Kupanga Mapu Osonyeza Miyamba—M’nthaŵi Zakale Ndiponso Tsopano

YOLEMBEDWA NDI MTOLANKHANI WA GALAMUKANI! KU NETHERLANDS

KUYANG’ANA nyenyezi zitangoti mbuu kuthambo lakuda lokongola, nthaŵi zambiri kwachititsa munthu kuzizwa, ndipo n’kale lonse kwakhala kukum’chititsa kulemekeza Mlengi wa zinthu zokongola zoterezi. Kalekale, mlakatuli wina anati: “Zakumwamba zimalalikira ulemerero wa Mulungu; Ndipo thambo lionetsa ntchito ya manja ake.” (Salmo 19:1) Komabe, oyang’ana kuthambo usiku akale anaona zambiri kuposa kukongola kwake chabe.

Kuona Zithunzithunzi Kuthambo

Akatswiri azakuthambo a m’nthaŵi yakale anatulukira kuti unyinji wonse wa nyenyezi unali kuoneka kuti ukuyenda mwadongosolo. Ngakhale kuti nyenyezi zinali kuyenda kuthambo kuchokera kum’maŵa ndi kukaloŵa kumadzulo, izo sizinali kusintha malo ngakhalenso kuyandikirana. * Kapena tinene kuti, usiku uliwonse magulu a nyenyezi okhaokhawo ndi amene anali kuoneka. Pakuti munthu anali kufuna kuti nyenyezi zikhale molongosoka, iye anaziika m’magulu. Mongoyerekezera chabe, magulu amenewo anali zithunzi zangati nyama, anthu, kapenanso zinthu zina zopanda moyo. Potero kunayambika mchitidwe woona nyenyezi zoikika molongosoka monga magulu a nyenyezi.

Magulu a nyenyezi ena amene tikuwadziŵa lero anatchulidwa m’Babulo wakale. Ena mwa ameneŵa ndi magulu a nyenyezi 12 oimira zizindikiro za nthanda. Zimenezi zinagwira ntchito ndipo zidakagwirabe ntchito yaikulu pa kupenda nyenyezi. Umenewu uli mchitidwe woombeza pogwiritsa ntchito nyenyezi pokhulupirira kuti izo zimakhudza zochitika za anthu. Kuombeza ndi nyenyezi, n’koletsedwa m’Baibulo. (Deuteronomo 18:10-12) Komabe, alambiri a Yehova Mulungu anali kudziŵa kuti nyenyezi zili m’magulu. Mwachitsanzo, buku la m’Baibulo la Yobu, limanena za Yehova kuti ndiye “wolenga Mlalang’amba, Akamwiniatsatana, ndi Nsangwe, ndi Kumpotosimpita.”—Yobu 9:9.

Mayina a magulu a nyenyezi ambiri omwe tikuwadziŵa masiku ano anachokera ku nthano zachigiriki za milungu. Mayina monga Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, ndi Hercules angapezekebe m’ndandanda zamakono za nyenyezi.

 Ndandanda Zakale za Nyenyezi

Cha m’ma 150 C.E., katswiri wopenda zakuthambo wachigiriki dzina lake Ptolemy analemba buku lachidule la zimene zinkadziŵika m’nthaŵi yake zokhudza zakuthambo. Buku lachiduleli lili ndi mutu wakuti Almagest, ndipo lili ndi mayina a magulu a nyenyezi 48. Mabuku osonyeza ndandanda za mayina ndiponso malo a zinthu zakuthambo amene anapangidwa zaka mazana ambiri Ptolemy atafa, nthaŵi zambiri ankasonyeza magulu a nyenyezi 48 omwewo. Ndipotu, kufikira m’zaka za m’ma 1500, chiŵerengero cha magulu a nyenyezi sichinasinthe. * Kenako, magulu ena 40 anawonjezedwa. Mu 1922 bungwe lofufuza zakuthambo lapadziko lonse lotchedwa International Astronomical Union linavomereza mwalamulo mayina a magulu a nyenyezi 88 ameneŵa.

