U-Eris ohlelweni lwelanga
I-Eris ingenye yezinto ezithakazelisa kakhulu ohlelweni lwelanga lwanamuhla, hhayi ngenxa yobukhulu bayo obukhulu, kodwa ngenxa yendima yayo ekuguquleni indlela abantu abahlukanisa ngayo amaplanethi. Selokhu yatholakala ekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-21, i-Eris ibilokhu iphakathi kwengxoxo yesayensi, ekugcineni yaholela encazelweni entsha yeplanethi. Nakuba ikude, ibanda, futhi ibuthakathaka, i-Eris inolwazi oluningi mayelana nezindawo zangaphandle zeSistimu yelanga kanye nezinqubo ezayakha. Lesi sihloko sixoxa ngokuthi i-Eris iyini, ukuthi ikuphi, ukuthi yatholakala kanjani, izici zayo zomzimba, umjikelezo wayo, nokuthi kungani ibaluleke kangaka emlandweni wezinkanyezi.
Ukutholakala kuka-Eris kanye nempikiswano yokuhlukaniswa
I-Eris yatholakala ngo-2005 yithimba lezazi zezinkanyezi elaliholwa nguMike Brown, uChad Trujillo, noDavid Rabinowitz. Lokhu kutholakala kwenziwa kusetshenziswa idatha yokubuka evela ePalomar Observatory eCalifornia. Ngaleso sikhathi, le nto, kamuva eyabizwa ngokuthi i-Eris, yavela njengento encane, ehamba kancane ngemuva kwezinkanyezi—efana nezinto ezikude ohlelweni lwangaphandle lwelanga.
Okwenza i-Eris yaduma ngokushesha ubukhulu bayo obubonakalayo, obufana noPluto, futhi obucatshangwa ukuthi bukhulu kunePluto. Ngaleso sikhathi, iPluto yayisabhekwa njengeplanethi yesishiyagalolunye. Uma kungatholakala into entsha eyayicishe ifane nePluto (noma enkulu), kwaphakama umbuzo omkhulu: ingabe i-Eris kufanele ibhekwe njengeplanethi nayo? Uma kunjalo, khona-ke cishe kwakuzoholela ekutholakaleni kwamanye “amaplanethi amasha” amaningi eKuiper Belt nangale kwayo. Le mpikiswano ekugcineni yashukumisela i-International Astronomical Union (IAU) ngo-2006 ukuba yakhe incazelo eqinile yeplanethi.
Ngenxa yalokho, iPluto yayingasabhekwa njengeplanethi, kodwa yayibizwa ngokuthi "iplanethi encane." U-Eris naye wabekwa esigabeni esifanayo. Ngamanye amazwi, u-Eris wayengomunye wezizathu eziyinhloko zoshintsho olusemthethweni ohlelweni lokuhlukaniswa kweSistimu Yelanga.
Isikhundla sika-Eris: Umhlaba Okude Osemaphethelweni Esistimu Yelanga
I-Eris itholakala kude kakhulu neLanga, iyingxenye yeqembu lezinto ze-trans-Neptunian (ama-TNO), izinto ezizungeza ngale kweNeptune. Ngokuqondile, i-Eris ivame ukuhlotshaniswa "nediski ehlakazekile," indawo equkethe izinto ezinezizungeza ezingavamile nezithambekele okucatshangwa ukuthi zithonywe amandla adonsela phansi eNeptune ohlelweni lwelanga lokuqala.
Ibanga lika-Eris ukusuka eLangeni liyahlukahluka kakhulu ngenxa yomjikelezo walo ojikelezayo. Endaweni eseduze kakhulu (perihelion), cishe amayunithi ezinkanyezi angu-38 (AU) ukusuka eLangeni—cishe ibanga elimaphakathi lePluto. Kodwa-ke, endaweni ekude kakhulu (aphelion), i-Eris ingafinyelela cishe ama-AU angu-97. Uma uqhathanisa, i-AU engu-1 iyibanga elimaphakathi phakathi koMhlaba neLanga, cishe amakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingu-150. Lokhu kusho ukuthi nganoma yisiphi isikhathi, i-Eris ingaba kude kakhulu neLanga izikhathi eziyi-100 kunoMhlaba.
