I-Pluto Ezifundweni Zezinkanyezi Zeplanethi
I-Pluto ingenye yezinto ezithakazelisayo kakhulu emlandweni wezinkanyezi zanamuhla. Yayibhekwa njengeplanethi yesishiyagalolunye ohlelweni lwelanga, yabe "yehliswa" yaba yisimo seplanethi encane. Kodwa-ke, lolu shintsho encazelweni aluzange lunciphise inani lesayensi likaPluto. Ngokuphambene nalokho: I-Pluto yaba yindawo ebalulekile yokungena ekuqondeni izifunda zangaphandle zesistimu yelanga, amandla emizimba emincane, nokuthi isayensi ithuthuka kanjani ngokubuka, idatha, kanye nempikiswano yomqondo.
Ukutholakala kwePluto kanye nomongo wayo womlando
UPluto watholakala ngoFebhuwari 18, 1930, nguClyde Tombaugh eLowell Observatory, e-Arizona. Ukusesha kwakhe kwaqhutshwa ukuba khona okusolwayo kwe-"Planet X," iplanethi okucatshangwa ukuthi ibangela ukuphazamiseka okuncane emizuliswaneni ye-Uranus ne-Neptune. Ngokuqhathanisa izithombe zasezulwini (kusetshenziswa indlela yokuqhathanisa ukukhanya), uTombaugh wathola indawo ehambayo kamuva eyaqashelwa njengento entsha. Umphakathi kanye nomphakathi wesayensi bayamukele njengeplanethi yesishiyagalolunye, ikakhulukazi njengoba izifunda zangaphandle zeSistimu Yelanga zazisalokhu ziyimfihlakalo ngaleso sikhathi.
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, izibalo ezinembile kakhulu zibonise ukuthi “ukuphazamiseka” kwe-orbital okwabangela ukusesha i-Pluto kwavela kakhulu ekungaqiniseki kwedatha yangaphambilini, hhayi ekudonsweni yiplanethi enkulu, engakatholakali. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isisindo se-Pluto sabonakala sincane kakhulu—sincane kakhulu kunesamaplanethi amakhulu—kangangokuthi kwakungenakwenzeka ukuthi sibe imbangela ebalulekile yokuphazamiseka kwe-orbital kwamanye amaplanethi. Lokhu kutholwa kwavula isahluko esisha: I-Pluto yayingeyona “iplanethi enkulu” esasiyifuna, kodwa yayilungu elijwayelekile labantu bezinto ezibandayo emaphethelweni e-Solar System.
Izici zomzimba zePluto kanye nokujikeleza kwayo
I-Pluto isendaweni ephakathi kwamayunithi ezinkanyezi angaba ngu-39,5 (AU) ukusuka eLangeni, okuyisilinganiso esiphindwe izikhathi ezingu-39,5 kuneLanga phakathi koMhlaba neLanga. Umjikelezo wayo uhlukile: uyindilinga kakhulu (uyi-eccentric kakhulu) futhi uthambekele endizeni ye-ecliptic (ukuthambekela okungama-degrees angaba ngu-17). Ngezinye izikhathi, i-Pluto iseduze kakhulu neLanga kune-Neptune, njengoba yayinjalo phakathi kuka-1979 no-1999. Kodwa-ke, i-Pluto ayikaze ishayisane ne-Neptune ngoba zise-resonance ye-orbital engu-3:2; i-Pluto ijikeleza iLanga kabili isikhathi ngasinye lapho i-Neptune ijikeleza iLanga kathathu. Lokhu kuvumelana kugcina amandla ayo e-orbital ezinze ezikalini zesikhathi eside kakhulu.
I-Pluto ingamakhilomitha angaba ngu-2.377 (1,377 mi) ububanzi, incane kakhulu kuneNyanga (cishe amakhilomitha angu-3.474) futhi incane kunezinye zezathelayithi ezinkulu ku-Solar System. Isisindo sayo singama-0,2% kunesoMhlaba. I-Pluto yakhiwe ngokuyinhloko yiqhwa nedwala, kanti ubuso bugcwele iqhwa le-nitrogen (N₂), i-methane (CH₄), kanye ne-carbon monoxide (CO). Izinga lokushisa lobuso bayo liphansi kakhulu, cishe amashumi e-Kelvin, okuvumela ama-volatiles afana ne-nitrogen ukuthi aqine futhi ancibilike, ngemva kwezinkathi ze-Pluto.
