Abacwaningi bakhungatheka lapho bebheka intaba engaqondakali, emise okwephiramidi eyatholwa phezu kweplanethi encane esimisweni sethu sonozungezilanga ― Ceres. Kuza ngemva kokuba iCuriosity Rover ye-Nasa ithwebule izithombe zenye into engunxantathu ixhokonxa emkhathizwe ku-Mars.
Nokho, isathelayithi yabo ye-Dawn, eyayizungeza amakhilomitha angu-2,700 XNUMX ngaphezu kweplanethi encane i-Ceres ngaleso sikhathi, yakwazi ukubona lesi siqongo. Ngaphezu kwengxenye yokuphakama kwe-Everest, intaba iphakama ngamamayela amathathu ngaphezu kwendawo eyisicaba yaseCeres. Ebhandeni le-asteroid phakathi kwe-Mars ne-Jupiter, i-Ceres yinto enkulu kunazo zonke.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, uphenyo lwasemkhathini luhlonze okungenani eziyisishiyagalombili "izindawo ezikhazimulayo eziyinqaba" endaweni eyi-crater engamamayela angu-55 ububanzi, ebhekwa njengenziwe ngezinto ezibonisa ukukhanya kakhulu, okuneqhwa nosawoti okungenzeka kakhulu kuzo.
UScott K. Waring, isazi sesayensi yemvelo saseTaiwan esithole uzungu oluningi, uthe lesi sakhiwo esiyisikwele esiyinqaba sakhiwe umuntu, ngoba sinama-engeli alungile amaningi, futhi ukufana okunjalo akukholelwa kwisayensi.
Ochwepheshe bathole nenani elikhulu lama-craters anobukhulu obuhlukahlukene, eminingana yawo eneziqongo ezimaphakathi. Kuthiwa kukhona “ubufakazi obuningi” okwenziwa esikhathini esidlule ebusweni beplanethi, okuhlanganisa ukudilika kwenhlabathi nezakhiwo ezicekeleke phansi, phakathi kwezinye izinto.
UCarol Raymond, isekela lomphenyi omkhulu we-Dawn mission, ozinze e-NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory ePasadena, eCalifornia, uthe. "Ubuso beCeres buveze izici eziningi ezithakazelisayo nezingajwayelekile."
Ama-craters anemigodi emaphakathi angatholakala ezinyangeni ezineqhwa ohlelweni olungaphandle sonozungezilanga, nakuba imigodi emaphakathi emigodini emikhulu ivame kakhulu eCeres. “Lezi nezinye izici zizosisiza siqonde ukwakheka kwangaphakathi kukaCeres, esingakwazi ukukubona ngokuqondile,” Kusho uCarol Raymond.
NgoMashi 6, 2015, 'Ekuseni,' uhambo lokuqala lokuvakashela iplanethi encane, lwafika eCeres. UCeres watholakala ngo-1801 futhi waqanjwa ngonkulunkulukazi waseRoma wezolimo.
