Isihloko: Yintoni iPlanethi kaKepler kunye nezinto ezifunyenweyo zamva nje
Iiplanethi zeKepler zihlala zingumxholo ophambili kwiingxoxo zeenkwenkwezi kunye nokuhlola isithuba. Ezi planethi zibizwa ngegama le-NASA's Kepler mission, zivule ulwazi olutsha malunga nokuqonda kwethu indalo yonke kunye nokubakho kweeplanethi ezijikelezayo (iiplanethi ezijikeleza iinkwenkwezi ngaphandle kwelanga lethu). Eli nqaku liza kuxoxa ngezinto eziyiyo iiplanethi zeKepler kunye nezinye zezinto ezinomdla kakhulu abazifumeneyo kutshanje kwicandelo leenkwenkwezi zanamhlanje.
Yintoni iPlanethi kaKepler?
Iiplanethi zeKepler ligama elisetyenziselwa ukuchaza iiplanethi ezifunyenwe yiKepler Space Telescope, indawo yokujongisisa isibhakabhaka eyasungulwa yiNASA nge-7 kaMatshi 2009. Umsebenzi weKepler wenzelwe ngokukodwa ukukhangela iiplanethi ezingaphandle "kwindawo ehlala abantu" ejikeleze iinkwenkwezi zazo, apho iimeko zobushushu zivumela ukuba kubekho amanzi angamanzi—enye yezona zinto zibalulekileyo ebomini njengoko sisazi.
I-Kepler Telescope kunye neNdlela yoThutho
UKepler usebenzisa indlela eyaziwa ngokuba yi-"transit method" ukufumanisa iiplanethi ezingaphandle. Xa iplanethi idlula phambi kwenkwenkwezi ephetheyo ngokwembono yethu eMhlabeni, ibangela ukuhla okuncinci ekukhanyeni kwenkwenkwezi. Ngokujonga oku kuhla okuphindaphindwayo, izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zinokuyibona iplanethi, zigqibe ubungakanani bayo, kwaye zibale ukujikeleza kwayo.
Ukubaluleka koMsebenzi kaKepler
I-telescope yeKepler ibe negalelo elikhulu ekuhloleni isithuba kunye neenkwenkwezi. Ekupheleni komsebenzi wayo ngo-Okthobha ka-2018, iKepler yayisele ifumene iiplanethi ezingaphezulu kwama-2.600 eziqinisekisiweyo kunye namawaka abaviwa abalindele ukuqinisekiswa. Olu lwazi lusebenza njengesiseko sedatha esixabisekileyo sezifundo ezongezelelweyo malunga ne-dynamics yeeplanethi, i-emotions ze-exoplanet, kunye namandla azo okuxhasa ubomi.
Ukufunyanwa kwePlanethi yamva nje kaKepler
Ngoku ekubeni siqonda iziseko zezinto eziyiyo iiplanethi zeKepler kunye nendlela ezifunyenwe ngayo, nazi ezinye zezinto ezifunyenweyo zamva nje nezibalulekileyo kule mishini.
1. Kepler-452b: Umhlaba Onzima
Enye yezinto ezibalulekileyo ezifunyenweyo kwiKepler mission yiKepler-452b, ngamanye amaxesha ebizwa ngokuba yi "Earth’s Cousin" ngenxa yobukhulu bayo nendawo ekuyo kwindawo ehlala inkwenkwezi yayo. IKepler-452b imalunga ne-1.400 light-years ukusuka eMhlabeni kwaye ijikeleza inkwenkwezi efana neLanga, kodwa indala kancinci. IKepler-452b inomda omkhulu omalunga nama-60% kunowoMhlaba, nto leyo eyenza ukuba ibe nguMhlaba omkhulu, udidi lweeplanethi ezinkulu kunoMhlaba kodwa zincinci kunoweNeptune.
Ukufunyanwa kweKepler-452b kongeza kwinkolelo yokuba iiplanethi ezinobukhulu boMhlaba kwindawo enokuhlalwa kuyo aziyonto ingaqhelekanga kwigalaksi yethu.
