Empeleni zingaki izinhlobo zamasolar kugalaxy yethu?
Isimiso sethu sonozungezilanga siyisimiso esisodwa samaplanethi—inkanyezi enamaplanethi ayizungezayo.
Isimiso sethu samaplanethi yisona sodwa esibizwa ngokusemthethweni ngokuthi “isimiso sonozungezilanga,” kodwa izazi zezinkanyezi ziye zathola ezinye izinkanyezi ezingaphezu kuka-3 200 ezinamaplanethi azizungeza emthaleni wethu. Yilokho nje abaningi esibatholile kuze kube manje. Kungenzeka kube nezinye izinhlelo eziningi zamaplanethi ezilindele ukutholwa!
ILanga lethu lingenye yezinkanyezi ezingaba yizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-200 emthaleni wethu. Lokho kunikeza ososayensi izindawo eziningi zokuzingela amaexoplanets, noma amaplanethi angaphandle kwesimiso sethu sonozungezilanga.
Kodwa amakhono ethu asanda kuthuthukela ezingeni lapho izazi zezinkanyezi zingathola khona amaplanethi anjalo.
Kungani kunzima ukuthola amaplanethi ngaphandle kwesimiso sethu sonozungezilanga?
Ngisho nezinkanyezi ezingomakhelwane bethu eziseduze ziqhele ngezigidigidi zamakhilomitha. Futhi zonke izinkanyezi zinkulu futhi zikhanya ngokwedlulele uma ziqhathaniswa nanoma imaphi amaplanethi azizungezile. Lokho kusho ukuthi ukukhetha iplanethi eduze kwenkanyezi ekude kufana nokubona ukhanyikhanyi eduze kwendlu yesibani ekhazimulayo eqhele ngamakhilomitha amaningi.
Kunjani kwezinye izinhlelo zamaplanethi?
Kuze kube manje, amaplanethi angaphandle kwesimiso sethu sonozungezilanga asebonise ukuthi ayathakazelisa futhi ahlukahlukene. Iplanethi eyodwa, eyaziwa ngokuthi i-HD 40307g, “iwuMhlaba ophakeme,” onesisindo esiphindwe kasishiyagalombili kunoMhlaba. Amandla adonsela phansi ayeyoba namandla kakhulu kunalapha ekhaya. Ubungalinganisa kabili lapho wenza khona eMhlabeni!
Enye iplanethi, ebizwa ngokuthi i-Kepler-16b, iphenduka izungeza izinkanyezi ezimbili. Ukushona kwelanga lapho kwakuyonikeza umbono wezinkanyezi ezimbili ezishonayo!
Kwesinye isimiso seplanethi, esibizwa nge-TRAPPIST-1, awekho neyodwa…hhayi amabili…kodwa amaplanethi ayisikhombisa alingana noMhlaba angase ambozwe ngamanzi awuketshezi. Amaplanethi asondelene kakhulu, nawo. Uma ubungama phezu kweplanethi ye-TRAPPIST-1, ungase ubone amanye amaplanethi ayisithupha emkhathizwe!
Izazi zezinkanyezi zizoqhubeka kanjani zithola amasistimu sonozungezilanga akude?
Imishini ye-NASA ye-Kepler ithole ama-exoplanets angaphezu kuka-2,600 phakathi nomsebenzi wayo weminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye. Iphinde yenze uhlu lwamaplanethi angaphezu kuka-3,000 engeziwe angaba khona okudingeka izazi zezinkanyezi ziwacwaninge ngokucophelela ukuze ziqiniseke ukuthi angamaplanethi ngempela.
Umsebenzi weNASA weTransiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TES) uyaqhubeka nokuzingela ama-exoplanet. Nakuba u-Kepler ayecinga phakathi nendawo ethile yesibhakabhaka, i-TESS ibheka isibhakabhaka sonke ukuze ithole izinkulungwane zamaplanethi azungeza izinkanyezi eziseduze nezikhanya kakhulu.
I-James Webb Space Telescope, ezokwethulwa ngo2021, izophinde ibheke amaexoplanet amaningi esiwatholile futhi isize ososayensi baveze imininingwane ngale mihlaba ekude.
Kwazi bani? Ngolunye usuku, ngokutadisha ama-exoplanets nezinhlelo sonozungezilanga ezikude, izazi zezinkanyezi zinethemba lokuphendula lo mbuzo othakazelisayo: Ingabe kukhona ukuphila kwenye indawo emthaleni wethu?
Ekuphetheni
Isimiso sethu samaplanethi yisona sodwa esibizwa ngokusemthethweni ngokuthi “isimiso sonozungezilanga,” kodwa izazi zezinkanyezi ziye zathola ezinye izinkanyezi ezingaphezu kuka-3 200 ezinamaplanethi azizungeza emthaleni wethu.