Siyazi ukuthi iplanethi iSaturn inamasathelayithi amaningi. Eyokuqala neyinhloko yaziwa ngegama elithi I-Titan. Kuyisathelayithi efundwe kahle enezici ezihlukile kuzo zonke ezinye izinyanga zeSaturn. Kwenzeka okufanayo nakwezinye iziphuphutheki zamanye amaplanethi. Lezi zici eziyingqayizivele ziye zavusa ilukuluku lososayensi.
Ngakho-ke, sizonikezela lesi sihloko ukuze sikutshele ngezici ze-Titan, ukutholakala kwayo, umkhathi nokunye okuningi.
Izici eziyinhloko
I-Titan iyisathelayithi yesibili ngobukhulu esimisweni sonozungezilanga, ilandela i-Ganymede, ezungeza i-Jupiter. Ngaphandle kwalokho, I-Titan ukuphela kwesathelayithi esimisweni sethu sonozungezilanga esinomoya ominyene.. Lo mkhathi wakhiwe ngokuyinhloko i-nitrogen, kodwa futhi uqukethe i-methane namanye amagesi. Ngenxa yalokhu kwakheka, indawo ye-Titan imbozwe amachibi nolwandle lwe-methane ewuketshezi ne-ethane, kunokuba amanzi awuketshezi njengaseMhlabeni.
Kule sathelayithi sithola nezintaba, izindunduma zesihlabathi nemifula, nakuba esikhundleni samanzi, le mifula yakhiwe uketshezi lwe-hydrocarbon. Ngaphandle kwalokho, Ubuso be-Titan buhlala bushintsha ngenxa yomsebenzi we-geological kanye nomthelela wemimoya.
Esinye isici esithakazelisayo se-Titan ukuthi inomjikelezo we-methane ofana nomjikelezo wamanzi eMhlabeni. Emhlabeni, amanzi ayahwamuka olwandle, akhe amafu, bese ehla njengemvula phezu komhlaba. Kulesi sathelayithi, i-methane iyahwamuka isuka emachibini nasezilwandle, yakhe amafu, bese inetha njengemvula phezu komhlaba.
Ososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi i-Titan ingaba namandla okusekela ukuphila, nakuba kungenjalo njengoba siyazi eMhlabeni ngenxa yezimo ezimbi kakhulu zemvelo yayo. Imishini ye-NASA Cassini-Huygens ifunde i-Titan iminyaka engaphezu kweshumi futhi ithole ulwazi oluningi mayelana nale sathelayithi.
Ukutholwa kwe-Titan
Ngonyaka ka-1655 isazi sezinkanyezi saseDashi uChristiaan Huygens, esebenzisa isibonakude sakhe, uthole into ezungeza iSaturn. Ekuqaleni, wayengenaso isiqiniseko sokuthi kuyini, kodwa ngemva kokubheka izikhathi ezimbalwa waphetha ngokuthi kwakuyisathelayithi. U-Huygens waqamba isathelayithi ngokuthi "i-Titan" ngemuva komdondoshiya wezinganekwane zamaGreki owayeyindodana kaGaea no-Uranus. Eqinisweni, u-Huygens uphinde wathola amanye amasathelayithi amathathu eSaturn, kodwa i-Titan yayiyinkulu kunazo zonke futhi yayithakazelisa kakhulu.
Eminyakeni eyalandela, ukubhekwa okwengeziwe kwesathelayithi kwenziwa, kodwa ngenxa yomthamo olinganiselwe wezibonakude zangaleso sikhathi, alukho ulwazi olwengeziwe oluningi obelungatholakala. Kwaze kwaba yilapho kufika isikhathi sasemkhathini, ngawo-1970, lapho i-NASA yathumela khona umsebenzi weVoyager 1 ukuhlola uhlelo lweSaturn.
