Ukuqala Komhlaba

Cishe useke wezwa ngenkolelo-mbono okuthiwa yi-big bang, kodwa ingabe uyazazi izinto ezenzeka ngesikhathi umhlaba uqala?

Igcine ukubuyekezwa nge-13 KuNhlaba 2026

Inkolelo-mbono i-big bang iwumbono ochaza ukuthi umhlaba waqala kanjani, futhi iwona mbono owamukelwa wososayensi. Ngokwalo mbono, umhlaba waqala uyiphoyinti elilodwa vo,eliminyene, elishisayo futhi elincane kakhulu eminyakeni engamabhiliyoni angama-13.8 edlule. Yatholwa isazi sezinkanyezi saseMelika u-Edwin Hubble. Ekuqaleni, lo mbono wathola ukungabazwa okukhulu wososayensi, abanye beze bewuchitha. U-Edwin wathola ukuthi ama-galaxy ayaqhelelana. Ubufakazi baloku kuqhelelana batholwa, futhi kwatholakala nokuthi isivinini ama-galaxy aqhelelana ngaso siyakhula.

Iphoyinti elincane eliminyene labe seliqhuma, kwase kwakheka izinhlayiya ezincane. Emva kwalokho, izinhlayiya ezinkudlwana ezibizwa ngama-proton nama-neutron zaqala zakheka. Ngesikhathi kwenzeka konke lokho, okuyinto eyathatha imizuzwana embalwa nje, umhlaba wawuphola. Ama-proton kanye nama-neutron kwaqala kwahlangana kwakhanda i-nuclei, okungumgogodla we-atom. I-atom yayingakakhandeki, kwakusakhandeke i-nuclei kuphela. Ngemva kwemizuzu embalwa futhi, umhlaba waphola kakhulu futhi, ama-proton nama-neutron ayeka ukuhlangana. Kwase kusele ama-electrons ne-nuclei kuphela. 

Lokhu kwathatha iminyaka eyizinkulungwane eziningi. Emva kweminyaka ebanganiselwa kweyizinkulungwane ezi-380, ama-electron nama-nuclei kwahlangana kwakhanda ama-atom. Kwadlula ezinye izigidi zeminyaka. Ekugcineni, izinkanyezi zaqala ukwakhela kwathi emva kwalokho, umhlaba njengoba siwazi nawo wakheka. 

Ngonyaka u-1964, izazi zezinkanyezi ezimbili u-Arno Penzias no Robert Wilson bathola imisebe egcwalisa umkhathi wonke. Lemisebe ibizwa ngokuthi i-cosmic microwave background, futhi yamukelwa wososayensi njengobufakazi be-big bang. Lemisebe iwukukhanya okuhamba umkhathi wonke okusolakala ukuthi kwasuka ngesikhathi kwenzeka lokuqhuma okwaholela ekutheni kukhandeke umhlaba. U-Penzias no-Wilson baklonyeliswa nge-Nobel Prize ye-Physics ngonyaka u-1978 ngalokhu abakuthola.

Imithombo Nokufunda Okuqhubekayo

•  Britannica: Big-Bang model https://www.britannica.com/science/big-bang-model

• Institute of Physics: How did the universe start?    | https://www.iop.org/explore-physics/big-ideas-physics/big-bang

• NASA Space Place: What is the Big Bang? | https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/big-bang/en/