Ezona zinto zibonwayo emhlabeni zetekhnoloji zezosasazo lwerada yeplanethi ukusuka kwi-Arecibo Observatory yakudala. Umyalezo we-Arecibo unokufunyanwa ukuya kuthi ga kwi-12,000 yeminyaka yokukhanya kude noMhlaba ophantse ube sembindini wembindi yegalaksi. Noko ke, ukususela oko kwasasazwa isigidimi seArecibo ngowe-1974, sele sihambe kuphela iminyaka engama-50 yokukhanya. Ukunikezelwa kwexesha elifanelekileyo kunye nokuqhelaniswa nabamkeli, umyalezo we-Arecibo uya kubonwa kwi-ETI "ngobuchwephesha bezinga lomhlaba" ukuya kumgama omalunga ne-12,000 yeminyaka yokukhanya ukusuka emhlabeni xa umqondiso ufikelela kuloo mgama kwixesha elizayo. Okulandelayo bubuchwephesha be-atmospheric obufana nokukhutshwa kwenitrogen dioxide ebonwa kude ukuya kuthi ga kwi-5.7 yeminyaka yokukhanya. Ezinye ii-techno-signatures ezifana nezibane zesixeko, iilaser, iziqithi zobushushu, kunye neesathelayithi zibonwa kufutshane nomhlaba kuphela.
Ngaba kukho ubomi kwenye indawo kwindalo iphela? Amathuba obukho bobukrelekrele bangaphandle komhlaba uphezulu unikwe indalo enokubonwayo malunga nama-200 eebhiliyoni ukuya kwi-2 yezigidi zezigidi zeminyele, kunye negalaksi yasekhaya iMilky Way iyodwa inokuba phakathi kwe-1000 kunye ne-10 yezigidi zeeplanethi ezinempucuko (njengoko kuqikelelo lokuqala lukaDrake). Olu qikelelo luye lwaphuculwa ukutyhubela iminyaka. Uphononongo olupapashwe ngo-2020 lucebisa ukuba kufuneka kubekho ubuncinci be-36 yempucuko yokunxibelelana ngaphakathi kumnyele wasekhaya ngokusekwe kwingcinga yokuba umndilili wobomi bempucuko enxibelelanayo yiminyaka eli-100. Ngokumangalisayo, abukho ubungqina bobukho bobukrelekrele bangaphandle komhlaba okwangoku. Kule minyaka ingamashumi asixhenxe idlulileyo, bekukho iinzame ezingaguqukiyo zezenzululwazi zokukhangela ubukrelekrele bangaphandle komhlaba (SETI) obugxile kakhulu ekufumaneni imiqondiso yangaphandle komhlaba okanye usasazo olusuka kumazwe angaphandle komhlaba ukuya kwisijikelezi-langa sethu sasekhaya.
Nangona kunjalo, kuye kwakho amanyathelo okufikelela kubomi obukrelekrele obungaphaya komhlaba ngokuthumela imiyalezo kwimpucuko yasemzini. Ngokomzekelo, i-Pioneers 10 kunye ne-11 yemishini eyasungulwa ngo-1972-73 iqulethe iiplagi ze-aluminiyam zegolide ezibonisa indoda kunye nomfazi ehamba ze kunye nemizobo ebonisa indawo yeLanga kunye noMhlaba ngokumalunga neepulsars ukuba zisebenze njengeempawu zomhlaba. Injongo yayikukuvumela izidalwa ezikrelekrele ezihlala emhlabeni zikwazi ukunxibelelana nabantu emhlabeni ukuba amacwecwe esinyithi aye afunyanwa ngabo. Ngokunjalo, iziphekepheke zeVoyager 1 kunye neVoyager 2, ezasungulwa ngo-1977, nganye kuzo yayiphethe idisk yobhedu ecwecwe ngegolide equlethe izandi nemifanekiso ebonisa ukwahluka kobomi nenkcubeko eMhlabeni. Injongo yayikukuthetha ngebali lobomi basemhlabeni kwimpucuko ehamba phambili ehamba emajukujukwini ephakathi kweenkwenkwezi. Zombini iziphekepheke zeVoyager ngoku zikwisithuba esiphakathi kweenkwenkwezi ziphonononga eyona ncam yencam yeHeliosphere yeLanga njengeVoyager Interstellar Mission (VIM).
