Icyogajuru Lucy kimaze imyaka 5 mu isanzure, cyitegura gukora ubushakashatsi ku mibumbe mito iri hafi ya Jupiter

Nyuma y’imyaka itanu mu isanzure, icyogajuru Lucy cya NASA kimaze kuvumbura ibintu bishya ku mibumbe mito izenguruka izuba, mu gihe cyitegura kugera ku itsinda ry’iyo mibumbe rizwi nka Trojan asteroids, riri hafi ya Jupiter. Icyogajuru Lucy cya NASA gikomeje urugendo rugamije gufasha abahanga gusobanukirwa inkomoko n’amateka y’imiterere y’izuba n’imibumbe irikikije. Nubwo kitaragera ku ntego nyamukuru y’urugendo rwacyo, kimaze gutanga amakuru mashya ku mibumbe mito yo mu isanzure. Nk’uko urubuga EarthSky rwabitangaje ku wa 22 Ukwakira 2026, Lucy imaze imyaka itanu mu rugendo rwayo, kuva cyoherezwa mu isanzure ku wa 16 Ukwakira 2021. Biteganyijwe ko kizagera ku mubumbe wa mbere wo mu itsinda rya Trojan asteroids muri Kanama 2027. Iyi gahunda ya NASA igamije gusura imibumbe mito 11 mu gihe cy’imyaka 12, kugira ngo abahanga basuzume imiterere yayo, ibiyigize n’amakuru ishobora gutanga ku buryo imirasire y’izuba n’imibumbe byagiye bibaho. Trojan asteroids ni iki, kandi kuki zishishikaje abahanga? Trojan asteroids ni imibumbe mito izenguruka izuba iri hafi ya Jupiter, imwe ikaba iri imbere yayo mu rugendo ikora, indi ikaba iri inyuma yayo. Iyi mibumbe mito irihariye kuko ishobora kubika ibimenyetso by’ibihe bya kera, igihe imibumbe yo mu isanzure ry’izuba yari ikiri mu nzira yo kuremwa. Abashakashatsi bizeye ko kuyiga bizabafasha gusobanukirwa neza uko imibumbe yabayeho, uko imiterere y’izuba yagiye ihinduka n’icyo ibikoresho by’iyo mibumbe bishobora kubwira abantu ku mateka y’isanzure. Umushakashatsi Hal Levison wo mu kigo Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), uyoboye ubu bushakashatsi, yavuze ko iyi gahunda ifite akamaro gakomeye mu gusobanura amateka y’imiterere y’imibumbe. Dinkinesh yavumbuwemo ukwezi kwayo Kimwe mu bintu byatangaje abashakashatsi ni ibyo icyogajuru Lucy cyabonye ku mubumbe muto witwa Dinkinesh, uri mu gace karimo imibumbe mito hagati ya Mars na Jupiter. Mu Gushyingo 2023, Lucy cyanyuze hafi ya Dinkinesh kugira ngo gifate amafoto yawo kandi gisuzume imiterere yawo. Icyo gihe abashakashatsi bavumbuye ko Dinkinesh ifite akandi karemangingo gato kayizenguruka, bita ukwezi kwayo, bahita bakita Selam. Icyabatangaje kurushaho ni uko Selam itari ikintu kimwe gifite imiterere isanzwe, ahubwo yari igizwe n'ibice bibiri bifatanye. Ibi byatumye abashakashatsi babona ko muri ubwo buryo hari imibumbe mito itatu yo kwiga: Dinkinesh na Selam igizwe n'ibice bibiri bifatanye. Ubu buvumbuzi bwafashije abahanga kurushaho gusobanukirwa imiterere y’imibumbe mito n’uburyo ishobora kugira ibice bifatanye. Donaldjohanson ifite imiterere imeze nk’ubunyobwa Mu 2025, Lucy yongeye gukora ubushakashatsi ku wundi mubumbe muto witwa Donaldjohanson. Uyu mubumbe ufite imiterere idasanzwe, kuko ugizwe n’ibice bibiri binini bifatanye n’agace gato hagati yabyo, ku buryo usa n’ubunyobwa. Simone Marchi, umushakashatsi wo muri SwRI, yasobanuye ko ubushakashatsi kuri Donaldjohanson bwagaragaje ibintu byinshi bitari byitezwe. Abahanga basanze uyu mubumbe uzunguruka mu buryo budasanzwe. Bagaragaje ko urangiza kuzenguruka ku murongo umwe mu minsi 10.5 y’isi, mu gihe indi ntera yo kuzunguruka ijyanye n’undi murongo imara iminsi 26.5. Aya makuru afasha abashakashatsi gusobanukirwa uko imibumbe