Izibonakude, ngomqondo wesimanje waleli gama, zaqala ukusungulwa futhi zasetshenziselwa izinjongo zezinkanyezi yisazi sezibalo nesazi sezinkanyezi saseDashi esidumile, uGalelio. Akagcinanga nje ngokusungula isibonakude kodwa futhi waba ngowokuqala ukusisebenzisa esifundweni sezinkanyezi. Futhi nakuba abanye bethi kungenzeka abanye abantu basungula izibonakude ngaphambili, siyazi ukuthi abukho ubufakazi balokhu. Kodwa ingabe kuyiqiniso?
Izibonakude mhlawumbe zasungulwa futhi zasetshenziswa emiphakathini eminingi yasendulo kudala ngaphambi kukaGalileo, kodwa zazingasetshenziswa kakhulu. I-Layard lens, eyaziwa nangokuthi i-Nimrud lens - ikristalu yedwala eneminyaka engu-3000 ubudala etholwe esigodlweni sase-Asiriya saseNimrud e-Iraq - kungaba ubufakazi obuphelele balokho.
I-lens ye-Nimrud i-oval kancane futhi cishe yayigaywe esondweni le-lapidary. Ubude bayo obugxilile bucishe bube ngamasentimitha angu-12 futhi indawo ekugxilwe kuyo cishe ngamasentimitha angu-11 (4.5 in) ukusuka ohlangothini oluyisicaba, okulingana nengilazi yokusondeza engu-3X.
Abase-Asiriya cishe babeyisebenzisa njengengilazi yokukhulisa, ingilazi evuthayo ukuze babase imililo ngokugxilisa ukukhanya kwelanga, noma njengendawo yokuhlobisa. Izimbotshana eziyishumi nambili zadalwa endaweni engaphezulu yelensi ngesikhathi sokugaya, futhi zazingaba noketshezi oluvaleleke, okungenzeka ukuthi i-naptha noma olunye uketshezi oluvaleleke kukristalu eluhlaza.
Nakuba abanye ososayensi bekholelwa ukuthi ama-Asiriya asendulo ayesebenzisa i- nimrud lens njengengxenye yesibonakude, ukuze bachaze ulwazi lwabo oluyinkimbinkimbi lwesayensi yezinkanyezi, iningi labanye ososayensi baphikisa ngokuthi ikhwalithi yokubona yelensi ibonakala ingenele ngokwanele ukubuka amaplanethi akude.
Inkolelo yokuthi i-nimruI-d lens yayiyi-lens ye-telescopic eyavela eqinisweni lokuthi ama-Asiriya asendulo ayebona uSaturn njengonkulunkulu ozungezwe indandatho yezinyoka, incazelo yabo yezindandatho zeSaturn njengoba ibonakala ngesibonakude sekhwalithi ephansi.
Ngo-1980, iqembu labavubukuli abavela eNyuvesi yaseChicago lathola i-Nimrud lens ngenkathi kumbiwa isigodlo sikaNimrud, idolobha lasendulo lase-Asiriya e-Iraq. Bathola i-lens igqitshwe phakathi kwezinye izingcezu zengilazi ephukile yokubukeka okufanayo, efana ne-koqweqwe lwawo lwento ehlakazekayo, okungenzeka ukuthi ukhuni noma uphondo lwendlovu.
Isibonakude sikhonjiswe ku-Case 9 ye-Lower Mesopotamian Gallery kuGumbi 55 leBritish Museum. NimruUkuba khona kwe-d lens kufakazela into eyodwa ngokuqinisekile: UGalileo akazange asungule isibonakude sokuqala.
Ilensi yesibili, okungenzeka ukuthi eyangekhulu lesihlanu BC, yatholwa emhumeni ongcwele eNtabeni i-Ida eKrethe. Yayisezingeni eliphezulu futhi inamandla kakhulu kune-Nimrud ilensi.
IPompeii, idolobha lasendulo eliseduze neNaples, e-Italy, langcwatshwa ukuqhuma kweNtaba iVesuvius ngo-AD 79. UPliny noSeneca, ababhali baseRoma basendulo, bachaza ilensi eyayisetshenziswa umqophi wasePompeii. Ukusho ukuthi, ungathola inqwaba yezinkomba nobufakazi obusikisela, izibonakude zasungulwa futhi zasetshenziswa emiphakathini eminingi yasendulo ngaphambi kukaGalelio.
Abase-Asiriya banqotshwa uMbuso WasePheresiya ngekhulu lesi-6 BC, okwathi ngemva kwalokho bamukela isiko nemikhuba yasePheresiya. Abantu base-Asiriya kukholakala ukuthi babe ngabokuqala ukufunda isayensi yezinkanyezi ngendlela ehlelekile kusukela ngekhulu lesi-7 BC. Basebenzisa ulwazi lwabo lwejiyomethri, izibalo, nezinkanyezi - kuhlangene nothando lokubuka - ukuze bakhe enye yempucuko enkulu kakhulu eyake yaba khona.
Ngakho-ke, amathuluzi afana ne-Nimrud lens ingase isetshenziswe abase-Asiriya basendulo ukuze babheke izinkanyezi futhi barekhode ulwazi ngazo - isibonelo sangaphambili salokho okungabhekwa njengesayensi kunokuba nje inkolelo-ze noma umlingo.
Ngokwezinye izazi, abantu base-Asiriya lasendulo benza i-lens eyingqayizivele yokugxilisa ukukhanya ezintweni ezikude ukuze kubonakale kukhulu ngokwanele ukuze kubonakale ngokucacile. Umphumela waba umshini obonayo owaziwa ngokuthi “isiqu samagilebhisi esiphindwe kabili sezinkanyezi” noma njengoba sisazi namuhla: isibonakude sokuqala emhlabeni.
