Emva kokufunda iMars amashumi eminyaka, izazinzulu ziyavuma ukuba kukho ithuba elihle lokuba i-asteroid okanye ifuthe le-comet litshintshe isiphelo sePlanethi ebomvu. Xa kuthelekiswa noMhlaba, iMars izele yimingxuma yecrafti, ayimangalisi into yokuba indawo kaMars ikwimeko engathandekiyo kwinkqubo yethu yelanga, ecaleni kwebhanti yeasteroid.
Ngenxa yoko, iMars iyaqhubeka nokuxhamla ii-asteroids, kwaye ngokungafaniyo noMhlaba, iMars ayinayo inyanga enkulu ukuyikhusela kwii-asteroids ezingenayo.
Ukujonga emva kwexesha, siyazi ukuba amatye amakhulu esithuba achaphazele uMhlaba ngaphambili, kwaye ezinye zeempembelelo zinokuthi zitshintshe ikhosi kwimbali yethu.
I-Chicxulub impembelelo ye-crater, ehlala kwi-peninsula yase-Yucatan yaseMexico (jonga umfanekiso ongentla), yenye yezona ndlela zibalaseleyo esizaziyo, kwaye ezinye iingcali zikholelwa ukuba yayisisona sizathu sokuphela kwedinosaur.
Ngaba kunokwenzeka ukuba into efanayo inokwenzeka eMars ukuba kwenzeka into efanayo eMhlabeni? EMars, safumanisa indawo enomdla kwindawo yaseLyot ekumgama oziikhilomitha ezili-125 ububanzi.
Ubungakanani bale crater ye-crater bubonisa indlela eyayinempembelelo ngayo, kwaye isenokuba sesinye sezizathu zokuba iMars ibe “yintlango” ngoku.
Impembelelo ye-comet inokuthi yonakalise inkqubo yeplanethi kaMars. Isenokuba sisiganeko esiyintlekele ngokubhekisele kutshintsho lwemozulu. Ngaba kunokwenzeka ukuba uMars wayephila ixesha elide ngaphambi kokuba aphulukane nomoya ojikeleze umhlaba?
Nkqu nempucuko eyayikade ibizwa ngokuba yiMars "likhaya" ngoku iphelile. Ukuba kunjalo, bayaphi iiMartian? Ngaba bayenzile bephila? Ngaba bakwazile ukubaleka ngaphambi kwentlekele? Ngaba uMars uqhagamshelwe eMhlabeni nangayiphi na indlela? Le yimibuzo embalwa kwimibuzo emininzi efuna ukuphendulwa.
IViking ndafika kwinjongo yayo, iMars, ngoJulayi 20, 1976, emva kohambo lweenyanga ezilishumi ukusuka eMhlabeni. Iifoto endazibuyela eViking eMhlabeni zazinomtsalane, kwaye ezinye zazo zatyhila ukuba uMars wayengenguye lowo ungafaniyo noMhlaba.
Ezinye iindawo ezikuMars, ezinjengeDeath Valley, ziyafana neendawo ezisemhlabeni. Emva kokwenza iimvavanyo ezahlukeneyo kukhangelwa ubomi kwiMars, ibali leViking I liya lisiba mnandi ngakumbi. IViking ndibuyise iziphumo ezinempikiswano.
UGqr.Gil Levin wenze olunye uvavanyo lweViking, olwaluvavanyo “olulula”. Wacacisa ukuba iintsholongwane, ezinjengam nawe nayo yonke enye into, ziyaphefumla zize zikhuphe ikharbon diokside.
I-NASA iqokelele isampulu encinci yomhlaba kaMartian wayibeka ngaphakathi kwesikhongozeli esincinci, esivavanywe iveki ngeempawu "zamabhamu" ngaphakathi kwityhubhu, emva koko kwenzeka into engalindelekanga emva kweentsuku ezisixhenxe.
Ngokwemigangatho yeNASA, uvavanyo lobomi kwiMars lwalulungile kuba "amaqamza" abonwa ngaphakathi kwesikhongozeli seViking I. Olunye uvavanyo olunemilinganiselo eyahlukeneyo lubuyile lungelulo, ngelixa olunye uvavanyo lubuyile lukhona ebomini.
I-NASA ikhethe ukulumka kule meko, isithi, "Akukho siqinisekiso sobomi eMars." Ngokwezinye izazinzulu, iMars ngaphambili yayinomoya ofana noMhlaba, kodwa yacinywa kwiminyaka engama-65 yezigidi eyadlulayo.
Ukongeza kule ngcamango, ngaphambili bekukho uqikelelo lokuba impucuko eyayikade ihlala uMars isenokuba yayibalekela eMhlabeni isiya kwindawo ekhuselekileyo. Ke, ngaba ngoku siyafaneleka njenge "Martians" ebesizikhangela?
Abanye oososayensi bathi bafumene ubungqina obomeleleyo bokuphambuka kwempucuko eMars, kwaye banokuthi babone umqondiso wenyukliya kwiMartian atmosphere ehambelana noMhlaba emva kovavanyo lwenyukliya.
Ngokwenzululwazi, ubungqina beXenon-129 bunokufunyanwa ngobuninzi eMars, kwaye ekuphela kwenkqubo eyaziwayo eyenza iXenon-129 kukuqhuma kwenyukliya. Ngaba lo ngomnye nje umzekelo weMars noMhlaba ofanayo? Okanye ngaba iyangqina ukuba uMars wayekhe wayindawo eyahluke mpela?