mito ishobora kugira imiterere idasanzwe n’uko igenda mu isanzure. Lucy yakoresheje imbaraga z’Isi kugira ngo yongere umuvuduko Mu rugendo rwayo, Lucy yegereye Isi inshuro ebyiri kugira ngo ikoreshe imbaraga za rukuruzi zayo mu kongera umuvuduko no guhindura icyerekezo cy’urugendo. Inshuro ya mbere yabaye mu Ukwakira 2022, ubwo icyogajuru cyanyuraga ku ntera ya kilometero 350 hejuru y’ubuso bw’Isi. Inshuro ya kabiri yabaye mu Kuboza 2024, ubwo imbaraga za rukuruzi z’Isi zongereye umuvuduko wa Lucy ugereranyije n’izuba ku kigero kirenga kilometero 25.750 ku isaha. Iyi nzira izwi nka gravity assist, aho icyogajuru gikoresha imbaraga za rukuruzi z’umubumbe kugira ngo gihindure umuvuduko n’icyerekezo, bitagisabye gukoresha lisansi nyinshi. Biteganyijwe ko Lucy izongera kunyura hafi y’Isi mu Kuboza 2030, mbere yo kugera ku itsinda rya kabiri rya Trojan asteroids muri Werurwe 2033. Ikibazo cy’imirasire y’izuba hafi ya Lucy cyakemuwe Nubwo uru rugendo rwagize intambwe nziza, ntirwabaye nta mbogamizi. Nyuma gato yo koherezwa mu isanzure, kimwe mu byuma bibiri binini bifata imirasire y’izuba cyagize ikibazo cyo kwifungura neza. Ibi byashoboraga kubangamira imikorere y’icyogajuru, kuko gikenera ingufu zituruka ku mirasire y’izuba kugira ngo gikomeze gukora. Icyakora, abahanga n’abatekinisiye ba NASA bakoze ibishoboka kugira ngo basuzume ikibazo, bafasha icyo cyuma gufunguka ku rugero rwari rukenewe kugira ngo icyogajuru gikomeze urugendo rwacyo. Iyi ntambwe yagaragaje akamaro ko gukemura ibibazo bya tekiniki mu gihe icyogajuru kiri kure y’Isi. Lucy yanabonye ibindi bintu by’ingenzi mu isanzure Mu rugendo rwayo, Lucy yanabonye ibindi bintu byafashije abahanga mu bumenyi bw’isanzure. Muri Nzeri 2022, icyogajuru cya NASA cyitwa DART cyagonganye n’umubumbe muto Dimorphos nk’igikorwa cyari kigamije kugerageza uburyo bwo guhindura icyerekezo cy’imibumbe mito ishobora gushyira Isi mu kaga. Lucy na yo yakurikiranye icyo gikorwa. Mu Nzeri 2025, Lucy yanarebye ikintu cyo mu isanzure cyitwa 3I/ATLAS, cyagaragajwe nk’inyenyeri ifite umurizo yaturutse hanze y’igisate cy’imibumbe y’izuba. Ibyo byiyongera ku bushakashatsi yakoze kuri Dinkinesh na Donaldjohanson, bigaragaza ko icyogajuru cyakomeje gutanga amakuru nubwo kitaragera ku ntego nyamukuru. Ni iki gikurikiraho kuri Lucy? Ibikorwa bikomeye by’uru rugendo biracyari imbere. NASA iteganya ko Lucy izasura sisitemu enye z’imibumbe mito yo mu itsinda rya Trojan hagati ya 2027 na 2028. Kanama 2027: Izanyura hafi ya Eurybates n’ukwezi kwayo kwitwa Queta. Nzeri 2027: Iziga Polymele n’akandi karemangingo gato kayizenguruka, izina ryako rikaba ritaramenyekana. Mata 2028: Izanyura hafi ya Leucus. Ugushyingo 2028: Izagera hafi ya Orus. Iyi mibumbe mito ntirigera yegerwa n’icyogajuru ngo ifatwe amafoto arambuye nk’ayo Lucy iteganya gufata. Ni yo mpamvu abashakashatsi bategereje amakuru mashya ashobora guhindura ibyo basanzwe bazi ku miterere y’imibumbe mito. Nyuma y’imyaka itanu mu isanzure, icyogajuru Lucy kimaze gutanga amakuru mashya ku mibumbe mito, kirimo kuvumbura ukwezi kwa Dinkinesh no gusobanukirwa imiterere idasanzwe ya Donaldjohanson. Icyakora, igice gikomeye cy’uru rugendo kiracyari imbere. Mu 2027, Lucy izatangira gusura Trojan asteroids hafi ya Jupiter, aho abahanga bizeye kuvumbura ibindi bimenyetso bizabafasha gusobanukirwa uko izuba n’imibumbe birikikije byaremwe.