Dart: Ikigendajuru carungitswe guseka Dimorphos, ikibuye co mu kirere

Ikigendajuru cahagurutse ngo kije kugerageza ubuhinga bushobora kuzokenerwa umunsi uri izina kugira gihushishe inzira ikibuye co mu kirere (asteroid) gishobora kuzoseka Isi.

Ico kigenderajuru ca Nasa citwa Dart kizoba ari ico kuraba amahirwe y'iciyumviro kihari kuva kera co guhushisha ikibuye co mu kirere kiba kiri mu nzira yo kuzokorokera kw'isi.

Ico kigendajuru kizosekana n'ikintu citwa Dimorphos kugira harabwe ingene umuvuduko n'inzira vyaco bishobora guhinduka.

Hamwe ikimanyu c'ivyo bibuye vyo mu kirere gipima imetero amajana mu bwaguke cosekana n'Isi yacu, hashoboka kuba akaga ku hantu hangana n'umugabane wose.

Buzoba bubaye ubwa mbere hageragejwe guhushisha inzira asteroid mu ntumbero yo kwiga ingene isi yokingirwa, n'ubwo iyo yo itageramiye isi.

Kelly Fast wo mu gisata ca Nasa co kwirinda avuga ati: "Ico Dart izokora n'uguhindura gato cane umwanya Dimorphos kimara kugira kizunguruke rimwe. Kandi ku vy'ukuri ivyo ni vyo bikenewe hamwe vyoshika ico kibuye kikabonwa hakiri kare".

Isaha 06:20 kw'isaha mpuzamakungu (08:20 mu gitondo mu Burundi no mu Rwanda), roketi ya Falcon 9 itwaye ico kigendajuru ca Dart izoshinguka iva ku cicaro ca Vandenberg Space Force muri Californie.

Asteroids n'ibimanyu vyasigaye igihe izuba ryariko ririyubaka. Mu bintu vyoshobora gushika gake cane inzira ico kimanyu gifata mu kuzunguruka izuba igahurirana n'inzira isi na yo ifata maze ivyo bintu bibiri bigahura mu mwanya umwe, hoca haba ugusekana.

Ico kigendajuru ca Dart giciye miriyoni 325 z'ama dorari (hafi miriyaridi 650 mu mafaranga y'Uburundi ), kizoba kigamije guseka ibimanyu bibiri vyegeranye kimwe kizunguruka ikindi (binary).

Icagutse cane muri ivyo bibiri, citwa Didymos, gipima nk'imetero 780 mu bwaguke, ico bigendana ari na co gito - Dimorphos - gifise nk'imetero 160 mu bwaguke.

Ibintu bingana nk'uko kwa Dimorphos bishobora guturika bikarekura inguvu zingana incuro nyinshi izorekurwa n'ikibombe ca nucleaire, kigahwikira ahantu hanini, abantu ibihumbi n'ibihumbi bagapfa.

Bene ivyo bibuye bifise imetero 300 utobekeranije mu mbavu (diametre) bishobora gusambura ahantu hangana n'umugabane wose, mu gihe ibifise nk'ikirometero kimwe vyohungabanya isi yose.

Dart imaze guhaguruka, izobanza irengane aho ishobora gukwegwa n'isi, hanyuma ifate inzira yayo yo kuzunguruka izuba. Izoheza rero ihure n'ivyo bimanyu bibiri igihe izoba iriko iregereza kirometero zirenga miriyoni 10 uvuye kw'Isi, hazoba ari muri Nyakanga/Nzeri (ukwezi kw'icenda) mu 2022.

Dart izoca iseka Dimorphos ku muvuduko ushika ku birometero 6,6 kw'isekunda (ibirometero 23.760 kw'isaha) - hanyuma ice ihindura inzira gifata mu kuzunguruka Didymos.

Hahinduka akantu gato cane, ariko gashobora kuba gahagije kugira gateshe ikintu inzira yo kuzosekana n'Isi.

Umwe mu bahinga b'ico gikorwa muri Nasa Tom Statler avuga ati: "hagwiriye ibimanyu bito bito kurusha binini binini , gutyo ibimanyu bishobora kutugeramira - nimba hari n'ikizotugeramira - gishobora kuzoba ikimanyu kingana nk'ico".

Mu 2005, inama nkenguzamateka na nshingamateka za Amerika (Congress) zashinze Nasa gutororokanya no gukurikirana 90% y'ibimanyu vyegereye isi bifise ubunini burenga imetero 140. Nta kimanyu co muri urwo rugero kigeramiye isi, ariko ibishika 40% ni vyo bimaze gutorwa.

Dart izoba yitwaje camera yitwa Draco izotanga amafoto y'ivyo bibuye yongere inafashe ico kigendajuru gutumbera neza iyo itegerezwa kuja kugira isekane na Dimorphos.

Uguhindura gato inzira ya Dimorphos yo kuzunguruka Didymos kuzopimwa n'ivyuma biraba kure (telescope) biri kw'Isi.

Iminsi 10 imbere y'uko Dart isekena n'ico izoba itumbereye, ico kigendajuru c'Abanyamerika kizorekura ikindi kigendajuru gito ca satellite cakorewe mu Butariano citwa LiciaCube. Ico kigendajuru gito kizorungika amafoto y'ingene ugusekana bizoba vyagenze, imyotsi izoba yarekuwe n'ibivunguka hamwe n'imanga izoba yimburutse.

Uguhindura gato inzira Dimorphos ifata mu kuzunguruka Didymos bizopimwa na telescope ziri kw'Isi.

Tom Statler avuga ati: "Ico dushaka kumenya mu vy'ukuri ni iki: twarahushishije inzira ico kibuye, twabishitseko gute turavye uko twabishaka?"

Ibibuye bibiri bigendana (binary) nivyo vyiza ku gipimo nk'ico. Uko guseka kwotegerejwe guhushisha Dimorphos ku rugero rwa 1% inzira yo kuzunguruka Didymos, impinduka telescope ziri kw'isi zishobora kubona mu mayinga canke amezi.

Ariko hamwe Dart yoseka ikibuye kimwe gusa, igihe gifata mu kuzuruka Izuba coca gihinduka ku rugero rwa 0,000006%, ivyo bikaba vyofata imyaka myinshi kugira bipimwe.

Ivyo bibuye bigendana ari bibiri ni bito cane, ku buryo no kuri telescope zibona cane, bisa n'uko ari isoko rimwe ry'umuco.