Umzulane

**uMzulane** uyimbulunga enkulu yasemkhathini ezungeza inkanyezi thizeni, njengesithomiyana esingamunwe, kodwa wona awusiyo inkanyezi.  Uzungezohlelo lweLanga lunemizulane eyisiphohlongo ngokwemigomo ebekelwe ukuchaza ukuthi yini engabalwa njengoMzulane: imizulan eyimihlabathi (uNomjubane, uNokhwezi, uMhlaba, kanye noNotshezi) kanye nemizulana engamaqhakamela (uMkhulukhulwana, uNomaxhama, uNomakhekheba, kanye noNolundwa). Umchachiso oyingqanda wokwakheka komzulane uyisihlawumbiselo senkonkowana esithi isigamu senkonkowana (uthunqathunqa) siyafoceka sisuke emqongeni ukuze kudaleke umbasa ozungezwa isicaba sothuli.  Kulolu thuli ilapho khona kubumbeka imizulane ngokubuthelana koTho lubuthelwa umNyondo, ngenqubo ebizwa ukuhlumelela. isona siphaca esamukelwa ngoSosayensi.

Ibizo elithi *umzulane* livela kwelesiZulu elithi ukuzula, futhi umuntu ozulazulayo wayebizwa ngomzulane, kanjalo nezindikinmba zomkhathi ezinyakazayo, ezifana neLanga, iNyanga, nezinye ezigqame ebusuku ezinomdiki ongafani nowezinkanyezi, zagcina zibizwa ngemizulane ngenxa yokuzula emkhathini. ImiZulane uNomjubane, uNokhwezi, uNotshezi, uNomaxhama, uNomakhekheba noNolundwa, zanikwa amagama angathi awabesifazane, kanjalo noMhlaba wethu wanikwa elithi uNomkhubulwane, ukuze kuhlonishwe amandla akubantu besifazane. 

Ngenva kokukhandwa kwesihlongamkhathi, elithi *umzulane* kwadingeka ukuthi lanuleke ukuze lihlanganise nezinye izindikimba ezibonwa ngokupopolwa ngaso kuphela, ezifana nalezi: Izinyanga ezizungeza imizulane; uNomadwala nezinye izindikimba ezisesiyondweni semihlatshana; uNochoko, okwatholakala ukuthi uyilunga elikhulu leqoqo lezindikimba eziyiqhwa eNkatheni kaKuiper. Ukuvubukulwa kwezinye izindikimba ezinkulu eNkatheni kaKuiper, ikakhulukazi uNogxada, kwavusa impikiswano ngencasiselo yomzulane. Ngowezi-2006, Inhlangano Yezomkhathi Yamazwe *(International Astronomical Union -IAU)* yamukela incasiselo ethi umzulane uyingxenye yozungezohlelo lweLanga, okusho ukuthi ImiZulane emine ehlabathi, nemine engamaqhakamela iyabalwa kule ncasiselo: kodwa uNomadwala, uNochoko, noNogxada babalwa njengemizulane eyisichwe. Iningi losonzululwazi bemizulane lusaqhubeka nokusebenzisa ibizo elithi *umZulane* ukubala nemizulane esichwe kanye namaduna ayizimbulunga afana nenyanga.

Intuthuko kwezomchazamkhathi yaholela nasekuvubukulweni kwemizulane engaphezu kwezi-5,900 engaphandle kozungezohlelo lweLanga, ebizwa ngokuthi ImiZulendle. Le mizulendle ivame ukuveza ulwangu olungavamile kulolo imiZulane yozungezohlelo lweLanga eluvezayo, efana nokuba yizigagadu *(hot Jupiter)*—imizulane engamaqhakamela azungeza eduze nenkanyezi yawo, njengo-*51 Pegasi b* —futhi inozungezo olumakhophelana ngokwedlulele, njengo *HD 20782 b*. Ukuvubukulwa kwezithomiyana ezingamunwe nemizulane emikhulu kunoMkhulukhulwana nakho kwasusu ukuqagulisana ngencasiselo yomehluko phakathi komzulane nenkanyezi. Kunemizulendle eminingana okutholakale ukuthi izungeza izinkanyezi zazo ekugelezeni *(habitable zones)*, lapho amanzi aluketshezi, kunodliki lokuthi akhona ebusweni bomzulane, Kodwa uMhlaba kusayiwona kuphela okwazi ukuphasa Impilo. Ekugelezeni, indawo eba nobunkiya bezici eziningi, ezifana nesigubo somoyambulunga (ingabe ukhona umoyambulunga) kulowo mzulendle; bheka uNotshezi ngokwesibonelo, unamazinga okushisa wasemini angavumela ukuba kwakheke amanzi aluketshezi ebusweni bakhe enkabazweni, kodwa kuphela uma umfutho uphezulu.

## Ukwakheka kwawo

Yaziwa ngokuqinisekile indlela ImiZulane eyakheka ngayo. Umchachiso oseqhulwini uthi uqala ekuwohlokeni komqongo uphenduke Isicaba sothuli nohowo. Bese kwakheka umbasa emnyombweni, ozungezwe isicaba sothuli lombasa. Ngenqubo yehlumelelo (ukungqubuzana okunamathiselayo) izinhlayiyana zothuli esicabeni ziyaqongelela isisindo esakha izindikimba ezinkulu.