Kuwonjezera pa magulu a nyenyezi, buku la Ptolemy lili ndi mayina a nyenyezi oposa chikwi, komanso chidziŵitso chosonyeza kuwala kwawo ndi malo amene nyenyezizo zili. Ptolemy sanangopereka malo okha amene nyenyezi zili, komanso anawonjezera zina zambiri. Mwachitsanzo, polongosola za nyenyezi ina ya m’gulu lotchedwa Ursa Major kapena Great Bear, anati ndi; “nyenyezi yokhala koyambira kwa mchira,” ndipo polongosola za malo omwe pali nyenyezi yokhala ndi mchira anati ili “kumanzere kwa bondo la mwendo wakumanja wa Andromeda.” Motero, buku lina linati, “katswiri wa zakuthambo aliyense wotchuka, anayenera kudziŵa mayina a ziwalo za zithunzithunzi zakumwamba!”

Komabe, n’chifukwa chiyani magulu ambiri a nyenyezi akale anali kumpoto kokha kwa thambo? N’chifukwa chakuti mchitidwe wopenda magulu a nyenyezi unayambira ku dera la Mediterranean komwe thambo la kumpoto limaonekera bwino, anatero mkulu wina wojambula mapu osonyeza zakuthambo. Ndipo kenaka, pamene munthu anayamba kufufuza thambo lakumwera, m’pamene magulu ena a nyenyezi anaonedwa. Ena mwa magulu atsopanoŵa ali ndi mayina monga Chemical Furnace, Pendulum Clock, Microscope ndi Telescope.

“Thambo la Nyenyezi la Akristu”

Mu 1627, wophunzira wina wa ku Germany Julius Schiller anasindikiza buku la mutu wakuti Coelum Stellatum Christianum (Thambo la Nyenyezi la Akristu). Iye anaganiza kuti nthaŵi inali itakwana yoti miyamba isakhalenso yachikunja. Chotero, anayamba kuchotsa mayina achikunja a zinthu zakuthambo ndi kuzitchula mayina ena a zinthu za m’Baibulo. Buku lakuti The Mapping of the Heavens (Kupanga Mapu Osonyeza Miyamba) linanena kuti, iye anatcha “thambo la kumpoto kukhala Chipangano Chatsopano ndipo thambo lakumwera kukhala Chipangano Chakale.” “Thambo lakumwera linapatsidwa mayina a m’nkhani zotsatizanatsatizana za m’Chipangano Chakale. Yobu analoŵa m’malo mwa gulu la nyenyezi lomwe ankalitcha kuti India ndiponso lina lotchedwa Peacock. Gulu lotchedwa Centaur analisintha n’kutchedwa Abrahamu ndi Isake.” Kuthambo lakumpoto, nyenyezi za gulu lotchedwa Cassiopeia zinasinthidwa n’kutchedwa Mariya Magdalena, ndipo zina za gulu lotchedwa Perseus zinasinthidwa n’kutchedwa Paulo Woyera, ndipo nyenyezi 12 za zizindikiro za kumwamba zinasinthidwa mosavuta n’kutchedwa atumwi 12.”

Panali gulu limodzi chabe laling’ono lomwe silinasinthidwe. Gulu limeneli ndi Columba (njiwa) lomwe ankati linali kuimira njiwa yomwe Nowa anatuma kuti ikaone ngati madzi anaphwa.

 Kusintha kwa Mapu

M’kupita kwa nthaŵi ndandanda za mayina a nyenyezi zinasintha. M’zaka za m’ma 1600, atatulukira makina oonera zinthu zakutali kwambiri wotchedwa telescope, chikhumbo chofuna kukonza ndandanda zokhala ndi miyezo yolondola ya malo enieni a nyenyezi chinakula. Kuwonjezera apo, ndandanda zoyambazo zinali zodzala ndi zokongoletsa zaluso zomwe sizinalinso zotchuka ndipo m’kupita kwa nthaŵi zinatheratu. Masiku ano, mabuku ambiri osonyeza malo a nyenyezi amangokhala ndi nyenyezi, zipale za nyenyezi, nkhungu, milalang’amba, ndi zinthu zina zochititsa chidwi kuziona usiku.

