Ngo-1996, isazi sokuma komhlaba saseGibhithe u-Aly Barakat wathola itshe elincane, elixakile empumalanga yeSahara. Kwakungaphezu nje kwetshe elincane, lalingamasentimitha angu-3.5 ububanzi ububanzi balo futhi linomswakama ongaphezu kwamagremu angama-30 ngesisindo. Itshe laziwa kabanzi ngokuthi “iHypatia Stone” ngemuva kwesazi sezibalo nesazi sefilosofi sekhulu lesine leminyaka, esidide ososayensi ngezinye zezici zaso eziyimfihlakalo.
Selokhu kwatholakala iHypatia Stone ngo-1996, ososayensi bebelokhu bezama ukuthola ukuthi ikuphi ngqo itshe eliyindida umsuka.
Yize i-Hypatia Stone yaqale yatholakala ukuthi ingeyasemkhathini eyavela emhlabeni nge-meteorite, olunye uhlaziyo lwembula ukuthi alingeni kunoma yisiphi isigaba esaziwayo isibhakabhaka.
Ucwaningo olushicilelwe ku IGeochimica et Cosmochimica Acta ngomhla ka-28 Dec 2017 kusikisela ukuthi okungenani amanye ama-micro-compounds edwaleni kungenzeka abakhona ngaphambi kokuba khona kweLanga lethu noma amanye amaplanethi asozungezweni lwelanga, ngoba lezo zinhlayiya azifani nanoma yini esake sayithola esimisweni sethu sonozungezilanga.
Ikakhulukazi ukwakheka kwamakhemikhali kweHypatia Stone akufani nanoma yini ososayensi abayitholile eMhlabeni noma kuzinkanyezi ezinomsila noma ema-meteorites abakufundile.
Ngokusho kocwaningo, leli dwala kungenzeka lakhiwa ku-nebula yokuqala yelanga, ifu elikhulu lothuli lwangaphakathi oluphakathi kwenkanyezi lapho kwakhiwa khona iLanga namaplanethi alo. Ngenkathi ezinye zezinto eziyisisekelo kuleli tshana zitholakala eMhlabeni — ikhabhoni, i-aluminium, i-ayoni, i-silicon — zikhona ngezilinganiso ezihluke kakhulu kunezinto esesike sazibona phambilini. Abaphenyi baphinde bathola amadayimane amancane edwaleni abakholelwa ukuthi adalwe ukushaqeka komthelela emkhathini womhlaba noma kuqweqwe lwawo.
Ngenkathi i-Hypatia Stone itholakala okokuqala njengetshe langaphandle komhlaba, kwakuyizindaba ezihlaba umxhwele kubacwaningi kanye nabathandi abavela emhlabeni wonke, kepha manje izifundo nemiphumela eyahlukahlukene emisha iveze imibuzo emikhulu kakhulu ngomsuka wayo wangempela.
Izifundo zibuye ziphakamise ukuthi kusenesikhathi i-nebula yelanga kungenzeka ukuthi bekungafani kakhulu njengoba besicabanga ngaphambili. Ngoba ezinye zezici zayo zamakhemikhali zikhomba ukuthi i-nebula yelanga kwakungeyona inhlobo efanayo yothuli yonke indawo-eqala ukudonsa umbono owamukelwa ngokuvamile wokwakheka kohlelo lwethu lwelanga.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, izazi zakudala zezazi zezinkanyezi zikholelwa ukuthi itshe le-Hypatia limele ulwazi oluthuthukisiwe lokhokho bethu basendulo, abathi, ngokusho kwabo, babeluthole ezinhlotsheni ezithile zezidalwa ezisemkhathini ezithuthukile.
Noma ngabe bekuyini, abacwaningi bazama ngokulangazelela ukuqhubeka nokuhlola umsuka wedwala, ngethemba lokuthi bazoxazulula amapuzzle awethule iHypatia Stone.