2. Kepler-186f: Iplanethi Enobukhulu Bomhlaba Kwindawo Ehlalwa Yindalo
I-Kepler-186f itsale ingqalelo enkulu nolindelo olukhulu ukusukela oko yafunyanwa ngo-2014. Yiplanethi yokuqala enobukhulu boMhlaba efunyenwe kwindawo ehlala inkwenkwezi yayo, indawo apho kunokwenzeka ukuba kubekho amanzi angamanzi. Inkwenkwezi yayo, i-Kepler-186, ibanda kakhulu kwaye imnyama kuneLanga lethu, kodwa ukujikeleza okukufutshane kwe-Kepler-186f kuyinika amandla afanayo noMhlaba.
IKepler-186f inomda omkhulu kancinci kunoMhlaba, nto leyo eyenza ukuba ibe yeyona planethi inokuxhasa ubomi.
3. Inkqubo yeeplanethi ezininzi zeKepler-90
UKepler uphinde wafumanisa inkqubo yeenkwenkwezi iKepler-90, enamaplanethi asibhozo ajikeleza inkwenkwezi yayo, njengenkqubo yethu yelanga. IKepler-90i, iplanethi enamatye ephucukileyo ngobukhulu boMhlaba ejikeleza kufutshane neenkwenkwezi ezihlala kuyo kuneMercury ejikeleza iLanga, yongeza ubunzima nomdla wale nkqubo.
4. I-Kepler-62e kunye ne-Kepler-62f: Iiplanethi ezimbini kwiNdawo eHlalwayo
Inkqubo yeenkwenkwezi iKepler-62, emalunga neminyaka eli-1.200 yokukhanya ukusuka eMhlabeni, ineeplanethi ezintlanu ezijikeleza inkwenkwezi yayo, ezimbini kuzo, iKepler-62e kunye neKepler-62f, zikwindawo enokuhlalwa kuyo. IKepler-62e, ekufutshane nenkwenkwezi, inomda omalunga ne-1,6 yeyoMhlaba kwaye kusenokwenzeka ukuba lihlabathi elinobutyebi bamanzi. Okwangoku, iKepler-62f, ekude kakhulu, inomda omalunga ne-1,4 yeyoMhlaba kunye neemeko zomphezulu ezinokuxhasa amanzi angamanzi.
Ukufunyanwa kweeplanethi ezimbini kwindawo ehlalwa kuyo kwinkqubo enye kubonisa amathuba aphezulu okufumana ubomi ngaphandle kwenkqubo yethu yelanga.
Ubuchwepheshe kunye nekamva loPhando
Emva kwempumelelo enkulu yomsebenzi weKepler, iNASA yaqalisa iTESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) ngo-Epreli 2018 ukuze iqhubeke nokukhangela ii-exoplanets. Okwangoku, iJames Webb Space Telescope, ecwangciselwe ukuqaliswa ngasekupheleni kuka-2021, iza kuvula iingcango ezintsha zokufunda ngeemeko ze-exoplanet kunye nokufumanisa iimpawu zeekhemikhali ezinxulumene nobomi.
UKepler ubonakalise ukuba igalaksi yethu izele ziiplanethi ezinokuxhasa ubomi. Oku kufunyaniswa kutshintsha indlela esiyibona ngayo indalo yonke nendawo yethu kuyo. Sisesesisiqalo sohambo olukhulu lokuhlola isibhakabhaka, kwaye ukufunyanwa kukaKepler kukuqala nje.
Ukuqukumbela
Iiplanethi zikaKepler kunye nezinto ezifunyenwe kutshanje zibonelele ngengqiqo emangalisayo malunga nokwahluka kwendalo yonke. Njengoko amawaka eeplanethi ezifunyenweyo efunyenwe, sisondela ekuphenduleni imibuzo enzulu malunga nokubakho kobomi ngaphaya koMhlaba. UKepler ubeke isiseko sekamva lokuhlola isithuba, ebonisa amandla ezizukulwana ezizayo okuhlola nzulu nokufumanisa iimfihlakalo ezingasombululwanga zendalo yonke.
