Ohlwini lwezifiso ze-astronomeros zeminyaka eyishumi ezayo: izibonakude ezimbili ezinkulu nesibonakude sasemkhathini ukucinga ukuphila ngale koMhlaba kanye nomhlaba okuhlalwa kuwo.
Izazi zezinkanyezi zaseMelika ngoLwesine zicele i-United States ukuthi itshale imali esizukulwaneni esisha sezibonakude “ezinkulu kakhulu” ezibiza izigidigidi zamaRandi. Lezi zibonakude zizoba zikhulu kunanoma yiziphi izibonakude ezisemhlabeni njengamanje noma ku-orbit yasemkhathini.
Lokhu kutshalwa kwezimali kuzodinga insindiso kanye nenhlanganisela yemizamo yamaphrojekthi amabili aqhudelanayo, okuyitheleskopu enkulukazi i-Magellan kanye nesibonakude esingamamitha angama-30. Uma sekuqediwe, ukuzwela kwalezi zibonakude ezinobubanzi obuyi-condenser obukhulu obungamamitha angama-25 namamitha angama-30 kuzoba ngaphezulu ngokuphindwe izikhathi eziyi-100 kunanoma yisiphi isibonakude esisetshenziswayo njengamanje.
Ziyosiza izazi zezinkanyezi ukuba zibone umnyombo wemithala ekude ekujuleni kwayo, lapho kuzulazula khona izimbobo ezinkulu ezimnyama futhi ziphahle amandla; phenya izimfihlakalo zento emnyama namandla amnyama; nokufunda amaplanethi azungeze izinkanyezi ngaphandle kwelanga. Mhlawumbe okubaluleke nakakhulu, bangaphakamisa imibuzo emisha mayelana nemvelo yendawo yonke.
Kodwa izazi zezinkanyezi bezilokhu zizama ukuqoqa imali eyanele iminyaka ukuze zifeze amaphupho azo. Esiphakamisweni esisha, iNational Science Foundation izohlinzeka ngezigidigidi eziyi-1.6 zamadola aseMelika ukuze kuqedelwe le miklamo emibili, bese isize ukuyiqhuba njengengxenye yephrojekthi entsha ebizwa ngokuthi i-US Very Large Telescope.
NgoLwesine, izazi zezinkanyezi ziphinde zanxusa i-NASA ukuthi iqale uhlelo olusha olukhulu lwe-observatory kanye nokuvuthwa kobuchwepheshe, oluzothuthukisa uchungechunge lwemikhumbi-mkhathi ye-astrophysics eminyakeni engu-20 kuya kwengu-30 ezayo. Esokuqala isibonakude sokukhanya esikhulu kune-Hubble Space Telescope, esingasesha futhi sihlole amaplanethi asemhlabeni endaweni eseduze-okungenzeka kube “i-exo-Earth” ekwazi ukuhlaleka. Izazi zezinkanyezi zithi yi-NASA kuphela engenza lokhu, futhi yaveza ukuthi ingase isilungele ngo-2040 ngezindleko zamaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-11.
Lezi zincomo ezimbili zinkulu embikweni obulindelwe ngabomvu onamakhasi angama-614 othi “Izindlela Zokuthola Ku-Astronomy ne-Astrophysics ngeminyaka yo-2020” okhishwe yiNational Academy of Sciences, i-Academy of Engineering, kanye neSikole Sezokwelapha ngoLwesine.
Eminyakeni engu-70 edlule, njalo eminyakeni eyi-10, isikhungo semfundo ephakeme siye saxhasa inhlolovo yomphakathi wesayensi yezinkanyezi ukuze kubekwe izinto ezibalulekile ezibalulekile kule minyaka eyishumi ezayo. Njengoba sonke sazi, uphenyo lweminyaka eyishumi ludonse ukunaka kweCongress, NASA, National Science Foundation, kanye noMnyango Wezamandla.
