“Inkazimulo” Yezinkanyezi

INGABE wake wazigqolozela izinkulungwane zezinkanyezi umangele kunonyezi ebusuku? Njengoba wawubuka lawo machashazi akhanyayo, cishe waphawula ukuthi ukugqama nemibala yawo akufani. IBhayibheli lisho ngokunembile ukuthi “inkanyezi iyahluka kwenye inkanyezi ngenkazimulo.”—1 Korinte 15:41.

Kungani kungafani ukukhazimula kwezinkanyezi? Ngokwesibonelo, kungani ezinye zibonakala zimhlophe ezinye ziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, ziphuzi noma zibomvu? Kungani zibenyezela?

Ebuthunjini bezinkanyezi, kunokulumbana okukhulu kwamakhemikhali enuzi akhipha amandla amakhulu. Lawo mandla ayahamba aye engxenyeni engaphandle yenkanyezi, lapho afike akhanye khona emkhathini, abonakale njengokukhanya noma imisebe ye-infrared. Kungase kukumangaze ukuthi izinkanyezi ezishisa kakhulu ziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, kuyilapho ezipholile zibomvu. Kungani umbala ungafani?

Kuthiwa ukukhanya kuyizinhlayiyana okuthiwa ama-photon, ezibuye zibe ngamandla ayimisebe. Izinkanyezi ezishisa kakhulu zikhipha izinhlayiyana eziningi zokukhanya, ezinamaza amafushane atholakala engxenyeni eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka engasekugcineni yeqoqo lemibala efana neyothingo (spectrum). Ngokuphambene, izinkanyezi ezipholile zikhipha izinhlayiyana zokukhanya ezimbalwa, ezitholakala engxenyeni ebomvu engasekugcineni yeqoqo lemibala efana neyothingo. Inkanyezi yethu ilanga, isengxenyeni emaphakathi yeqoqo lemibala efana neyothingo ngenxa yokuthi ikhipha isilinganiso esikhulu sokukhanya engxenyeni eluhlaza njengotshani noma ephuzi. Khona-ke, kungani lingabonakali liluhlazana? Likhipha ukukhanya okuningi nakwezinye izingxenye zamaza abonakalayo. Umphumela uba ukuthi, lapho libhekwa emkhathini libonakala limhlophe.

Umkhathi Wenza Ilanga Libe “Mibalabala”

Indlela ilanga elibukeka ngayo kithi, iya ngendlela umkhathi odlulisela ngayo imisebe yokukhanya, okwenza ukuba ukubukeka kwalo kushintshashintshe kuye ngesikhathi sosuku. Ngokwesibonelo, emini bebade, ilanga livame ukubonakala liphuzi ngokugqamile. Kodwa uma liphuma nalapho selishona, nalapho seliyozilahla kunina, lingase libonakale linombala osawolintshi noma obomvu. Ukushintsha kwemibala kubangelwa izinhlayiyana zegesi, umhwamuko, nezinye izinhlayiya ezincane kakhulu ezisemkhathini.

Ngenxa yendlela owakheke ngayo, umkhathi uhlakaza imisebe yelanga eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nonsomi bese umphumela uba yisibhakabhaka esihle nesicacile. Uma kukhishwa umbala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nonsomi emibaleni ekhishwa yilanga, imisebe yokukhanya esalayo emini ngokuvamile iba phuzi. Kodwa lapho ilanga seliphansi impela emkhathizwe, ukukhanya kwalo kuhamba kudlule emkhathini nge-engela ecijile ngaphambi kokuba kufinyelele kithi. Ngenxa yalokho, ukukhanya kwelanga kudlula engxenyeni enkulu yomkhathizwe, okwenza ukuba ukukhanya okusengxenyeni eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nokusengxenyeni eluhlaza njengotshani kuhlakazeke nakakhulu. Ngakho-ke, lapho lishona ilanga lingase libonakale liwumbala omuhle obomvu noma liyindilinga ebubende.

Isibhakabhaka Esinombala Omuhle Ebusuku

Indlela isibhakabhaka esibonakala siyiyo ebusuku ithonywa kakhulu indlela amehlo ethu azwela ngayo. Amehlo ethu athola ukukhanya ngezinhlobo ezimbili zezinzwa—ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-cone nezibizwa ngokuthi ama-rod. Ama-cone ahlukanisa imibala, kodwa lapho kuthanda ukuba mnyama, lezi zinzwa ziyayeka ukusebenza. Kodwa ama-rod, nakuba engazweli embaleni, angama-photoreceptor abukhali. Empeleni, ngaphansi kwezimo ezifanele, ingqamuzana le-rod lingakwazi ukuzwa ngisho inhlayiyana eyodwa yokukhanya! Kodwa ukuzwela kwama-rod ethu kugudlukela ngasengxenyeni yamaza amafushane atholakala engxenyeni eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka engasekugcineni kweqoqo lemibala efana neyothingo. Ngenxa yalokho, lapho sibuka izinkanyezi ezikhanya kancane ngezinga elifanayo ngeso lenyama, cishe siyobona eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka kodwa ngeke sizibone ezibomvu. Kodwa, kuyajabulisa ukuthi asigcini nje ngokubona okubonakala ngeso lenyama.

Izibonakude zithuthukisa ikhono lethu lokubona izinto ezisesibhakabhakeni ezingabonakali kalula, njengezinkanyezi, imithala, inkanyezi enomsila, kanye nefu lothuli negesi okuthiwa i-nebulae. Noma kunjalo, umkhathi wenza kulinganiselwe ngempela lokho esikubonayo. Isixazululo sale nkinga, isibonakude okuthiwa i-Hubble Space Telescope, noma i-HST, esizungeza umhlaba phezulu emoyeni. Lesi simanga sezobuchwepheshe, sikwazi ukubona izinto ezikhanya kancane ngendlela eyisimanga uma ziqhathaniswa nezinkanyezi ezikhanya kancane kakhulu ezibonakala ngeso lenyama! Ngenxa yalokho, i-HST yenze sakwazi ukubona izinto ezimangalisayo ezisekujuleni komkhathi, kuhlanganise imithala namafu othuli negesi aphakathi kwezinkanyezi.

