Insitholanga

Insitholanga yisehlakalo esenzeka lapho iNyanga idlula phakathi koMhlaba neLanga, ngaleyo ndlela kusitheke ukubonakala kweLanga ngokuphelele noma ingxenye, endaweni encane esemhlabeni. Ukuqondana okunjalo kwenzeka cishe njalo ezinyangeni eziyisithupha, phakathi nenkathi yokusitheka kwenyanga lapho isesigabeni sesitime, lapho umumo wozungezo lwayo useduze kakhulu nomumo wozungezo loMhlaba. Lapho kunensitholanga egcwele, indilingilizi yeLanga isithwa ngokuphelele yiNyanga. Lapho kunensitholanga eyingxenye kanye nensitholanga eyindilinga, kusitheka ingxenye  yeLanga kuphela. Ngokungafani noNyezibomvu, olubonwa kunoma yiluphi uhlangothi lomhlaba ebusuku, ukusitheka kwelanga kubonwa kuphela endaweni encane yomhlaba. Ngakho-ke, nakuba ukusitheka kwelanga okuphelele kwenzeka endaweni ethile eMhlabeni njalo ezinyangeni ezili-18 ngokwesilinganiso, kuyaziphinda kunoma iyiphi indawo eyodwa kuphela njalo eminyakeni engama-360 kuya kwengama-410.

Ukube iNyanga beyizungeza uMhlaba ngozungezo olundingiliza ngokuphelele futhi inomumo wozungezo olufana noloMhlaba, bekuzoba nensitholanga njalo lapho iNyanga ifile noma iyisitime. Kunalokho, ngenxa yokutsheka kozungezo lweNyanga ngamazinga ayisihlanu kunozungezo loMhlaba, ithunzi layo lihlezi ligeja uMhlaba. Kokubili insitholanga nonyezibomvu kwenzeka ngenkathi yokusitheka (eclipse season), okwenza kube nezinsitholanga ezimbili, ngonyaka.Five solar eclipses occurred in 1935. Insitholanga egcwele iyinqaba ngenxa yokuthi kudingeka ukuqondana okungageji phakathi kwenkaba yeLanga neyeNyanga, futhi nangenxa yobungako beNyanga esibhakabhakeni obuba buncane ukuba busitheze iLanga ngokugcwele.

Ogqayinyanga baqala ukubikezela izinsitholanga kwelaseShayina Endulo; namuhla Kulula ukubikezela ngokunembile izinsitholanga ezizokwenzeka eminyakeni engamakhulu ezayo.

Ukugqayilanga kuyingozi futhi kungawalimaza amehlo, ngakho kudingeka kugqokwe izibuko zokubona insitholanga. Kukhona abantu abazinikezele ekuboneni zonke izinsitholanga, futhi bayaqiniseka ukuthi baya ezindaweni eyenzeka kuzo minyaka yonke. 

Izibikezelo

Isilinganisozwe
upright=1.2|thumb|Isilinganisozwe sensitholanga ephelele
Isazobe esisokhohlo sibonisa ukuqondana kweLanga, iNyanga noMhlaba lapho kwenzeka insitholanga. Indawo empunga ephakathi kweNyanga noMhlaba obizwa ngokuthi ithunzinzima, izindawo lapho iLanga lisitheke ngokugcwele kuyo. Abantu abasendaweni lapho ithunzinzima lithinte khona ebusweni boMhlaba bayibona kahle insitholanga. Bese indawo enombala ongwevu yona obizwa ithunzana, futhi abantu abakuyo bazobona insitholanga eyingxenye kuphela.  Ingqapheli ephakathi kwethunzimukhwe (antumbra) okuyindawo yethunzi engaphandle kwethunzinzima yona izobona insitholanga eyindilinga.Mobberley, pp. 30–38

Uzungezo lweNyanga ijekeleza uMhlaba luthambeke ngengoni yamazinga ayisihlanu kunomumo wozungezo loMhlaba ujikeleza iLanga (ekusithekeni). Ngenxa yalokhu, lapho inyanga ifile noma iyisitime, iNyanga ivamise ukwedlula ngasenyakatho noma eningizimu kweeLanga. Kodwa insitholanga yenzeka kuphela lapho isitime senzeka eduze kweqhuzu elilodwa kwamabili ozungezo, lapho uzungezo lwenyanga ludlula ekusithekeni.Harrington, pp. 4–5

 Izinhlobo zensitholanga 

Ibanga leLanga kusuka eMhlabeni lingamakhilomitha angama-400, ukwedlula ibanga leNyanga, futhi ilungangoni leLanga luphindwe izikhathi ezingama-400 kunolweNyanga. Ngenxa yalokhu, iLanga neNyanga uma useMhlabeni zibonakala sengathi ziyalingana ngobungako.

Uzungezo lweNyanga ijekeleza uMhlaba lumakhophelana kancane, njengoba kunjalo nozungezo loMhlaba ujikeleza iLanga. Ngakho ubungako obubonwayo beLanga neNyanga buyahlukahluka. Inkazimulo yensitholanga iyisiqhathaniso sobungako obubonwayo beNyanga kanye nobungako obubonwayo beLanga lapho lisithiwe. Insitholamga eyenzeka lapho iNyanga oseduze ngokwebanga noMhlaba, kuzoba insitholanga egcwele ngoba iNyanga sizoyibona inkulu futhi izositha indingilizi yeLanga ngokuphelele; Ngokuphambene, insitholanga eyenzeka lapho inyanga iqhelile ngokwebanga eMhlabeni, kuzoba insitholanga eyindilinga ngoba iNyanga izobonakala incane kuneLanga, elizovela njengendilinga yendandatho.

Kunezinhlobo ezintathu zensitholanga:

 Amaphathelelo