Inkinga yokuma koMhlaba ikhathaze abantu ezinkulungwaneni eziningi zeminyaka. Lona ngomunye wemibuzo ebalulekile hhayi kuphela i-geography kanye ne-ecology, kodwa futhi ne-astronomy, ifilosofi, i-physics, umlando ngisho nezincwadi. Imisebenzi eminingi yososayensi bazo zonke izinkathi, ikakhulukazi i-Antiquity kanye nokukhanyiselwa, izinikele kulolu daba.
Imibono yososayensi mayelana nokuma koMhlaba
Ngakho-ke uPythagoras ngekhulu le-VI BC wayekholelwa ukuthi iplanethi yethu inokuma kwebhola. Isitatimende sakhe sabiwe nguParmenides, Anaximander waseMileto, Eratosthenes nabanye. U-Aristotle wenza izivivinyo ezahlukahlukene futhi wakwazi ukufakazela ukuthi uMhlaba unesimo esiyindilinga, ngoba ngesikhathi sokufiphala kwenyanga, isithunzi sihlala sisesiyingi. Uma kubhekwa ukuthi ngaleso sikhathi kwakukhona izingxoxo phakathi kwabasekeli bemibono emibili ephikisanayo, ezinye zazo zazithi umhlaba uyisicaba, ezinye ukuthi uyindilinga, umbono wobubanzi, yize wamukelwa ngabaningi abacabangayo, wawudinga ukubukezwa okuphawulekayo.
Iqiniso lokuthi ukuma kweplanethi yethu kwehlukile ebholeni, kusho uNewton. Wayethambekele ekukholweni ukuthi kunalokho i-ellipsoid, futhi ukufakazela lokhu, wenza izivivinyo ezahlukahlukene. Ngaphezu kwalokho, imisebenzi kaPoincaré noClairaud, uHuygens no-d'Alembert bazinikele ekubunjweni komhlaba.
Umqondo wanamuhla wokuma kweplanethi
Izizukulwane eziningi zososayensi zenze ucwaningo oluyisisekelo ukuthola isimo somhlaba. Kungemva kokubaleka kokuqala emkhathini lapho kwenzeka khona ukuqeda zonke izinganekwane. Manje umbono uyamukelwa ukuthi iplanethi yethu inesimo se-ellipsoid, futhi ikude nokuma okuhle, icabalele ezigxotsheni.
Ngezinhlelo ezahlukahlukene zocwaningo nezemfundo, imodeli yomhlaba idaliwe - imbulunga, enesimo sebhola, kepha konke lokhu kuphikiswa kakhulu. Ebusweni bayo, kunzima ukubonisa ngesilinganiso nangokulinganisa ngokuphelele zonke izinto zomhlaba wethu. Ngokuqondene nobubanzi, amakhilomitha angama-6371.3 asetshenziselwa imisebenzi ehlukahlukene.
Ngemisebenzi ye-astronautics ne-geodesy, ukuze kuchazwe ukuma kweplanethi, umqondo we-ellipsoid we-revolution noma we-geoid usetshenzisiwe. Kodwa-ke, ezindaweni ezahlukahlukene umhlaba wehlukile kune-geoid. Ukuxazulula izinkinga ezahlukahlukene, kusetshenziswa amamodeli ahlukahlukene e-ellipsoids omhlaba, ngokwesibonelo, i-reference ellipsoid.
Ngakho-ke, ukuma kweplanethi kungumbuzo onzima, ngisho nakwisayensi yanamuhla, okhathaze abantu kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo. Yebo, singandiza esikhaleni futhi sibone ukuma komhlaba, kepha azikabi khona izibalo ezanele nezinye izibalo ukukhombisa ngokunembile isibalo, ngoba iplanethi yethu ihlukile, futhi ayinaso isimo esilula njengemizimba yejometri.
