Arthur Greene
Ngenxa kaSolwazi uJustin Jonas, uma impilo ye-alien ingake itholwe ngabantu, cishe kuyozwakala kuqala eNingizimu Afrika.
Ngonyaka wezi-2000 kwaba nesibonakude esisodwa somsakazo esasisebenza eNingizimu Afrika. Kwakuyi-Hartebeesthoek Radio Observatory enesizungu ezintabeni zase-Magaliesberg, ku-50km entshonalanga yeGoli.
Futhi izwe lalihlala izazi ze-astronomers ezinemisakazo emihlanu kuphela. Omunye wabafundi be-astronomer kwakunguSolwazi uJustin Jonas, okwathi, eminyakeni engama-20 kamuva, waletha iNingizimu Afrika phambili emkhakheni wezesayensi eyedwa.
Manje sekukhona izibonakude zomsakazo zaseNingizimu Afrika ezingama-64 ze-MeerKAT ezisendaweni ethulile ye-Great Karoo eNtshonalanga Kapa.
NgoNtulikazi ngowezi-2021, iNingizimu Afrika yaba phambili ngokwakhiwa kwe-‘Square Kilometre Array ‘(i-SKA), izitsha ezingeziwe eziyi-133 ukwakha iqoqo elikhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni.
Izibonakude zizobamba amaza omsakazo akhiqizwa ukuzalwa nokufa kwezinkanyezi, ukusiza isintu ukuba siqonde udaba olumnyama oluyindida nokuthi imithala yakhiwa kanjani ngemuva kokuqhuma okukhulu.
Futhi konke kwaqala ngonyaka wezi-2001, lapho uJonas enikeza isethulo kwabanye bengqondo bezesayensi abakhulu abaphakamisa ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika kufanele ibe yindawo lapho okutholwa khona iqoqo elilodwa elikhulu kunawo wonke lama-radio telescope. Ekupheleni kosuku, ukubamba iqhaza kweNingizimu Afrika kulo msebenzi kuthathwa njengokufanele, futhi uJonas wakhethwa ukuphatha.
UJonas wagxila phambili emhlabeni we-radio astromony, wahambela umhlaba wonke ukwenza ukuba umbono wakhe uphile.
“Ngangiphuza ubhiya futhi ngidonsa ubusuku bonke ngobumnandi nobuhle bomhlaba we-radio astronomy,” utshele i-Karoo Space.
I-SKA izophothulwa ngonyaka wezi-2030, eminyakeni emine nje ukusuka esikhumbuzweni sama-200 sonyaka lapho ngowe-1834, uSir John Herschel, omunye wezazi ze-astronomers odume kakhulu emlandweni, efika eKapa evela eBrithani ezobhala zonke izinkanyezi esibhakabhakeni ebusuku.
“Kwesinye isikhathi kuyadingeka ukuthi ngizincwebe. Kwenzekile, futhi kuyasebenza,” kusho uJonas.
Umthombo wesithombe: @scibus