Izindaba Zemboni

Njengoba singena ngoJanuwari 2026, abathandi bezinkanyezi kanye nababuka izinkanyezi ngokunganaki banokuningi abangakulindela esibhakabhakeni sasebusuku. Esinye sezenzakalo zasezulwini ezilindelwe kakhulu kule nyanga yi-Quadrantid meteor shower, edume ngokukhanya kwayo kanye nenani elikhulu le-meteor. Ngokuvamile, amaQuadrantid angakhiqiza ama-meteor afinyelela ku-80 ngehora ngesikhathi esicongweni sawo, okwenza kube ngesinye se-meteor shower esimangalisayo kakhulu sonyaka.

INyanga Egcwele kaFebhuwari 2026, eyaziwa ngokuthi iNyanga Yesithwathwa, ihlelelwe ukukhazimula esibhakabhakeni sasebusuku ngeSonto, umhla lu-1 kuFebhuwari. Lesi senzakalo sasezulwini siphawula inyanga yesibili egcwele yonyaka futhi sithembisa umbono omuhle kakhulu kubabukeli bezinkanyezi kanye nabathandi bezinkanyezi ngokufanayo. INyanga Yesithwathwa izobekwa endaweni yezinkanyezi iCancer, inikeze ithuba eliyingqayizivele lokubuka inyanga eduze kwezinye izindawo ezithakazelisayo zasezulwini.

Ekuthuthukisweni okujabulisayo kwesayensi yasemkhathini, iqembu lezazi zezinkanyezi ezingewona ama-amateur ezixhumene ne-NASA lithole ama-asteroid asebenzayo ayi-15 angavamile, okukhanyisa okusha ngokwakhiwa kanye nokuvela kwesimiso sethu sonozungezilanga. Lokhu okutholakele okumangalisayo kugcizelela iminikelo ebalulekile abathandi bezinkanyezi abangayenza ocwaningweni lwesayensi futhi kujulisa ukuqonda kwethu ngalezi zidalwa zasezulwini eziyimfihlakalo.

Kusukela ekuqaleni kwayo ukusebenza kwesayensi ngo-2022, i-James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) ishintshe ukuqonda kwethu indawo yonke yakuqala, iletha ukuqonda okungakaze kubonwe ngaphambili ngokwakhiwa nokuvela kwemithala, izinkanyezi, nezakhiwo ze-cosmic. Naphezu kwalezi mpumelelo eziphawulekayo, enye yezimfihlakalo ezijulile kakhulu kwi-astrophysics yanamuhla—uhlobo lwezinto ezimnyama—isalokhu ingaqondakali. Kodwa-ke, izifundo zakamuva ezisebenzisa amakhono athuthukile e-JWST ukuhlaziya isimo se-galaxy zisondeza ososayensi kunanini ngaphambili ekwembuleni iqiniso ngalesi sici se-cosmic esingabonakali.

Ngosuku lokugujwa kweminyaka engu-413 kokusungulwa kwethelesikopu, sicabanga ngezinto ezitholwe nguGalileo Galilei ezashintsha ukuqonda kwethu indawo yonke phakade. NgoJanuwari 7, 1610, uGalileo wasebenzisa ithelesikopu yakhe ayezenzele yona ukuze abone izinyanga ezine ezizungeza iJupiter—i-Io, i-Europa, i-Ganymede, ne-Callisto. Lokhu kutholakala okukhulu kwanikeza ubufakazi bokuqala obuphathekayo bokuthi akuzona zonke izidalwa zasezulwini ezizungeza uMhlaba, ziphonsela inselelo ngqo imodeli ye-geocentric ehlala isikhathi eside evunyelwe yiSonto futhi isekela inkolelo-mbono ye-heliocentric yaseCopernican.

I-Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope enamamitha ayikhulu nanhlanu, eyaziwa kakhulu ngokuthi i-FAST, iphakathi kwezinsimbi zesayensi eziphawuleka kakhulu emhlabeni. Itholakala eShayina, i-FAST idume ngobukhulu bayo obukhulu kanye nomklamo wayo oyingqayizivele, okwenza ikwazi ukubona indawo yonke ngokuzwela okungakaze kubonwe ngaphambili.

Muva nje, i-comet entsha i-C/2025 R3 (i-PanSTARRS) isondela kancane kancane ohlelweni lwangaphakathi lwelanga, okunikeza izazi zezinkanyezi ithuba lokubuka elingavamile. I-comet yatholakala ngoSepthemba 2025 futhi kulindeleke ukuthi ifinyelele i-perihelion ekupheleni kuka-Ephreli 2026, okuyisikhathi lapho iseduze kakhulu nomhlaba. Ngaleso sikhathi, izowela imijikelezo ye-Venus ne-Mercury futhi ibe yindawo ekhanyayo esibhakabhakeni sasebusuku.

Imakethe yama-smart binoculars emhlabeni wonke ilungele ukukhula okukhulu eminyakeni eyishumi ezayo, kanti usayizi wayo kulindeleke ukuthi ukhule usuka ku-$1.2 billion ngo-2024 uye cishe ku-$2.6 billion ngo-2034. Lokhu kumelela izinga lokukhula elihlanganisiwe lonyaka (CAGR) elingu-8.3%, eliqhutshwa yinhlanganisela yentuthuko yezobuchwepheshe kanye nesidingo esikhulayo emikhakheni eyahlukene.

Njengoba unyaka usondela esiphelweni, ababukeli besibhakabhaka emhlabeni wonke balungiselela esinye sezenzakalo zasezulwini ezilindelwe kakhulu zika-2025—imvula ye-Geminid meteor. Njengoba yenzeka minyaka yonke ngoDisemba, ama-Geminid aziwa ngama-meteor awo akhanyayo, anemibala kanye nesivinini esikhulu somsebenzi, okwenza abe yintandokazi phakathi kwabathandi bezinkanyezi kanye nababukeli abavamile ngokufanayo.