Nakuba kunjalo, izibonakude ezilapha emhlabeni manje sezingcono kakhulu kune-HST ngezindlela ezithile. Ngokwesibonelo, zisebenzisa izindlela eziwukuhlakanipha zobuchwepheshe ezikwazi ukulungisa imiphumela ebangelwa umkhathi, izibonakude ezintsha zenza izazi zezinkanyezi zikwazi ukubona ngendlela egqame kakhudlwana, noma ecace ngaphezu kweye-HST. Esinye sezibonelo i-W. M. Keck Observatory esesiqhingini saseHawaii, enesibonakude okuthiwa i-Keck I, esingesinye sezibonakude ezinkulu kakhulu emhlabeni. Sisebenzisa lesi sibonakude, isazi sezinkanyezi uPeter Tuthill waseNyuvesi yaseSydney, e-Australia, wathola ifu lezintuli phakathi kwezinkanyezi ezimbili ezizungezanayo emlazeni wezinkanyezi okuthiwa i-Sagittarius, kithina obonakala usondele engxenyeni emaphakathi yomthala wethu, i-Milky Way.

Njengoba izazi zezinkayezi zibuka ekujuleni komkhathi, zithola izinkayezi nemithala eyengeziwe. Zingaki izinkanyezi ezikhona? Akekho owaziyo. Kodwa akunjalo ngoMdali, uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu uyazi. “Ubala izinkanyezi; zonke uzibiza ngamagama azo,” kusho iHubo 147:4.

Umprofethi u-Isaya washo amazwi afanayo. Empeleni, washo nokwengeziwe okunembile ngokwesayensi, ukuthi indawo yonke ebonakalayo iwumphumela wamandla angapheli kaNkulunkulu. U-Isaya wabhala: “Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu nibone. Ngubani odale lezi zinto? YiLowo okhipha ibutho lazo ngisho nangesibalo, zonke azibize ngisho nangamagama. Ngenxa yobuningi bamandla ashukumisayo, kwazise futhi unamandla amakhulu, ayikho neyodwa kuzo entulekayo.”—Isaya 40:26.

U-Isaya, owaphila eminyakeni engaba ngu-2 700 edlule, wakuqonda kanjani ukuthi indawo yonke iwumphumela wamandla kaNkulunkulu angapheli? Akazitholelanga ngokwakhe lokhu! Kunalokho, waloba lokho uJehova ayemphefumulele ukuba akubhale. (2 Thimothewu 3:16) Ngaleyo ndlela, yena, kuhlanganise nabanye abalobi beBhayibheli benza into engenakwenziwa ngisho nayincwadi eyodwa yesayensi noma isibonakude. Baveza ukuthi ungubani Lowo owanikeza izinkanyezi ubuhle nenkazimulo.

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KUNGANI IZINKANYEZI ZIBENYEZELA?

Izinkanyezi ziyabenyezela, noma zibonakale sengathi zishintsha izinga lokukhanya kwazo nendawo, ngenxa yokuphazamiseka komkhathi womhlaba. Ngokwesibonelo, ake ucabange ngezibani ezincanyana eziphansi echibini lokubhukuda. Kwenzekani kuzo lapho amanzi enyakaza? Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ziyabenyezela, njengoba kunjalo ngezinkanyezi. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, izibani ezinkulu bezingeke ziphazamiseke kangako. Amaplanethi anjengezibani ezinkulu, hhayi ngenxa yokuthi makhulu kunezinkanyezi, kodwa ngenxa yokuthi asondele kakhudlwana emhlabeni ngakho abonakala emakhulu.

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UMBALA WESITHOMBE: UNJALO NGEMPELA NOMA CHA?

Ngenxa ye-Hubble Space Telescope (HST), cishe usuke wazibona izithombe ezimangalisayo, ezinemibala egqamile zemithala, i-nebulae nezezinkanyezi. Kodwa ingabe imibala yalezi zinto ingokoqobo? Iqiniso liwukuthi, yenziwe kabusha, iyinhlanganisela yobuciko nesayensi. Izithombe ezitholakala nge-HST zifika zinombala owodwa (monochrome) bese zifakwa emishinini ehlunga imibala. Izazi zezinkanyezi nochwepheshe kwezezithombe basebenzisa ubuchwepheshe banamuhla nezinhlelo zama-computer ukuze bakhiphe izithombe zokugcina, ngezinye izikhathi ukuze bakhiqize ezicishe zifane ncamashí nalokho abakholelwa ukuthi kuyimibala engokwemvelo yezinto ezisemkhathini.a Ngezinye izikhathi izazi zesayensi zenza imibala engelona iqiniso ngamabomu ukuze zenze izinto zigqame emehlweni abantu, mhlawumbe ukuze zenze ucwaningo oluthile olungokwesayensi.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Izithombe]

I-monochrome

Obomvu

Oluhlaza

Oluhlaza okwesi-bhakabhaka

Isithombe sokugcina ngemva kokuhlanganisa imibala emithathu

[Umthombo]

J. Hester and P. Scowen (AZ State Univ.), NASA

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Inkanyezi i-V838 Monocerotis

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Interacting galaxies Arp 273

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NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA) -ESA/Hubble Collaboration

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V838: NASA, ESA, and H. Bond (STScI); Arp 273: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)