Imishini ye-Voyager 1 inikeze izithombe zokuqala zekhwalithi ephezulu ze-Titan, okuvumela ososayensi ukuthi bahlole umkhathi wesathelayithi kanye nokuvela kwayo ngokuningiliziwe. Kodwa kwakuyimishini yeCassini-Huygens, eyasungulwa ngo-1997 futhi yafinyelela kuSaturn ngo-2004, eyasinika umbono ophelele kakhulu we-Titan.
I-Huygens probe yafika endaweni ye-Titan ngo-2005 futhi kwaba umkhumbi-mkhathi wokuqala owahlala kwisathelayithi ngaphandle kweNyanga. Imishini ye-Cassini-Huygens inikeze ingcebo yedatha futhi iguqule ukuqonda kwethu i-Titan. Ngenxa yobuchwepheshe, ukwazile ukufunda okwengeziwe ngento eyatholwa eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-300 edlule.
Umkhathi we-Titan
Kubalulekile ukusho ukuthi umkhathi we-Titan uminyene kakhulu kunowoMhlaba. Eqinisweni, inomfutho womoya osemkhathini ongaphezu kokuphindwe kabili kowoMhlaba. Futhi, ngokungafani noMhlaba, umkhathi we-Titan wenziwe kakhulu nge-nitrogen, ngo-98,4% wevolumu yayo yonke.
Okwenza umkhathi walesi sathelayithi uthakazelise nakakhulu ukuthi uqukethe ne-methane, i-ethane namanye amagesi, okuwenza uhluke kuwo wonke isimiso sonozungezilanga. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuba khona kwala magesi kuye kwaholela ekwakhekeni kongqimba lwenkungu emkhathini we-Titan, yingakho kunzima ukubona ubuso bayo ngezibonakude.
Ngenxa yobukhona be-methane, kunemijikelezo yesimo sezulu efana naleyo eseMhlabeni. Okusho ukuthi, kukhona ukuhwamuka kwe-methane evela emachibini angaphezulu nolwandle, ukwakheka kwamafu, imvula, kanye nokumiswa komhlaba. Eqinisweni, imifula namachibi atholakala endaweni ye-Titan kucatshangwa ukuthi enziwe nge-methane ewuketshezi.
Ososayensi baye babona izinguquko zesizini emkhathini we-Titan, njengokwakheka kwamafu eqhwa ezigxotsheni phakathi nobusika nokuvela kwezishingishane emkhathini ehlobo.
Umehluko ngeplanethi enguMhlaba
Okokuqala, kufanele kushiwo ukuthi i-Titan iyisathelayithi, kanti uMhlaba uyiplanethi. Lokhu kusho ukuthi i-Titan ayinawo umkhathi ofanele ukuphila ngendlela esiwazi ngayo. Futhi, ngoba i-Titan ibanda kakhulu kunoMhlaba, ubuso bawo bumbozwe i-methane neqhwa le-ethane esikhundleni samanzi.
Omunye umehluko omkhulu ukuthi isathelayithi ayinawo amandla kazibuthe, okusho ukuthi ayivikelwe ezinhlayiyeni ezigcwele amandla ezivela eLangeni.Lokhu kwenza imisebe esebusweni be-Titan ibe phezulu kakhulu kunaseMhlabeni. Futhi, amandla adonsela phansi aphansi kakhulu kunaseMhlabeni. Ukube besiku-Titan, besingagxuma kakhulu kunaseplanethi yethu.
Ekugcineni, omunye umehluko omkhulu ukuthi izinga lokushisa kwisathelayithi libanda kakhulu kunaseMhlabeni. Izinga lokushisa elijwayelekile ebusweni besathelayithi licishe libe -180 degrees Celsius, kuyilapho izinga lokushisa elivamile emhlabeni lizungeze ama-degree angu-15. Lokhu kusho ukuthi noma iyiphi impilo engaba khona ku-Titan kuzodingeka ivumelane nezimo ezimbi kakhulu kunalezo ezisemhlabeni.
Ngithemba ukuthi ngalolu lwazi ungafunda kabanzi mayelana nesathelayithi ye-Titan nezici zayo.