Chapakatikati pa zaka za m’ma 1800, mabuku a zithunzithunzi za nyenyezi akuluakulu anayamba kupangidwa. M’modzi mwa anthu amene anayambitsa ntchito imeneyi anali Friedrich Wilhelm Argelander wa ku Germany. Iye pamodzi ndi omuthandiza angapo, anayamba ntchito yaikulu yopanga buku la zithunzithunzi za nyenyezi za kuthambo la kumwera. Mothandizidwa ndi makina a telescope, iwo anapeza nyenyezi pafupifupi 325,000 ndiponso anayeza malo omwe zili ndiponso mlingo wa kuwala kwa iliyonse. Popeza kuti ntchitoyi inali kuchitikira mumzinda wa ku Germany wotchedwa Bonn, buku lazithunzithunzi za nyenyezi limeneli linatchedwanso kuti Bonner Durchmusterung (Kafukufuku Wachidule Wochitidwa ku Bonn). Linasindikizidwa mu 1863. Argelander atamwalira, ntchito yakeyi inapitirizidwa ndi m’modzi wa omuthandiza wake. Iyeyu anapanga mapu osonyeza nyenyezi za kuthambo lakumwera ndi kusindikiza buku lake lotchedwa Sūdliche Bonner Durchmusterung (Kafukufuku Wachidule wa Kumwera Wochitidwa ku Bonn). Buku la kafukufuku wotsiriza analisindikiza mu 1930 ndipo linatulutsidwa ku Cordoba, Argentina. Mabuku azithunzithunzi ameneŵa akhalabe otchuka mpaka tsopano.

Tsopano Ndiponso M’tsogolo

Pambuyo pa mabuku a Argelander ndi mabuku a amene analoŵa m’malo mwake, panatsatira mabuku enanso abwinopo. Komabe, m’zaka zaposachedwapa, atatulukira makina a telescope olenjekedwa mumlengalenga, kupanga mapu apamwamba amene sanaonekepo kunakhala kotheka. Mothandizidwa ndi makina a telescope a mlengalenga wotchedwa Hubble Space Telescope, akatswiri azakuthambo tsopano apanga buku lazithunzithunzi za nyenyezi lomwe lili ndi nyenyezi pafupifupi 15 miliyoni!

Zomwe zachitika posachedwapa pa nkhani ya kupanga mapu osonyeza miyamba n’zakuti, mabuku azithunzithunzi za nyenyezi aŵiri a bungwe la European Space Agency asindikizidwa. Mabukuŵa akonzedwa malinga ndi kafukufuku yemwe anachitika pogwiritsira ntchito makina a telescope a mlengalenga a mtundu wotchedwa Hipparcos. Padakali pano palibe mabuku ena olondola mofanana ndi mabuku atsopano ameneŵa. Mogwiritsira ntchito mabuku ameneŵa, mabuku atsopano osonyeza malo a nyenyezi apangidwa. Pa mabuku ameneŵa pali lina lalikulu kwambiri lotchedwa Millennium Star Atlas (Buku Losonyeza Malo a Nyenyezi la Zaka Chikwi) ndipo lili ndi zigawo zazikulu zitatu

Mutu umenewu ungakumbutse amene amaŵerenga Baibulo za Zaka Chikwi, kapenanso kuti Zaka Chikwi za Ulamuliro wa mtendere wa Kristu, wotchulidwa m’Baibulo. (Chivumbulutso 20:4) Mosakayikira, m’nthaŵi imeneyo munthu adzaphunzira zochuluka zedi zokhudza chilengedwe chodabwitsachi. Mabuku akuluakulu amakono osonyeza malo a nyenyezi amangoonetsa mbali zake zochepa basi.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Chithunzi patsamba 25]

Ndandanda ya nyenyezi ya Apia, 1540

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Talandira chilolezo ku British Library (Maps C.6.d.5.: Apian’s Star Chart)

[Chithunzi patsamba 26]

Mmene Thambo la Kumwera ankalionetsera m’zaka zana la 19

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

© 1998 Visual Language

[Chithunzi patsamba 27]

Gulu la nyenyezi lotchedwa Orion monga momwe limaonekera m’buku latsopano la kaundula wa nyenyezi

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 27]

Chithunzi pa masamba 25-27: Courtesy of ROE/Anglo-Australian Observatory, chojambulidwa ndi David Malin