Iiteleskopu, ngokwengqiqo yanamhlanje yeli gama, zaqala zayilwa zaza zasetyenziselwa iinjongo zenzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi yingcali yezibalo edumileyo yaseDatshi nesazi ngeenkwenkwezi, uGalelio. Akazange enze iteleskopu nje kuphela kodwa waba ngowokuqala ukusisebenzisa kwinzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi. Yaye nangona abanye besithi kusenokwenzeka ukuba abanye abantu babekhe bayila iiteleskopu ngaphambili, siyazi ukuba abukho ubungqina boku. Kodwa ngaba yinyaniso?
Iiteleskopu mhlawumbi zayilwa zaza zasetyenziswa kwimpucuko emininzi yamandulo kwakude kudala ngaphambi kweGalileo, kodwa zazingasetyenziswa kakhulu. Ilensi yeLayard, ekwaziwa ngokuba yiNimrud lens-ikristale yelitye eneminyaka engama-3000 ubudala efunyenwe kwibhotwe laseAsiriya laseNimrud e-Iraq-inokuba bubungqina obugqibeleleyo baloo nto.
Ilensi kaNimrud inombhoxo kancinane kwaye mhlawumbi yacolwa kwivili elinombhobho. Ubude bayo obugxininise bumalunga neesentimitha ezili-12 kwaye indawo ekugxilwe kuyo imalunga neesentimitha ezili-11 (4.5 ngaphakathi) ukusuka kwicala elisicaba, elilingana neglasi yokukhulisa i-3X.
Kusenokwenzeka ukuba ama-Asiriya ayesisebenzisa njengegilasi yokukhulisa, iglasi evuthayo ukuqalisa umlilo ngokujolisa ukukhanya kwelanga, okanye njengesihombiso sokuhombisa. Kwadalwa imingxunya elishumi elinesibini kumphezulu welensi ngexesha lokusila, kwaye ngekube inolwelo oluvalelekileyo, ekusenokwenzeka ukuba lunaptha okanye olunye ulwelo oluvaleleke kwikristale eluhlaza.
Nangona ezinye izazinzulu zikholelwa ukuba ama-Asiriya amandulo ayesebenzisa i-nimrud lens njengenxalenye yeteleskopu, ukuchaza ulwazi lwabo oluntsonkothileyo lwenzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi, uninzi lwezinye izazinzulu zixoxa ukuba umgangatho obonakalayo welensi awubonakali ufanelekile ukuba ujonge iiplanethi ezikude.
Inkolelo yokuba i-nimruI-d lens yayiyi-lens ye-telescopic yavela kwinto yokuba ama-Asiriya amandulo abona uSaturn njengothixo ojikelezwe yintsimbi yeenyoka, ukutolikwa kwabo kwimisesane yeSaturn njengoko kubonwa ngeteleskopu yomgangatho ophantsi.
Ngowe-1980, iqela leengcali zakudala ezivela kwiYunivesithi yaseChicago lafumanisa iNimrud lens ngelixa kusemba ibhotwe likaNimrud, isixeko samandulo saseAsiriya eIraq. Bafumanisa i-lens engcwatywe phakathi kwezinye iziqwenga zeglasi ezaphukileyo zembonakalo efanayo, efana ne-enamel evela kwinto eqhekezayo, mhlawumbi umthi okanye uphondo lwendlovu.
Iteleskopu iboniswe kwiCase 9 yeLower Mesopotamian Gallery kwiGumbi lama-55 leMyuziyam yaseBritani. Nimruubukho be-lens bungqina into enye ngokuqinisekileyo: UGalileo akazange avelise iteleskopu yokuqala.
Ilensi yesibini, ekusenokwenzeka ukuba yaqala ngenkulungwane yesihlanu BC, yafunyanwa kumqolomba ongcwele kwiNtaba yeIda eKrete. Yayikumgangatho ophezulu kwaye inamandla ngakumbi kune-Nimrud ilensi.
IPompeii, isixeko samandulo esikufuphi neNaples, eItali, yangcwatywa kugqabhuko-dubulo lweNtaba iVesuvius ngo-AD 79. UPliny noSeneca, ababhali bamandulo baseRoma, bachaza ilensi eyayisetyenziswa ngumzobi ePompeii. Ukuthi, unokufumana imikhondo kunye nobungqina obubonisa ukuba, iiteleskopu zayilwa zaza zasetyenziswa kwimpucuko yamandulo kwakudala ngaphambi kweGalelio.
Ama-Asiriya oyiswa buBukhosi bamaPersi ngenkulungwane ye-6 BC, emva koko amkela inkcubeko nezithethe zamaPersi. Abantu baseAsiriya kukholelwa ukuba babe ngabokuqala ukufunda ngeenkwenkwezi ngokucwangcisiweyo kwangenkulungwane yesi-7 BC. Basebenzisa ulwazi lwabo lwejometri, izibalo, kunye nokuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi - kudityaniswe nomdla wokuphonononga - ukwakha eyona mpucuko inkulu yakha yakho.
Ngoko ke, izixhobo ezifana Nimrud lens ingasetyenziswa ngama-Asiriya amandulo ukujonga iinkwenkwezi kunye nokurekhoda ulwazi malunga nabo-umzekelo wokuqala wento enokuthi ithathwe njengesayensi kunokuba nje iinkolelo okanye umlingo.
Ngokutsho kwabanye abaphengululi, abantu bamandulo baseAsiriya benza ilensi ekhethekileyo yokujolisa ukukhanya kwizinto ezikude ukuze kubonakale kukhulu ngokwaneleyo ukuze kubonakale ngokucacileyo. Isiphumo yaba sisixhobo sokubona esaziwa njenge “astronomical double grape stalk” okanye njengoko sisazi namhlanje: iteleskopu yokuqala yehlabathi.