Umsebenzi walo nyaka uyigatsha le-Astronomy ka-Fiona A. Harrison we-California Institute of Technology kanye no-Robert C. Astronomy wase-University of Arizona kanye ne-Texas A&M University. Kwalethwa amaphepha amhlophe angama-860 ukuze enze ucwaningo, achaza izibonakude ezingase zibe khona, ukuthunyelwa kohambo lwasemkhathini okufanele kwethulwe, ukuhlola noma ukubhekwa okufanele kwenziwe, kanye nokwehlukahlukana kwezinkinga umphakathi wesayensi yezinkanyezi okufanele ubhekane nazo.
UDkt. Harrison engxoxweni uthe ikomiti labo lizamile ukulinganisa phakathi kwezifiso kanye nesikhathi nemali edingekayo ukwenza lezi zinhlelo. Ngokwesibonelo, kuye kwahlongozwa imibono eminingana mayelana nemikhumbi-mkhathi yokuhlola amaplanethi. Ezinye zinkulu kakhulu, ezinye zincane kakhulu; abanye kuthatha ikhulu leminyaka ukuze bafeze. Ithimba alizange likhethe oyedwa wabo, kodwa licele umphakathi kanye neNASA ukuthi baqhamuke nombono wesibonakude somkhathi esingamamitha ayi-6. (Isibuko esiyinhloko se-Hubbleos singamamitha angu-2.4 ububanzi.)
“Lokhu kuwukuhlola okubalulekile,” engeza. “I-NASA kuphela ne-United States kuphela engenza lokhu. Sikholelwa ukuthi singakwenza.”
UMat Mountain, usihlalo we-Association for University Astronomy Research (AURA), ephethe indawo yokubuka i-National Science Foundation, uchaze umbiko weminyaka eyishumi “njengonesibindi kakhulu” ku-imeyili. "Futhi abazange bakugweme ukuchaza umbono amashumi eminyaka, okuyikhona okudingayo nokudinga ukukuthatha."
Ucwaningo lweminyaka eyishumi lunomlando oyimpumelelo. I-Hubble Space Telescope kanye ne-James Webb Space Telescope, ezethulwa ngo-1990 futhi asasebenza-aklanyelwe ukubona ukuqala kwesikhathi, futhi ahlelelwe ukwethulwa ngenyanga ezayo - ahlomule ngokusezingeni eliphezulu ocwaningweni lweminyaka eyishumi edlule. .
Ngakho-ke, imiphakathi ye-astronomy ne-astrophysics ilindele ngabomvu imiphumela yophenyo ngalunye olusha. "Ikomidi belihlala liyimfihlo," kusho uNatalie Batalha, uprofesa eNyuvesi yaseCalifornia, eSanta Cruz, ku-imeyili ngobusuku bangaphambi kombiko. WayeseNASAos Kepler Planet. Udlale indima ehamba phambili emsebenzini wokusesha. “Uma ngikhuluma iqiniso, angizwanga lutho. Angisakwazi ukulinda.”
Embikweni walo wangoLwesine, leli kolishi lifake ohlwini lwezinhloso ezintathu eziphelele zesayensi zeminyaka eyishumi ezayo: ukufuna amaplanethi okuhlalwa kuwo nokuphila; ukutadisha izimbobo ezimnyama nezinkanyezi ze-neutron, okuyizimbangela zezenzakalo ezinobudlova kakhulu emvelweni; kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwemithala. Ukukhula nokuziphendukela kwemvelo.
Lo mbiko uthi: “Emashumini ambalwa eminyaka ezayo azobeka isintu endleleni yokunquma ukuthi sisodwa yini.” “Ukuphila Emhlabeni kungase kube umphumela wenqubo efanayo, noma kungase kudinge uchungechunge lwezindawo ezizungezile ezingavamile ukuthi Siwukuphela kwesidalwa emthaleni ngisho nasendaweni yonke. Noma iyiphi impendulo ijulile.”
