bomhlaba ziguquke. Eqinisweni, muva nje kuye kwatholakala ukuthi lezizimo ziguquka kakhulu impela, umphumela ube ‘ukuvuzela’ kwamandla kagesi ngaphandle kobuso bomhlaba, kuthi uma kwenzeka lokho, ngokunokwenzeka kudaleke umsindo omncane.”
Inamandla angakanani? Isenezelo se-Alaska Geographic esithi Aurora Borealis—The Amazing Northern Lights, esiphuma kane ngonyaka esasakazwa ngo-1979, sibika ukuthi “amandla kagesi ahlobene nokuvela kwe-aurora makhulu kakhulu, ama-watt angaba izigidi eziyisigidi, noma amahora ayizigidi eziyizigidi ezingu-9 ama-kilowatt onyaka ngamunye—amandla kagesi angaphezu kwalawo njengamanje asetshenziswa i-U.S. unyaka ngamunye, okungamandla angaphansi kancane kwamahora ayizigidi eziyisigidi ama-kilowatt!” I-aurora ikhipha amaza abizwa ngokuthi umsindo womsakazo akwazi ukucoshwa isicosheli somsakazo kodwa angeke azwiwe abantu. Ngenhlanhla, umkhathi obizwa ngokuthi i-ionosphere uyasivikela kulomsindo, ngakho siyakwazi ukusebenzisa umsakazo.
Iziphepho ezinamandla ze-aurora ziye zaphazamisa ezokuxhumana zezohwebo. Kwesinye isenzakalo izingcingo zabantu abakhuluma ukungcola zaphazamisa uhlelo lomculo omnandi olwalusakazwa isiteshi esithile somsakazo. I-Trans-Alaska Pipeline yake yagcwala amandla kagesi angama-ampere ayikhulu ngenxa ye-aurora. Ngisho nezimiso ze-radar ziye zakhohliseka futhi zabika ukuhlasela kwezikhali ezicitshwayo zenuzi. Kubikwa ukuthi omunye umbukiso omkhulu we-aurora phezu kweNyakatho Melika ngo-1941 wavusa ama-sea gull ogwini lwaseToronto, eCanada.
Ukuthinteka Okuhlala Njalo
U-Edward Ellis, idela-kufa nongumlobi wangekhulu le-19, lapho ebona i-aurora borealis, washukunyiselwa ukuba athi: “Ngiyamdabukela umuntu othi, ‘Akekho uNkulunkulu’ noma obonakala engathintekile ekujuleni komphefumulo wakhe yimibukiso enjalo yamandla angapheli.” Ukubabona okokuqala lababagibeli abangaqondakali bemimoya yasesibhakabhakeni kubangela izibabazo, ezinjengokuthi kuyesabisa! kungumbukwane! kuyababazeka! Lesisimangaliso sikhanga kangangokuthi abantu basezindaweni ezikude njengaseJapane baqasha izindiza baye eYellowknife, eNorthwest Territories, eCanada, ukuze nje babone ukukhanya kwasenyakatho. Esinye isakhamuzi sendawo sasho lokhu ngelinye iqembu elinjalo: “Abanye babo bakhala kamuva, babethi kuhle kakhulu.”
Ngempela, umsebenzi woMklami wethu Omkhulu kuphela ongathinta imizwelo yethu ngendlela enhle kanjalo. Kunjengoba nje umhubi ashukunyiselwa ukuba abhale: “Amazulu ayalanda ngenkazimulo kaJehova, nomkhathi ushumayela umsebenzi wezandla zakhe.”—IHubo 19:1.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 26]
Izinganekwane Nezinkolelo-ze Nge-Aurora Borealis
Ezizukulwaneni eziningi abantu basenyakatho babekholelwa ukuthi ama-aurora ayilokhu okulandelayo: “Amathoshi aphethwe izandla zemimoya ukuze iqondise imiphefumulo yalabo abasanda kufa ibayise ezweni lenjabulo nenala”
“Imimoya yabafile idlala ibhola ngekhanda le-walrus”
“Ibika elibi lempi nomshaya-bhuqe wesifo”
“Izipoki zezitha zabo ezibulewe”
Uphawu lokuthi “isimo sezulu sizoshintsha sibe sibi”
“Imililo izinyanga ezinkulu namaqhawe . . . abilisa kuyo izitha zawo ezifile kogalaza”
“Inyoka ekhanyayo etshikiza esibhakabhakeni”
“Imimoya yabantwana abafa bezalwa”
“Ayasiza ekwelapheni izifo zenhliziyo”
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24, 25]
NASA photo