Ngemuva kokufunda iMars amashumi eminyaka, ososayensi bayavuma ukuthi kunethuba elihle lokuthi umthelela we-asteroid noma we-comet ushintshe isiphetho seRed Planet. Uma kuqhathaniswa noMhlaba, iMars igcwele izimbobo zomthelela, okungamangalisi ukuthi isikhundla seMars esingalungile kusistimu yethu yelanga, eduze kwebhande le-asteroid.
Ngenxa yalokho, iMars iqhubeka ishaya ngama-asteroid, futhi ngokungafani noMhlaba, iMars ayinayo inyanga enkulu ukuyivikela kuma-asteroid angenayo.
Uma sibheka emuva esikhathini, siyazi ukuthi amadwala amakhulu omkhathi abenomthelela eMhlabeni esikhathini esedlule, futhi eminye yaleyo mithelela kungenzeka ukuthi yashintsha inkambo yomlando weplanethi yethu.
Umgodi womgodi weChicxulub, osenhlonhlweni yaseYucatan yaseMexico (bheka isithombe esingenhla), ungesinye sezibonelo ezinhle kakhulu esizaziyo, futhi abanye ochwepheshe bakholelwa ukuthi kwakuyimbangela eyinhloko yokuqothulwa kwe-dinosaur.
Kungenzeka yini ukuthi kwenzeke into efanayo kuMars uma kwenzeka into efanayo eMhlabeni? EMars, sathola umgodi wento othakazelisayo endaweni yaseLyot engamakhilomitha angaba ngu-125 ububanzi.
Ubukhulu bale crater enomthelela bukhombisa ukuthi umthelela wawunamandla kangakanani, futhi kungaba ngesinye sezizathu ezinkulu i-Mars manje "eyihlane".
Umthelela wale comet wawungadala umonakalo ohlelweni lweplanethi lweMars. Bekungaba umcimbi oyinhlekelele ngokuphelele maqondana nokuguquka kwesimo sezulu emhlabeni. Kungenzeka yini ukuthi iMars yayiphila isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba ilahlekelwe umkhathi?
Ngisho nempucuko eyake yabiza iMars ngokuthi “ikhaya” ayisekho. Uma kunjalo, amaMartian ayaphi? Ingabe bakwenze kwaphila? Ingabe bakwazile ukubaleka ngaphambi kwenhlekelele? Ingabe iMars ixhunywe eMhlabeni nganoma iyiphi indlela? Le yimibuzo embalwa nje kweminingi edinga ukuphendulwa.
IViking I yafika enhlosweni yayo, iMars, ngoJulayi 20, 1976, ngemuva kohambo lwezinyanga eziyishumi ukusuka eMhlabeni. Izithombe iViking I ezibuyise eMhlabeni zazimangalisa, futhi ezinye zazo zembula ukuthi iMars yayingeyona into ehluke kangako eMhlabeni.
Ezinye izindawo eziseMars, njengeDeath Valley, ziyefana nezindawo eziseMhlabeni. Ngemuva kokwenza izivivinyo ezahlukahlukene ngifuna impilo kwiMars, indaba yeViking I iba mnandi ngokwengeziwe. IViking ngabuyisa imiphumela enempikiswano.
UDkt. Gil Levin udale olunye lwezivivinyo zephenyo yeViking, obekungukuhlolwa “okulula”. Wachaza ukuthi ama-microorganism, njengami nawe nakho konke okunye, ayaphefumula abese ekhipha isikhutha.
INASA iqoqe isampula encane yenhlabathi yaseMartian wayifaka ngaphakathi kwesitsha esincane, esihlolwe isonto lonke ukuthola izimpawu “zamabhamuza” ngaphakathi kwephubhu, kwabe sekwenzeka into eyayingalindelekile ngemuva kwezinsuku eziyisikhombisa.
Ngokwezindinganiso ze-NASA, ukuhlolwa kwempilo kwi-Mars kwakukuhle ngoba “amagwebu” abonakala ngaphakathi kwesiqukathi seViking I. Ezinye izivivinyo ezinemigomo ehlukene zabuya zingezinhle, kuyilapho isivivinyo esisodwa sabuya siphumelele impilo yonke.
I-NASA ikhethe ukuqapha kuleli cala, yathi, "Asikho isiqiniseko sokuphila kweMars." Ngokusho kwabanye ososayensi, iMars phambilini ibinomoya ofana nowomhlaba, kepha yaqedwa eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingama-65 edlule.
Ukwengeza lo mbono, esikhathini esidlule kuye kwaba nokuqagela ukuthi impucuko eyayikade ihlala iMars kungenzeka ukuthi yabalekela eMhlabeni ifuna indawo ephephile. Ngakho-ke, manje sesiyakufanelekela ukuba "amaMartian" ebesikade siwafuna?
Abanye ososayensi bathi bathole ubufakazi obuqinile bemiphakathi eyanyamalala eMars, nokuthi kungenzeka ukuthi bathole uphawu lwenuzi esibhakabhakeni seMartian esifana nesomhlaba ngemuva kokuhlolwa kwenuzi.
Ngokusho kososayensi, ubufakazi beXenon-129 bungatholakala ngobuningi obukhulu kwiMars, futhi okuwukuphela kwenqubo eyaziwayo eyenza iXenon-129 ukuqhuma kwenuzi. Ingabe lesi esinye nje isibonelo sokuthi iMars noMhlaba zifana kanjani? Noma ingabe kufakazela ukuthi iMars yake yaba yindawo ehluke kakhulu?