Umbono wephrojekthi ye-Very Large Telescope ungowokuvelela ngoba ubandakanya inhlanganisela yamaphrojekthi ebonakude amabili aqhudelanayo, okuyitheleskopu engamamitha angu-30 ehlelelwe phezulu eMauna Kea eHawaii noma eCanary Islands eSpain, kanye nesibonakude esikhulu esiqhubekayo iMagellan. E-Chile.
Zombili izibonakude ziwukubambisana okukhulu kwamazwe ngamazwe kanye nomkhiqizo oyiphupho wokukhulisa izimali nokuqasha ozakwethu kule minyaka eyishumi edlule. Umthamo walezi zibonakude ezimbili ucishe uphindwe kathathu kunanoma yisiphi isibonakude esiseMhlabeni, futhi amandla okubona izinkanyezi ezicashile nezikude endaweni yonke bukhulu ngokuphindwe izikhathi eziyikhulu. Ngokusebenzisana, bangaxazulula imibuzo ejulile ngomkhathi. Kodwa ayikho iphrojekthi eqoqe imali eyanele engaphezu kuka-$2 billion edingekayo ukuze kuzuzwe izinhloso zayo.
Uma lezi zibonakude zingakwazi ukwakhiwa, iYurophu izonikeza ubuholi bayo besayensi yezinkanyezi zasemhlabeni eYurophu, eyakha isibonakude esingamamitha angama-39 eChileos Atacama Desert-the European Very Large Telescope-okulindeleke ukuthi iqale ukusebenza ngo-2027. Ezinye izazi zezinkanyezi ziqhathanise ukukhanselwa kwephrojekthi ye-American Superconducting Supercollider yango-1993, eyanika i-CERN ikusasa le-particle physics kanye ne-Large Hadron Collider e-Geneva.
Uma iNational Science Foundation itshala imali ekuqedeni lezi zibonakude ezimbili, izothola isikhathi esiningi sokubona, esizonikezwa izazi zezinkanyezi zaseMelika.
UDkt. Harrison wathi: “Lezi zibonakude ezimbili zitholakala kuma-hemispheres abhekene futhi zinemiklamo ehluke ngokuphelele. Zifaneleka kakhulu ezifundweni ezihambisanayo zendawo yonke.” "Akunangqondo ukucabanga ukuthi i-United States ngeke ikwazi ukuyithola."
Izinselelo ezinkulu zisilindile. Iqembu elikhulu le-Magellan liphule phansi eChile, kodwa inqubekelaphambili yesibonakude esingamamitha angu-30 iye yavinjwa imibhikisho nokuvinjwa kwabantu boMdabu baseHawaii namanye amaqembu. Enye indawo ikhethiwe eLa Palma, eCanary Islands.
Uma kubhekwa ukugcizelelwa kwamanje kwengqalasizinda kanye nesabelomali sesayensi esikhula njalo, izazi zezinkanyezi zinethemba lokuthi izinkanyezi zizohambisana nombono wazo onesibindi. Kodwa baye bakhathazwa umlando wokweqiwa kwezindleko. Okuphawuleka kakhulu yiJames Webb Space Telescope. Ngemuva kweminyaka yokubambezeleka, isibonakude sizokwethulwa ngoZibandlela ngenani lokugcina lama-US$10 billion.
“Konke lokhu kugutyungelwe yi-JWST-lonke uhlelo luzosekelwe empumelelweni yalo,” kusho uMichael Turner, isazi sendawo yonke kanye nomakadebona wocwaningo lweminyaka eyishumi osesebenza eKavli Foundation eLos Angeles. "Iminwe yaphambana."
Ungalokothi uphuthelwe ukusitheka kwelanga, izihlambi ze-meteor, ukuqaliswa kwamarokhethi nanoma yimiphi eminye imicimbi yezinkanyezi neyemkhathi ngale kwalo mhlaba.
Isikhathi sokuthumela: Nov-15-2021