## ImiZulane ezungeza iLanga

Ngokwencasiselo yeNhlangano Yezomkhathi Yamazwe, kunemizulane eyisiphohlongo kuzungezohlelo lweLanga, elandelana ngokwebanga kusuka eLangeni: uNomjubane, uNokhwezi, uMhlaba, uNotshezi, uMkhulukhulwana, uNomakhekheba, noNolundwa. UMkhulukhulwana uyena omkhulu, unesisindo esiphindwe izikhathi ezingama-318 kunesoMhlaba, kuyilapho uNomjubane uyena omncane, unesisindo esiyi-0.055 kunesoMhlaba.

ImiZulane yozungezohlelo lweLanga ingahlukaniswa ngezigaba kuye ngesigubo sayo. ImiZulane ehlabathi *(Terrestrials)* ifana noMhlaba, inezindikimba ezakhiwa amadwala nenkimbi: uNomjubane, uNokhwezi, uMhlaba, noNotshezi. UMhlaba yiwona mzulane ohlanathi omkhulu. imizulane engamaqhakamela *(Giants)* mikhulu ngokuphawulekayo kunemizulane ehlabathi: uMkhulukhulwana, uNomaxhama, uNomakhekheba noNolundwa. Ayifani kunemizulane ehlabathi ngesigubo. AmaQhakamela wohowo *(Gas giants)* ukunguMkhulukhulwana noNomaxhama, ngokuyinhloko akhiwe ngehwanzi nehwelanga futhi makhulu kuzungezohlelo lweLanga. UNomaxhama ongumzulane onbukhulu obuyisithathu sikaMkhulukhulwana, nesisindo eziphindwe izikhathi ezingama-95 kunoMhlaba. AmaQhakamela weqhwa *(Ice giants)*, uNomakhekheba noNolundwa, ngokuyinhloko akhiwe izithako ezidlidlizekela phansi ezifana namanzi, ijawani, umthundohwe, kanye nomoyambulunga olugqinsi wehwanzi nehwelanga. Futhi anesisindo esiphansi uma aqhathaniswa namaqhakamela wohowo.

ImiZulane eyisichwe eyizimbulunga ngenxa yomnyondo, kodwa ihlulekile ukucwenga imizila ezungeza kuyo kusuke izindikimbana ezincane kuyo. Amagama wayo ngokulandelana kwayo ngebanga kusuka eLangeni ame kanje : uNomadwala, Orcus, uNochoko, uNohunga, Quaoar, uNoviyo, Gonggong, uNogxada, Sedna. UNomadwala iyindikimba enkulu etholakala esiyondweni semihlatshana. Yonke eminye imizulane esichwe eyisiphohlongo uzungezo lwayo lungaohesheya kukaNolundwa. U-Orcus, uNochoko, uNohunga, u-Quaoar Kanye noNoviyo bazungeza kuMhlozatshe, okuyisiyondo sesibili sezindiimbana ezincane zozungezohlelo lweLanga. UGonggong Kanye noNogxada bazungeza eNkatheni yenhlakazeko, eqhele nakakhulu. Yonke ImiZulane esichwe ifana nemizulane ehlabathi ngokuba nobuso obunqumile, Kodwa yona yakhowe ngeqhelwa nomkhence kunetshe nenkimbi. Ngaphezu kwalokjo, yonke zincane kunoNomjubane, kuyilapho uNochoko kunguyena umzulane osichwe omkhulu, bese uNogxada kunguyena onesisindo esikhulu.

Kunezinyanga ezinesisindo somzulane eziyi-19 ezingamaduna emizulane — izinyanga ezinkulu ngokwanele ukuba zibe nomumo obukhophelana.
* Iduna elilodwa loMhlaba: INyanga
* Izinyanga ezine zikaMkhulukhulwana: uSontshaba, uMshululuza, uNqweqwana, noSokhence
* Zimkhothi izinyanga zikaNomaxhama: uMbayiyana, uNoqhwaha, uMshaza, iSithwathwala, uMthwathwa, uSomusi, noSonguxu  
* Zinhlanu izinyanga zikaNomakhekheba: uSomgwila, uMgenga, uSothunzi, uMdoshiya, noNkayishana
* Iduna elilodwa lkaNolundwa: uSokhephu
* Iduna elilodwa likaNochoko: uCharon

INyanga, uSontshaba, noMshululuza banezigubo ezifana nezemizulane ehlabathi; ezinye zikhandwe ngomkhence netshe njengemizulane eyisichwe, futhi uMshaza yena wakhiwe ngomkhence ocwebile. UMshululuza uvame kubizwa ngomzulane womkhence, nakuba ungqimba lakhe lomkhence kwenza kube nzima ukubona ngaphakathi. uNqweqwana noSomusi bakhulu kunoNomjubane futhi uSomkhence cishe walingana naye, Kodwa zontathu izinyanga azinasisindo njengaye. UMbayiyana uliduna elincane.

## Amaphatho