Free Astronomy Magazine March-April 2025 ARABIC VERSION

straightforwardtofind.Andyet,the newobservationsindicatethatthey areinfrequent.Thismeansthatei- thermostbeltsformfurtheroutor smallerbeltsarelessmassiveand,in fact, more complex to detect. The team also confirmed previous findings: as belts evolve, collisions within them smash their large ob- jectsintosmallerones.Ifthisprocess weretohappenfasterinbeltscloser to their stars, it could also explain whytheteamdidn’tfindsmallbelts. Belts are more extensive than pre- viously thought and extend more widely. Think of a doughnut with a smallholeratherthananonionring. Narrowerbelts—called“rings”— areuncommoninthesurvey. One possibility is that belts broaden astimepasses.Thefirstresultsfrom thissurvey,though,foundthatolder beltsarenotnecessarilybroader,in- dicating that this is probably not the case.Anotherpossibilityisthatwide belts have gaps within them that would split them into narrowerrings, but we can’t see this yet. This is not the end of the story of belts, though. Researchers think fu- ture telescopes can uncover sub- structureswithinbelts,likegapsand rings. Belts could even hide dwarf planets,muchlikePluto,readytobe discovered. But studying these belts is more thanjustsearchingforspacetreas- ures;itisalsolearningaboutthehis- toryofoursolarsystemandplanet. EarthisalwayswatchingtheKuiper Belt, a significant source of aster- oids and comets. Since an asteroid caused a major extinction 66 million yearsago,itisunderstandablewhy we would be concerned. However, one theory suggests that some of Earth’swatermayhavealsoarrived fromtheKuiperBelt,agiantrepos- itory of frozen water. Largefar-awayplanetslikeNeptune or Uranus may have had a crucial role in propelling