Isihlongamkhathi

Ubuzaze bamabangacuphi bezihlongamkhathi i-Hubble,iWebb ne-Roman nezinye.

Isihlongamkhathi siyisihlongakude esisemkhathingeni esisetshenziselwa ukuhlonga nokubuka izinto ezisezulwini. Isihlongamkhathi sokuqala esisebenzayo kwaba esaseMelika esasibizwa Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, OAO-2 esanyakulwa ngowe-1968, kanye naleso saseSoviet esasibizwa Orion 1 okwakuyisihlongamkhathi sikazukhwithi esasiohakathi kwesigculo somkhathi iSalyut 1 ngowe-1971. Izihlongamkhathi zigwema izinkinga eziningana ezibangwa umoyambulunga woMhlaba, ezihlanganisa ukumunceka nokuhlakazeka kwamabangaciphi okukhanya athile, okusithezwa amafu, ukuohazantiswa ukugwincizeka okudalwa umoyambulunga okubizwa ukuphaziza. Izihlongamkhathi ziyakwazi ukuhlonga izinto nasemini, futhi azinayo inkinga yomnukubalo wokukhanya ecame ukuhlasela izihlongakude eziphansi, ngoba zona zisemkhathini. Zihlukaniswa ngezinhlobo ezimbili: Izivoko ezakha Ibalazwe lesibhakabhaka (izinhlolamkhathi) , kanye nezivoko ezihlozinga Izinto ezithile emkhathini noma oyingxenye ezithile zomkhathi. Izihlongamkhathi azifani nezivoko ezibuka uMhlaba, ezihlezi zithwebula umhlaba, ezisetshenziselwa ukuhlaziya isimo sezulu, ukushulubeza nezinye izinhlobo zokubutha ukwaziswa.