uNokhwezi

uNokhwezi (noma isiCelankobe, noma iKwezi; uphawu: ) ngumzulane wesibili ozungezohlelweni lweLanga. UNokhwezi akanawo amanzi aluketshezi, futhi unomoyambulunga usikhuhle futhi obophelene ukwedlula ezinye izindikimba kuzungezohlelo lwelanga. Umoyambulunga wakhe wakhiwa umCalahle ontuhlambili unobuhalalazi bamafu awugqinsi esimunyu sesibabuli amboze wonke umzulane. Eduze nobuso bakhe, umoyambulunga unamazingakushisa angama464 °C, nomfutho ophindwe izikhathi ezingama-92 ukwedlula owoMhlaba ezingeni lolwandle, okwenza ubuhalalazi oluphansi bomoyambulunga bufane nomtshoko obuqashiya. Uma useMhlabeni, uNokhwezi ubonakala ewukukhanya okuphawulekayo, njengoba egqama 'njengenkanyezi yokusa' ngesiZulu ebizwa iKhwezi, noma 'njengenkanyezi yokuhlwa', ngesiZulu ebizwa iSicelankobe.

UNokhwezi uzungeza eduze neLanga ukwedlula uMhlaba. Uzungezo lukaNokhwezi noloMhlaba kwenza lemizulane isondelane ezinkathini ezibizwa synodic zonyaka nezinyanga eziyisithupha (1.6). Kulolu zungezo, uNokhwezi usondela eduze noMhlaba ukwedlula eminye imizulane. Lapho kunohambo lokuthumela izindiza emkhathini, uNokhwezi ujinge ukusetshenziswa njengesilekeleli somnyondo, ukuze umzila usheshe kakhulu. UNokhwezi akanawo amaduna futhi uhlehlela nyova busilili ngamachopho akhe, okuwumphumela weziphoqo ezincintisanayo zokukhweqwa amabuya welanga nesahlukano sekhoza lomoyambulunga omkhulu kaNokhwezi. Ngokomphumela, usuku kuNokuwezi lulingana nobude bezinsuku ezili-116.75 eMhlabeni.

UNokhwezi unewongambulunga elibuthaka. Ngaphakathi, uNokhwezi unomnyombo, ijulambo, negobohla. Ikhoza elingaphakathi liphuma lapho kunokuwhuma kwezintabamlilo. Kungenzeka uNokhwezi wake waba nobuso obunoketshezi ngaphambili Kanye nesimocsemvelo okuhlalekayo kuso. Ngaphambi kokuthi umthelela wesilugu uhwamule amanzi futhi uphendule uNokhwezi Abe asesimeni akuso manje. Izimo zomoyambulunga ekuphakameni kwamafu ezifana nezoMhlaba sezihlonzwe njengezifaneleka ukwesela impilo kuNokhwezi.

UNokhwezi wavakashelwa okokuqala ngonyaka we-1961 Indizamkhathi ebizwa Venera 1, eyandiza yadlula kulomzulane. Imininingo yokuqala ngalomzulane yabuyiswa uhambo lwesibili lwendizamkhathi iMariner 2, ngowe-1962. Ngonyaka we-1967, Indizamkhathi yokuqala egadlazayo iVenera 4, yafika kuNokhwezi, yalanfekwa enyathuzayo ebizwa Venera 7 ngowe-1970. Ngonyaka wezi-2025, kwathinyelwa ebizwa Solar Orbiter , kuyimanje isendleleni yokuyingeleza kuNokhwezi ngowezi-2026, futhi uhambo olulandelayo oluhleliwe lokuya kuNokhwezi kuzoba lubizwa 'Venus Life Finder', luzonyakulwa ngowezi-2026.