Ukongeza ekuthumeleni iipleyiti zentsimbi ezibhalwe imiyalezo, imiqondiso yerediyo enebhanti encinci iye yasasazwa ngabom. Umzekelo, "umyalezo we-Arecibo" yayingumyalezo kanomathotholo we-interstellar owawuphethe ulwazi olusisiseko malunga nempucuko yabantu kunye neplanethi yethu yasekhaya eyasasazwa nguFrank Drake malunga neminyaka engama-50 eyadlulayo ngo-1974. Nangona kunjalo, njenge-techno-signature (oko kukuthi, iteknoloji equka iimpawu okanye iipatheni eziphuhliswa ubomi obunengqondo kwaye ayikwazi ukuchazwa ngeziganeko zendalo) zoluntu emhlabeni, umyalezo werediyo we-Arecibo we-interstellar sele uhambe malunga neminyaka engama-13 yokukhanya kwi-interstellar space.
Ngaba umyalezo we-Arecibo unokufunyaniswa kubukrelekrele be-extra-terrestrial intelligence (ETI) phaya esithubeni? Ngaba ii-Earth techno-signatures zanamhlanje ezifana nosasazo lukanomathotholo, i-atmospheric techno-signatures, iisignesha zokukhanya kunye ne-infrared, kunye nezinto ezisesibhakabhakeni okanye kumphezulu weplanethi zinokubonwa kwii-ETIs?
Ukufunyaniswa kwemiqondiso eyahlukeneyo yetekhnoloji yotyikityo lomhlaba kwindawo ephakathi kweenkwenkwezi kuxhomekeke kwizinto ezininzi ezibandakanya ixesha, indawo/ukuqhelaniswa nomzimba ofumanayo, amandla omqondiso, ukuqhubela phambili kobuchwepheshe bempucuko efumana umqondiso, njl njl. Kwizinto ezahlukeneyo eziguquguqukayo, inqanaba lenkqubela phambili yetekhnoloji yobukrelekrele bomhlaba ongaphezulu (ETI) ibalulekile ekufumaniseni ukufunyanwa komqondiso woMhlaba. Ngenxa yamathuba aphezulu okuba khona kwe-ETIs enokuba kwinqanaba elahlukileyo lenkqubela phambili yezobuchwepheshe, yonke into inokwenzeka. Noko ke, kusenokuba luncedo ukubeka izinto ngendlela elungeleleneyo ukuba siqwalasela imeko ekhethekileyo yoqikelelo lwempucuko yangaphandle komhlaba ekwinqanaba elifanayo lenkqubela yobugcisa neyomhlaba wanamhlanje. Unokuba ngowuphi umgama omkhulu wokubonwa kweentlobo ezahlukeneyo zanamhlanje zetekhnoloji yotyikityo kwimeko enjalo? Oku kusanda kuphandwa ngabaphandi kwiphepha lamva nje elinesihloko esithi “Umgama ongakanani ubugcisa bomhlaba obunokubonwa ngobugcisa bale mihla?”.
Besebenzisa ithiyori, indlela esekwe kwimodeli, abaphandi bavavanya umgama omkhulu wokubonwa kweentlobo ezahlukeneyo zetekhnoloji zangoku ze-Earth ezifana nosasazo lwerediyo, utyikityo lwe-atmospheric, ukukhutshwa kwe-optical kunye ne-infrared, njl. Kwafunyaniswa ukuba ezona teknoloji zibonwayo emhlabeni kukuhanjiswa kwerada yeplanethi ukusuka kwi-Arecibo Observatory yakudala.
