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Iziko Loomabonakude Leradiyo eliseHartebeesthoek

Indawo Elikuyo

IHartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) kuphela kwayo eAfrika. Ikwithambeka elilodwa eliziikhilometha ezingama-50 entshona kweJohannesburg, eMzantsi Afrika.

Imbali

I-"Deep Space Station 51" yakhiwa eHartebeesthoek ngo-1961 yi-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (iNASA) yase-United States of America. Esi sikhululo sathabatha inxaxheba kulawulo lwamaziko eUS amaninzi ezomoya awayengenabani. Oonojikeleza iRanger, iSurveyor ne-Lunar bapopola inyanga bexhasa iphulo lika-Apollo. I-Mariner yahlola uVenus noMars ngeli xesha uPioneer aqwalasele umoya phaya enzulwini.

Esi sikhululo sanikezelwa kwi-Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (i-CSIR) ngo-1975 sathintshelwa kwi-observatory ye-radio astronomy. Ngo-1988 i-Hartebeesthoek observatory yaba liziko lesizwe elilawulwa yi-Foundation for Research Development (FRD).

Umabonakude / Iteleskophu

Eyona ndawo eboniswa yiteleskophu ziimitha ezingama-26 kwisangqa. Ubunzima bayo ziitoni ezingama-360 kwaye iyalawuleka xa ufuna ukuyijika-jika. Inezamkeli zeradiyo ezithandathu ezitsala kumaza ku-18 cm, 13 cm, 6 cm, 4.5 cm, 3.6 cm no-2.5 cm. Ukwenzela ukuba zibe bukhali ezi zitsali, zipholiswa kumaqondo angama-257 ngaphantsi kwamaqondo obushushu, okuthetha ukuba angamaqondo ali-16 ngaphezu kuka-o.

Uphando Ngeenkwenkwezi

Amaza eradiyo afumaneka kwiinkwenkwezi ngeenkwenkwezi kwisicuku iMilky Way nakwezinye ezikude. Ezinye zezinto eziqwalaselwayo eHartebeesthoek ziyacaciswa apha ngezantsi:

* Iinkwenkwezi ezininzi ziyadaleka ngokuqhekeka kwamafu omophu nothuli. Ezi nkwenkwezi zichukumisa imibane yeradiyo ekuthiwa zi-"masers", ekumafu ane- hydroxyl nemethanol. Ezi maser zinceda ekutyumbeni iinkwenkwezi ezizimele emafini. Ngokusebenzisa iteleskophu kubhaqwe iimethanol masers ezininzi.

* Iinkwenkwezi xa sezisiya ekupheleni azimi ndaweninye. Ziyadumba kakhulu zibe ngamagqange abomvu. Imiphandle ijikelezwa ngamafu ayinkungu edibene nothuli. Ii-hydroxyl masers zinokuchukunyiswa kula mafu. Ezi masers zabhaqwa ngeteleskophu eHartebeesthoek. Ujongo lwezi masers olungatshintshiyo njengoko zitshintsha ngokokuhamba kwexesha, luvumela ukuthukuza kweenkwenkwezi nomgama, lulinganiswe.

* Iinkwenkwezi eziphelayo ezingaphezulu kwelanga zingajika zenze ibhola eziinyutroni. Ezi nkwenkwezi ziphelileyo zibaleka zitsho zenze uzibuthe. Ngale ndlela zivelisa isingqi seradiyo esinamandla. Ufundo ngokutshintsha kwesingqi sezi "pulsars" lunceda ekuqondeni umphakathi wezi zinto zingaqhelekanga.

* Ukutsawula komophu oshushu kwizicuku zeenkwenkwezi ezikude kwenza iikhwaza (quasars). Umophu ongena kumwonyo omnyama ngunobangela wolu tsawulo. Loo mitsawulo ikhangeleka ibaleka ngaphezulu kunelanga kwaye iqaqambe ngaphezulu lee kwizigidi zamalanga.

* Amaza eradiyo kwisibhakabhaka esingezantsi sipopolwe ngeteleskophu kumgama oli-13 cm liqela labaphandi eRhini eRhodes University. Injongo kukwazi isakhiwo sezicuku zeenkwenkwezi ezikude.

Umfanekiso weRadiyo weMilky Way Galaxy othatyathwe ngeHartebeesthoek telescope.

Ingxilimbela Yeteleskophu

Ukwenzela ukuqwalaselisisa ukugqithisa kokweteleskophu, uHartRAO usebenzisana neeteleskophu zeradiyo kwamanye amazwe ukudala ingxilimbela yeteleskophu. Le ndlela kuthiwa yi-"Very Long Baseline Interferometry" (VLBI) kwaye isetyenziswa, umzekelo, ekuqwalaseleni indawo ezikuyo iimaser kwisicuku seenkwenkwezi, nasekuzobeni umtsawulo kwiikhwaza (quasars) ezikude.

Ufundo Ngehlabathi

Ii-quasars ezikungqameko lwehlabathi elibonakalayo zenza isisuselo esimi simi. Ngokuzijonga nge-VLBI singawulinganisa umgama phakathi kweeteleskophu. Ngenxa yendawo ekuyo iHartebeesthoek observatory isoloko ixakeke luphando lwamazwe ngamazwe oluphathelele kubume nokushukuma kwehlabathi. Imilinganiso yawo onke amazwe yenziwa kube kanye ngeveki kusetyenziswa iiteleskophu ezine ukuya kuma kwezisibhozo. La malinge enzelwa ukujonga ukushukuma kwamazwe ehlabathini nokulinganisa ukujika kwentsika yehlabathi ngeli xesha ihlabathi lijikelezayo.

IHartebeesthoek yiyo ekubhekiswa kuyo malunga neebhakana zophando lwesizwe (National Survey beacons). Imilinganiselo eyenziwa eHartebeesthoek iza kusinceda ekuhleleni ukuba ubushushu behla-bathi bunyusa amanzi olwandle okanye umhlaba uya unyuka okanye utshona kufuphi nolwandle.

Imfundo

Abahlohli nabafundi basezi Yunivesithi zaseMzantsi Afrika benza uphando lwabo eHartebeesthoek. Abafundi bezikolo noluntu ngokubanzi lutyelela i-observatory xa lukhenketha. Izifundo ezinomtsalane ngeli ziko ziyenziwa ezikolweni. Injongo kukufundisa ngezobugqi kwimihla yanamhlanje.

Onokubuza Kuye

Enquiries: Mike Gaylard (mike@hartrao.ac.za)
 Ifoni: (012) 326-0742 Ifax: (012) 326-0756
Idilesi: HartRAO, PO Box 443, Krugersdorp 1740, South Africa.
 World Wide Web: http://www.hartrao.ac.za


