INasa ithole iqhwa namanzi kwiMercury
IZINGOXONGELE kuMercury ziyahlukana ngobukhulu kusukela emgojaneni omncane kuya kwinkunzimalanga yengoxongelekazi esho ngomugqankaba (diameter) ongamakhilomitha angamakhulu ngamakhulu. Ngokomthetho we-International Astronomical Union (IAU), ingoxongele entsha kumele iqanjwe ngeciko elidume iminyaka engaphezu kwengama-50 noma osekuphele iminyaka emithathu lidlulile emhlabeni - kwakheke leyo ngoxongele.
Ingoxongelekazi enkulu kunazo zonke eyaziwayo kwiMercury, yiCaloris Basin enomugqankaba oyi-1 550km. Isakhiwomkhathi (celestial object) - okungaba yisingamhlaba (asteroid) noma imbumbulu (meteorite) esaholela ekwakhekeni kweCaloris Basin, sasinamandla kangangokuba sathi uma sishaya ebuswenimhlaba (surface) beMercury sadala ukuba kuqhume isajaludaka (lava) sadala indilinga eyisi-2km ezungeze le ngoxongelekazi. Zilinganiselwa e-15 izingoxongelekazi ezibonakele ezithombeni ezithwetshulwe kwiMercury. Egqamile yiTolstoj Basin engama400km ukuvuleka - esho ngezindingiliza eziningi. Kuneziyingi ezimbili zamathafa ezihlukene ngokwesakhiwo kwiMercury. Kunesinamagqunyana. Amathafa akulesi siyingi aphakathi nezingoxongele kanti kubukeka sengathi ukwakheka kwawo kuqede inqwaba yezingoxongele ezakheke iMercury iseyintsha - kubonakala nembijana yezingoxongele ezingaphansi kwama30km umugqankaba. Kunethafa elibizwa ngeWeird Terrain elimaqondana neCaloris basin.
Kukhona abushelelezi - angenawo amagqunyana - nawo ahlukene ngobukhulu, afana kakhulu nalawo asenyangeni abizwa nge-lunar maria. Wonke amathafa abushelelezi kwiMercury, akheke iCaloris basin isivele ikhona. INational Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) ithole iqhwa esinquthu esisenyakatho (north pole) yeMercury, lapho kukhona izingoxongele ezingakaze zilibone ilanga selokhu kwathi nhlo. Yize amazinga okushisa lapho kunelanga khona ebuswenimhlaba beMercury ephezulu, ucwaningo luveza ukuthi kuneqhwa kulo mhlaba. Izindawo eziphansi ezingoxongeleni ezisezinquthu, kazilazi nhlobo ilanga elihlaba ngqo ebuswenimhlaba, okwenza amazinga okushisa ahlale engaphansi kwe- -171.15 degrees celsius.
Iziyingi ezineqhwa kuvela ukuthi ziqukethe elili-1014-1015kg. Uma kuqhathaniswa, i-Antarctic ineqhwa elilinganiselwa e-4×1018 kg kanti esinquthu esiseningizimu yeMars kunamanzi ali-1016. Imvelaphi yeqhwa kwiMercury kayikaziwa namanje, kodwa okubili okucatshangelwa kukhona ngukuthi kuphume umswakama ngaphakathi kulo mhlaba nokuthi likhiqizwe ngoshiyamsila (comets).
IMercury yincane kakhulu futhi ishisa kakhulu ukuba untandozibuthe (gravity) wayo ungakwazi ukubamba ingubomkhathi (atmosphere) isikhathi eside kodwa inaso isiphethongubomkhathi esibheke ebuswenimhlaba esinezelamani-lugqulu (chemical elements) i-hidrogen, i-helium, i-oxygen, i-sodium, i-calcium, i-potassium nezinye. Lesi siphethongubomkhathi kasihlali siyinto efanayo - izigqulu (atoms) ze-hydrogen nezehelium kucatshangelwa ukuthi ziye ziphume kwisajasivunguvungu (solar wind) esisabalala kuzi- buthendilinga (magnetosphere) weMercury ngaphambi kokuba sibuyele emkhathini. Ucwaningo lwasemandulo olwaqoshwa mayelana neMercury, lutholakala ezibhebheni zamatshe zaseBhabhiloni ezibizwa ngeMul Apin. Kukholakala ukuthi lolu cwaningo lwaqoshwa ngusonkanyezi waseAssyria ngeminyaka yekhulunyaka le-14 ngaphambi kokuba kuzalwe uJesu (14 BC).
Ngokwendlela yokubhala eyaqalwa ngamaSamaria aseMesopotamia - okuyindawo lapho kukhona i-Iraq neKuwait manje - ngowezi-3500-3000 ngaphambi kokuba kuzalwe uJesu, i-cuneiform, iMercury ibizwa nge-Udu.Idim.Gu\ u4.Ud (okusho umhlaba ogxumayo).
Amarekhodi aseBhabhiloni aziwayo mayelana neMercury ngawangenkulungwanenyaka yokuqala ngaphambi kokuba kuzalwe uJesu. AbaseBhabhiloni iMercury babeyibiza ngeNabu besusela egameni lesithunywa sonkulunkulwana ngokwenkolo yabo. AmaGriki asemandulo wona iMercury ayeyibiza nge-Stilbon - okusho okubenyezelayo - iHermaon neHermes (indodana kaZeus unkulunkulwana wamaGriki). Njengamanje isibizwa nge-Ermis. ERome bayiqamba ngonkulunkulwana wabo “owayehamba asheshe” , uMercury owayechazwa ngendlela efanayo noHermes wamaGriki.
Babeyiqamba kanjena ngoba yayizungeza ngesivinini esikhulu kunayo yonke imihlaba esibhakabhakeni. Emandulo eChina iMercury yayaziwa ngeNkanyezi yesiKhathi. EChina, eKorea, eJapan naseVietnam lo mhlaba waziwa ngeNkanyezi yaManzi. AmaHindi ayibiza ngoBuddha iMercury, lo nkulunkulwana (Buddha) kwakucatshangelwa ukuthi “ukhonzwa” ngoLwesithathu.
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