Umyalezo we-Arecibo unokufunyanwa ukuya kuthi ga kwi-12,000 yeminyaka yokukhanya ukusuka eMhlabeni ephantse ibe sembindini ukuya kwiziko le-galaksi (igalaksi yasekhaya i-Milky Way yi-105,700 yeminyaka yokukhanya ububanzi kunye ne-solar system yi-26,000 yeminyaka yokukhanya ukusuka kwiziko le-galaksi). Nangona kunjalo, ukususela oko umyalezo we-Arecibo wasasazwa ngo-1974, uhambe kuphela malunga neminyaka engama-50 yokukhanya ukuza kuthi ga ngoku (uthelekiso, ii-spacecrafts ze-Voyager ngoku ezikwisithuba se-intergalactic zihambe kuphela malunga ne-0.0026 yeminyaka yokukhanya ukuza kuthi ga ngoku). Ukunikezelwa kwexesha elifanelekileyo kunye noqhelaniso, umyalezo we-Arecibo uya kubonwa kwi-ETI "ngobuchwephesha bezinga lomhlaba" ukuya kumgama omalunga ne-12,000 yeminyaka yokukhanya ukusuka emhlabeni xa umqondiso ufikelela kuloo mgama kwixesha elizayo. Okulandelayo bubuchwephesha be-atmospheric obufana nokukhutshwa kwenitrogen dioxide ebonwa kude ukuya kwi-5.7 light-years kude (uthelekiso, iProxima Centauri, eyona nkwenkwezi ikufutshane noMhlaba emva kokuba iLanga ibekwe kumgama weminyaka eyi-4.25 yokukhanya). Ezinye ii-techno-signatures ezifana nezibane zesixeko, iilaser, iziqithi zobushushu, kunye neesathelayithi zibonwa kufutshane nomhlaba kuphela.
Ukusukela ngomyalezo we-Arecibo, eyona teknoloji inamandla ye-techno-signature ye-Earth ihambe kuphela iminyaka engama-50 yokukhanya ukuza kuthi ga ngoku ukusukela oko yathunyelwa ngo-1974, owona mgama uphezulu wokubonwa okwangoku umalunga neminyaka engama-50 yokukhanya. Kwezinye ii-techno-signatures, umgama ophezulu wokubonwa ungaphantsi kakhulu. Akukho nanye kwi-techno-signatures yoMhlaba enokuthi ifikelele ngaphaya kweminyaka engama-50 yokukhanya kwisithuba nangona usasazo lukanomathotholo lusetyenziswa malunga nenkulungwane. Le yinkcazo yoMhlaba kwihlabathi langaphandle.
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Iingxelo:
- I-Westby T., kunye ne-Conselice CJ, i-2020. I-Astrobiological Copernican ebuthathaka kunye neMida eyomeleleyo kuBomi obukrelekrele. I-Astrophysical Journal, uMqulu 896, iNombolo 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab8225
- NASA. Ingxelo yegolide. Ipapashwe nge-5 Nov 2024. Ifumaneka e https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/voyager-golden-record-overview/
- NASA. Yeyiphi imixholo yeRekhodi yeGolide? Ipapashwe 14 Aug 2024. Ifumaneka e https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/golden-record-contents/
- Iziko leSETI. Umyalezo weArecibo. Ifumaneka e https://www.seti.org/seti-institute/project/details/arecibo-message
- Iziko leSETI. Ushicilelo lweendaba-uMhlaba wokubona umhlaba. Ithunyelwe nge-2 kaFebruwari 2025. Iyafumaneka e https://www.seti.org/press-release/earth-detecting-earth
- USheikh SZ, okqhubekayo 2025. Umhlaba ojonga uMhlaba: Ungafunyaniswa kumgama ongakanani iNkwenkwezi yeTechnosignatures ngobuChwephesha bale mihla? I-Astronomical Journal, uMqulu 169, iNombolo yesi-2. Ipapashwe nge-3 kaFebruwari 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ada3c7
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Amanqaku afanelekileyo:
- Ezongezelelekileyo: Khangela iiSayino zoBomi (15 Julayi 2019)
- Inzululwazi ye-Exoplanet: UJames Webb Ushers kwiXesha elitsha (3 Septemba 2022)
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