Ngenxa yebanga layo elide, i-Eris ibanda kakhulu futhi ayitholi ukukhanya kwelanga okuningi. Akumangazi ukuthi ukuyibuka kudinga ama-telescope amakhulu nokuhlaziywa ngokucophelela.
Usayizi, Isisindo, Nokwakheka
I-Eris iyiplanethi encane enkulu kunazo zonke (noma enye enkulu kunazo zonke) ngobuningi. Inobubanzi obungaba amakhilomitha angu-2.300 (izilinganiso zanamuhla ziyahlukahluka kancane kuye ngezindlela zokulinganisa). Isondelene kakhulu nosayizi we-Pluto, yize i-Pluto yaziwa ukuthi inkulu kancane ngobubanzi, kanti i-Eris iyidlula ngobuningi ngenxa yokuminyana kwayo okuphezulu.
Ubunzima buka-Eris bungaphezu kuka-Pluto ngo-27%. Ubuningi buka-Eris obuphezulu bubonisa ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi buhlanganiswe ingxube yedwala neqhwa, kanye nengxenye enkulu yedwala. Lokhu kuyathakazelisa ngoba kubonisa umehluko ohlukile, noma ukuqina, kwezinto ezibonakalayo kunezinye izidalwa ezincane ezibandayo ohlelweni lwangaphandle lwelanga.
Ubuso buka-Eris bukhanya kakhulu (bune-albedo ephezulu), okubonisa ukuthi kukhona ungqimba lweqhwa olukhanyayo. Ukubonwa kwe-spectral kubonisa ukuthi kukhona iqhwa le-methane eliqandisiwe ebusweni, elifana ne-Pluto. Kodwa-ke, i-Eris ibonakala ikhanya kakhulu kune-Pluto, okungabonisa ukuthi ubuso bayo bumbozwe kakhulu yiqhwa elisha noma bunomoya ohlukile.
Umjikelezo Oyingqayizivele Nesikhathi Eside Kakhulu Sokuguquka
I-Eris ijikeleza iLanga cishe eminyakeni engu-557 yoMhlaba. Lokhu kusho ukuthi, kusukela ngesikhathi abantu bangena eNguquko Yezimboni kuze kube manje, i-Eris ayikaqedi ngisho nengxenye yomjikelezo wayo. Lokhu kusikhumbuza ukuthi ukuhamba kancane kwezinto eziseSistimu Yelanga yangaphandle.
Umjikelezo ka-Eris nawo uthambekele kakhulu (cishe ama-degree angu-44 kuya endizeni ye-ecliptic). Iningi lamaplanethi amakhulu lizungeza ngezindiza ezifanayo, njengoba zakhiwe ngediski eyisicaba ye-protoplanetary. Ukuthambekela okukhulu kuka-Eris kusikisela umlando wamandla adonsela phansi "obudlova" - mhlawumbe umphumela wokuxhumana ne-Neptune noma omunye umzimba omkhulu ohlelweni lwelanga lokuqala. Lo mjikelezo ongavamile, othambekile ujwayelekile ezintweni ezinamadiski ahlakazekile.
Inyanga ka-Eris: I-Dysnomia
U-Eris unesathelayithi esisodwa semvelo esaziwayo, i-Dysnomia. Le nyanga yatholakala ngemuva nje kuka-Eris. Ukuba khona kwalesathelayithi kubalulekile ngoba kuvumela ososayensi ukubala ngokunembile isisindo sika-Eris ngokuhlaziya umjikelezo we-Dysnomia.
Igama elithi Dysnomia livela ezinganekwaneni zamaGreki futhi lihlotshaniswa no-Eris, unkulunkulukazi wokungezwani. Lokhu kukhetha kubonakala kufaneleka uma ubheka indima ka-Eris empikiswaneni yesayensi mayelana nencazelo yeplanethi. I-Dysnomia ngokwayo incane futhi ayicacile kakhulu kune-Eris, kodwa ibalulekile ekutadisheni amandla esistimu ye-Eris.
Isimo Sezulu: Ingabe Sikhona Noma Cha?
Umbuzo owodwa othakazelisayo ngo-Eris ukuthi ngabe unawo yini umoya. Ku-Pluto, umoya omncane, osekelwe ku-nitrogen ungakheka lapho i-nitrogen engaphezulu kanye ne-methane sublimate zisondela eLangeni. I-Eris, ngenxa yokujikeleza kwayo okude futhi okubandayo kakhulu, cishe ayinawo umoya omncane kakhulu noma iqine ngisho naphezu kobuso bayo uma ifika e-aphelion.
