"...i-astronomy ngamava athobileyo nakha ubuntu. Mhlawumbi akukho ndlela ingcono yokubonakalisa ubuyatha bokuzicingela kwabantu kunale mfanekiso ikude yehlabathi lethu elincinci. Kum, igxininisa uxanduva lwethu lokusebenzelana ngobubele ngakumbi, nokugcina nokugcina ichaphaza eliluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, ikhaya ekuphela kwalo esakha salazi ." — Carl Sagan
Ngesikhumbuzo seminyaka, esi sisicatshulwa esivela kwintetho kaCarl Sagan awayinikela ngo-1994 emva kokuba iVoyager 1, ngomhla we-14 kweyoMdumba 1990 ithathe umfanekiso wokugqibela woMhlaba, owaziwa kakhulu ngokuba 'lichaphaza eliluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka', ukusuka kumgama weebhiliyoni ezi-6 zeekhilomitha (iibhiliyoni ezi-3.7 zeekhilomitha, iikhilomitha ezingama-40.5 ze-AU), ngaphambi kokuba ashiye inkqubo yelanga iye kwindawo enzulu . Isihloko kunye nombhalo ziboniswe ngamazwi akhe ngokuchanekileyo.
''...jonga kwakhona elo nqaku. Lilapha. Likhaya. Lilapha. Lilapha. Kulapho ke. Kulapho ke wonke umntu omthandayo , wonke umntu omaziyo, wonke umntu owakha weva ngaye, wonke umntu owakha waphila ubomi bakhe. Uvuyo lwethu kunye nokubandezeleka, amawaka eenkolo ezithembekileyo, iingcamango, kunye neemfundiso zoqoqosho, wonke umzingeli kunye nomzingeli, wonke umqhawe kunye negwala, wonke umdali kunye nomtshabalalisi wempucuko, wonke ukumkani kunye nomlimi, wonke umbhangqwana osemtsha othandanayo, wonke umama notata, umntwana onethemba, umqambi kunye nomhloli, wonke utitshala wezokuziphatha, wonke umntu wezopolitiko owonakeleyo, wonke "inkwenkwezi," wonke "inkokeli ephakamileyo," wonke umntu ongcwele kunye nomoni kwimbali yeentlobo zethu babehlala apho - phezu kothuli oluxhonywe kwilanga.
Umhlaba liqonga elincinci kakhulu kwindawo enkulu yendalo yonke. Cinga ngemilambo yegazi echithekileyo ngabo bonke oojenerali kunye nabalawuli ukuze, ngozuko noloyiso, babe ziinkosi zexeshana ezincinci kakhulu. Cinga ngenkohlakalo engapheliyo etyelelwe ngabemi bekona enye yale pixel kubemi abangaqhelekanga bekona ethile, indlela abaqondana ngayo rhoqo, indlela abazimisele ngayo ukubulalana, indlela abathiyene ngayo kakhulu.
Indlela esimi ngayo, ukuzibona sibalulekile, ukukhohlisa ukuba sinesikhundla esikhethekileyo kwiNdalo iphela , kuphoswa yile ngongoma yokukhanya okukhanyayo. Iplanethi yethu yinkcenkce eyedwa ebumnyameni obukhulu obugubungelayo bendalo. Ebumnyameni bethu, kulo lonke olu bukhulu, akukho cebiso lokuba uncedo luya kuvela kwenye indawo ukuze lusisindise kuthi.
Umhlaba kuphela kwehlabathi elaziwayo ukuza kuthi ga ngoku ukuba ligcine ubomi. Akukho ndawo enye, ubuncinci kwikamva elikufutshane, apho iintlobo zethu zinokufudukela khona. Ndwendwela, ewe. Zinzile, okwangoku. Uthanda okanye awuthandi, okwangoku uMhlaba ulapho simisa khona.
Kuye kwathiwa i-astronomy yinto ethobayo kwaye iyakha ubuntu. Akukho mhlawumbi akukho mbonakaliso ingcono yobudenge bokuziphakamisa komntu kunalo mfanekiso ukude welizwe lethu elincinane. Kum, igxininisa uxanduva lwethu lokusebenzelana ngobubele ngakumbi, kunye nokugcina nokuxabisa ichaphaza eliluhlaza, ekuphela kwekhaya esikhe salazi''.
- UCarl Sagan
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umthombo:
I-Carl Sagan Institute. Intetho kaCarl Sagan ethi “Lost” ka-1994: Ixesha lokuHlola.