Uhlelo lwesathelayithi lukaCharon noPluto
Ukuhluka kwePluto kwabonakala nakakhulu lapho inyanga yayo enkulu kunazo zonke, iCharon, itholakala ngo-1978. Ububanzi beCharon bucishe bube yisigamu sePluto, okwenza isilinganiso sobukhulu babo singajwayelekile ohlelweni lweplanethi nesathelayithi. Isikhungo se-barycenter (isikhungo sobukhulu) sesistimu yePluto-Charon singaphandle komzimba wePluto, okuholela ekutheni ivame ukubizwa ngokuthi uhlelo lweplanethi "oluyi-binary". Ngaphezu kweCharon, iPluto inezinyanga ezine ezincane: iNix, iHydra, iKerberos, kanye neStyx. Ukutholakala kwalezi zinyanga kusize ososayensi ukuthi balinganise ngokunembile ubukhulu bePluto futhi bafunde amandla adonsela phansi ayinkimbinkimbi ezinhlelo eKuiper Belt.
Imvelaphi kaCharon kucatshangwa ukuthi ihlobene nesenzakalo esikhulu somthelela, esifana nombono wokwakheka kweNyanga. Ukungqubuzana phakathi kwePluto yokuqala kanye nenye into eKuiper Belt kungenzeka ukuthi kwakhipha izinto ezakha kamuva iCharon nezinye izinyanga ezincane. Uma kuyiqiniso, iPluto ingaba yisibonelo esibalulekile sokuhlola inkolelo-mbono yokwakheka kwesathelayithi ngemithelela eSistimu Yelanga yangaphandle.
I-Pluto ne-Kuiper Belt: ushintsho lombono
Ushintsho olukhulu ekufundweni kwezinkanyezi zamaplanethi lwenzeka ngawo-1990 lapho izazi zezinkanyezi ziqala ukuthola izinto eziningi ngale kweNeptune, manje ebizwa ngokuthi iKuiper Belt. Leli nani lakhiwe yimizimba ebandayo neyidwala, eseleyo kusukela ekwakhiweni kweSolar System, enobukhulu obuhlukahlukene kanye nemizila ejikelezayo. I-Pluto, kuvela, akuyona into engavamile yodwa, kodwa kunalokho iyilungu elikhulu lomphakathi wezinto ze-trans-Neptunian (TNOs).
Ukutholakala kuka-Eris ngo-2005—into efana ngobuningi ne-Pluto noma enkulu kancane kune-Pluto—kwaba yimbangela ebalulekile. Uma i-Pluto ibizohlala iyiplanethi, khona-ke i-Eris nezinye izinto eziningana nazo zingabhekwa njengamaplanethi. Lokhu kwaxwayisa umphakathi wezinkanyezi ngesidingo sencazelo eqinile.
Incazelo yeplanethi kanye nesimo "seplanethi encane"
Ngo-2006, i-International Astronomical Union (IAU) yasungula incazelo esemthethweni yeplanethi. Ngokwale ncazelo, iplanethi kumele: (1) izungeze iLanga, (2) ibe nobunzima obanele ukugcina isimo esicishe sibe yindilinga (ukulingana kwe-hydrostatic), kanye (3) "nokusula indawo yayo ezungezile" ezintweni ezifanayo. I-Pluto ihlangabezana nezindinganiso (1) kanye (2), kodwa ayihlangabezani nezindinganiso (3) ngoba umjikelezo wayo wabelana ngesikhala nezinto eziningi ze-Kuiper Belt. Ngakho-ke, i-Pluto ihlukaniswa njenge "planethi encane."
Ku-astronomy yamaplanethi, lesi sinqumo singaphezu nje kwelebula. Sibonisa indlela ososayensi abahlukanisa ngayo izinto ezibusa ngamandla adonsela phansi (amaplanethi) kumalungu “ahlangene” eqembu labantu bebhande (amaplanethi amancane nemizimba emincane). Kodwa-ke, incazelo ye-IAU nayo ivuse impikiswano: ezinye izazi zezinkanyezi zikholelwa ukuthi “ukususa umjikelezo” kuncike kakhulu endaweni yomzimba kanye nomlando oguquguqukayo, kunokuba kuncike ezicini zawo zangaphakathi. Le mpikiswano isalokhu iyingxoxo yezemfundo eqhubekayo, ekhombisa ukuthi ukuhlukaniswa kwesayensi kungathuthuka njengoba idatha kanye nezinhlaka zethiyori zithuthuka.