Amanye amamodeli asikisela ukuthi u-Eris kungenzeka ukuthi wayenomoya omncane okwesikhashana lapho eseduze neLanga, kodwa isikhathi eside kakhulu, sithatha amakhulu eminyaka. Izimo zomkhathi (uma zikhona) cishe zashintsha kancane njengoba ibanga elivela eLangeni lishintsha.
Kungani u-Eris Ebalulekile?
I-Eris ibalulekile okungenani ngezizathu ezintathu eziyinhloko. Okokuqala, yandisa ukuqonda kwethu inani lezinto ezinkulu ohlelweni lwangaphandle lwelanga. Ukuba khona kwayo kusikisela ukuthi i-Pluto akuyona yodwa ingxenye enkulu ngaphandle kweNeptune, nokuthi uhlelo lwelanga lune "khathalogi" yamalungu ahlukahlukene kakhulu kunalokho okwakucatshangwa ngaphambili.
Okwesibili, u-Eris wayeyisisusa sencazelo yesimanje yeplanethi. Ngokwencazelo ye-IAU (2006), iplanethi kumele (1) izungeze iLanga, (2) ibe nkulu ngokwanele ukuba icishe ibe yindilinga (hydrostatic), futhi (3) ibe “isuse ezinye izinto endaweni yayo yokuzungeza” kwezinye izinto. I-Eris ihlangabezana nezidingo ezimbili zokuqala, kodwa hhayi eyesithathu ngoba ihlanganyela umjikelezo wayo nezinye i-TNO eziningi. Ngakho-ke, i-Eris ihlukaniswe njengeplanethi encane, kanye ne-Pluto, i-Haumea, ne-Makemake.
Okwesithathu, i-Eris isiza ososayensi ukuhlola imibono mayelana nokwakheka kweSistimu Yelanga. Umjikelezo wayo odlulele, ukwakheka kwayo, kanye nokuhlangana kwayo nediski ehlakazekile kunikeza izinkomba ezibalulekile mayelana nokufuduka kwamaplanethi amakhulu ezinsukwini zokuqala. Amamodeli amaningi asikisela ukuthi i-Neptune yake yathuthela ngaphandle, yathuthumela futhi yahlakaza izinto ezincane zibe yimizila engavamile kakhulu—mhlawumbe kufaka phakathi i-Eris.
Ikusasa Locwaningo Luka-Eris
Kuze kube manje, i-Eris ayikaze ivakashelwe yi-space probe. Ulwazi ngayo lusabuswa yizinto ezibonwe yi-telescopes, okuhlanganisa ne-space telescopes kanye nezindawo ezinkulu zokubukela emhlabeni. Kodwa-ke, njengoba ubuchwepheshe buthuthuka, i-Eris inamandla okuba yisisulu semisebenzi yesikhathi esizayo, ikakhulukazi njengoba iyisibonelo esibalulekile sezwe elikude elibandayo elingamelela izimo ohlelweni lwelanga lokuqala.
Ucwaningo olwengeziwe lwe-Eris—ngokwesibonelo, ukulinganiswa okunembe kakhudlwana kokwakheka kwayo ebusweni, izinguquko zesizini, noma imininingwane yesimo sayo kanye nokujikeleza kwayo—kuzosisiza siqonde ukuthi izinto ezisemaphethelweni eSistimu Yelanga ziguquka kanjani.
I-Penutup
I-Eris iyiplanethi encane ekude, ebandayo, futhi eyimfihlakalo, kodwa umthelela wayo kusayensi yezinkanyezi yanamuhla ujulile. Kusukela ekutholakaleni kwayo, okwabangela incazelo entsha yamaplanethi, kuya ezicini zayo ezizungezile kakhulu kanye nobuso bayo obukhanyayo, obuneqhwa, i-Eris ifanekisela ukuthi iSistimu Yelanga isaphethe izimanga eziningi. Ukufunda i-Eris akugcini nje ngento eyodwa encane, ekude, kodwa kumayelana nokuqonda umlando omude noyinkimbinkimbi wokwakheka kweSistimu Yelanga—indaba eqhubeka nokuguquka ngokutholwa okusha.