Umsebenzi we-New Horizons kanye noguquko lwedatha
Ukuqonda komuntu iPluto kwathatha igxathu elikhulu phambili nomsebenzi we-NASA we-New Horizons. Owethulwe ngo-2006, lo mkhankaso wandiza ngePluto ngoJulayi 14, 2015, wabuyisa izithombe nedatha eyashintsha izinkolelo ezazikhona isikhathi eside. I-Pluto yaphenduka umhlaba osebenzayo ngokwesayensi ye-geology.
I-New Horizons ithole ithafa elikhulu leqhwa le-nitrogen, elinomumo wenhliziyo, elaziwa ngokuthi iTombaugh Regio, kufaka phakathi iSputnik Planitia—indawo enkulu okucatshangwa ukuthi iyindawo lapho iqhwa lihlangana khona, efana nokubila kwe-geological, kodwa eneqhwa le-nitrogen njengento ekhona. Ithole nezintaba ezakhiwe yiqhwa lamanzi, elisebenza njengedwala eliqinile emazingeni okushisa ePluto. Kunezinkomba zezinqubo ezincane ebusweni, kanye nokuntuleka kwemigodi yomthelela kwezinye izindawo, okuphakamisa ukuthi liphinde lavela esikhathini samuva nje se-geological.
Lo msebenzi uphinde wafunda ngesimo sezulu esincane sePluto, esakhiwe ngokuyinhloko yi-nitrogen enezinsalela ze-methane. Ukusebenzisana komkhathi nemisebe yelanga kanye nomoya welanga kukhiqiza inkungu eyinkimbinkimbi, enezingqimba. Ngenxa yokuthi iPluto inezinkathi ezibucayi ngenxa ye-axis yayo egobile kanye nomjikelezo we-elliptical, umkhathi wayo kukholakala ukuthi "uyaphefumula": ukwanda lapho useduze neLanga futhi unciphe noma uqine uma ukude.
Ukubaluleka kwePluto kusayensi yezinkanyezi yesimanje
I-Pluto ayibalulekile ngenxa yesimo sayo sangaphambilini samaplanethi, kodwa ngoba imelela isigaba semihlaba eneqhwa emaphethelweni eSistimu Yelanga. Ekufundweni kwezinkanyezi zamaplanethi, i-Pluto iyasiza ekuphenduleni imibuzo ebalulekile: ukuthi amaplanethi nemizimba emincane yakheka kanjani kumadiski e-protoplanetary, ukuthi ukufuduka kwamaplanethi amakhulu kwakha kanjani isakhiwo se-Kuiper Belt, nokuthi izinqubo ze-geological zingathuthuka kanjani emizimbeni emincane, eneqhwa.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-Pluto isebenza njenge-analog (ukuqhathanisa) kweminye imihlaba eneqhwa njenge-Triton (isathelayithi ye-Neptune), izinyanga eziningana ze-Saturn, ngisho nama-TNO angakatholakali. Uma i-Pluto isabonisa amandla okwakheka komhlaba endaweni ebandayo kangaka, khona-ke kungenzeka ukuthi "umsebenzi" kweminye imihlaba eneqhwa uba yinto enengqondo kakhulu, okuhlanganisa nokuba khona okungenzeka kwendawo engaphansi komhlaba eyayiyiqhwa, noma esalokhu iwuketshezi.
I-Penutup
I-Pluto iyisibonelo esiphelele sendlela isayensi engashintshi ngayo. Yatholakala njenge "planethi yesishiyagalolunye," yabe isiqondwa njengelungu elikhulu le-Kuiper Belt, futhi ekugcineni yahlukaniswa kabusha njengeplanethi encane ohlelweni lwesimanje lokuhlukaniswa. Kodwa-ke, ukubaluleka kwe-Pluto kuye kwanda ngoba kuphoqe izazi zezinkanyezi ukuba zithuthukise izincazelo ezihambisanayo, zithuthukise imibono ye-dynamics ye-Solar System yangaphandle, futhi zithumele imisebenzi eye yaveza ubunzima bemihlaba emincane eyayiyizindawo nje zokukhanya.
Ekufundweni kwezinkanyezi zamaplanethi, i-Pluto ifundisa isifundo esibalulekile: ngisho nezinto ezikude, ezincane, nezibandayo zingabamba isihluthulelo sokuqonda umlando omkhulu weSistimu Yelanga. Akuyona nje incwajana engezansi ekuhlukanisweni, kodwa ilabhorethri yemvelo yokufunda ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kwe-orbital, ukwakheka kweqhwa, umkhathi omncane, kanye nokwakheka komhlaba okuyingqayizivele emaphethelweni esistimu yethu yamaplanethi.