water-carrying cometstowardus,providinganele- ment that would otherwise be rare on the primitive Earth. Only time willtellwhetherweoweourlivesto spacerocks.Aswelearnmoreabout exocomet belts, we may finally be able to understand the role that beltsplayintheformationandevo- lutionofplanetarysystems.     ﻣﺠﻠﺔ FreeAstronomy ﺎﻟﻌﺮ ﺔ 25 ﺗًﻈﻬﺮ ـﺪ ﻣـﻦ ﻫﺬﻩ اﻟﺼﻮرة ﻓﺎﺋﻘـﺔ اﻟﺪﻗـﺔ اﻟﻌﺪ ـــﺎت ﻫﻮاﺋ أﻟﻤـــﺎ ﻓـــﻲ ﻣﺮﺻـــﺪ ﺗﺸـــﺎﺟﻨﺎﺗﻮر ﻻﻧـــﻮ د ــﺔ وﻓﻮﻗﻬــﺎ ﻤﻜـــﻦ رؤ ﺣـــﺰام ﻣﺠــﺮة در اﻟﺘ ﺎﻧـــﺔ . [ESO/Y. Beletsky] ﺳﻄﻮﻋﺎً وﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﺎﺣﻴﺔ اﻟﻨﻈﺮﻳﺔ أﺳﻬﻞ ﰲ اﻟﻌﺜﻮر . ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ إن اﻷﺣﺰﻣﺔ اﻟﺤﺮارﻳﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺘﺸﻜﻞ ﻣـﻦ أﺣﺰﻣﺔ أﺻﻐﺮ ﺣﺠﻤﺎً أ أو ﺑﻌﺪ ﻫﻲ أﺣﺰﻣـﺔ أﻗـﻞ ﻛﺘﻠﺔ ﺑﻞ وأﻛﺜﺮ ﺗﻌﻘﻴﺪاً ﰲ اﻛﺘﺸﺎﻓﻬﺎ . ﻛﻤﺎ أﻛﺪ اﻟﻔﺮﻳﻖ اﻟ ﻨﺘﺎﺋﺞ اﻟﺴﺎﺑﻘﺔ : ﻓﻤﻊ ﺗﻄـﻮر اﻷﺣﺰﻣـﺔ ﺗﻌﻤـﻞ اﻻﺻـﻄﺪاﻣﺎت داﺧﻠﻬـﺎ ﻋـﲆ ﺗﺤﻄﻴﻢ أﺟﺮاﻣﻬﺎ اﻟﻜﺒ ة وﺗﺤﻮﻳﻠﻬﺎ إﱃ أﺟـﺮام أﺻﻐﺮ ﺣﺠﻤﺎً وإذا ﺣﺪﺛﺖ ﻫﺬه اﻟﻌﻤﻠﻴﺔ ﺑﺸـﻜﻞ أﴎ ع ﰲ اﻷﺣﺰﻣــﺔ اﻷﻗــﺮب إﱃ ﻧﺠﻮﻣﻬـﺎ ﻓﻘــﺪ ﻳﻔﴪ ذﻟﻚ أﻳﻀﺎً ﺳﺒﺐ ﻋﺪم ﻋﺜﻮر اﻟﻔﺮﻳﻖ ﻋـﲆ أﺣﺰﻣﺔ ﺻﻐ ة ﻓﺎﻷﺣﺰﻣﺔ أﻛﺜـﺮ اﺗﺴـﺎﻋﺎً ﻣﻤـﺎ ﻛﺎن ﻳﻌﺘﻘﺪ ﺳﺎﺑﻘﺎً وﺗﻤﺘﺪ ﻋـﲆ ﻧﻄـﺎق أوﺳـﻊ . ﺗﺨﻴﻠﻮا ﺷﻜﻞ ﻛﻌﻜﺔ ﺑﻬﺎ ﺛﻘـﺐ ﺻـﻐ وﻟـﻴﺲ ﺣﻠﻘﺔ ﺻﻐ ة . إن اﻷﺣﺰﻣﺔ اﻷﺿﻴﻖ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺴﻤﻰ ﻏ " ﺣﻠﻘﺎت " ﺷﺎﺋﻌﺔ ﰲ ا ﺴﺢ . إن أﺣﺪ اﻻﺣﺘﻤـﺎﻻت ﻫـﻮ أن اﻷﺣﺰﻣﺔ ﺗﺘﺴﻊ ﺑﻤـ ﺮور اﻟﻮﻗـﺖ إﻻ أن اﻟﻨﺘـﺎﺋﺞ اﻷوﱃ ﻣـﻦ ﻫــﺬا ا ﺴـﺢ وﺟـﺪت أن اﻷ ﺣﺰﻣــﺔ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﻤﺔ ﻟﻴﺴﺖ ﺑﺎﻟﴬورة أﻋﺮض ﻣﻤـﺎ ﻳﺸـ إﱃ أن ﻫﺬا رﺑﻤﺎ ﻟﻴﺲ ﻫﻮ اﻟﺤـﺎل ﻟـﺬﻟﻚ ﻫﻨـﺎك اﺣﺘﻤـﺎل آﺧـﺮ وﻫـﻮ أن اﻷﺣﺰﻣـﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﻳﻀـﺔ ﺗﺤﺘﻮي ﻋﲆ ﻓﺠـﻮات داﺧﻠﻬـﺎ ﻣـﻦ ﺷـﺄﻧﻬﺎ أن ﺗﻘﺴﻤﻬﺎ إﱃ ﺣﻠﻘﺎت أﺿﻴﻖ وﻟﻜﻨﻨﺎ ﻻ ﻧﺴـﺘﻄﻴﻊ أن ﻧﺮﺻﺪ . ﺑﻌﺪ ﻫﺬا ﻟﻜﻦ ﻫﺬه ﻟﻴﺴﺖ ﻧﻬﺎﻳﺔ ﻗﺼﺔ اﻷﺣﺰﻣـﺔ ﺣﻴـﺚ ﻳﻌﺘﻘﺪ اﻟﺒﺎﺣﺜﻮن أ ن اﻟﺘﻠﺴـﻜﻮﺑﺎت ا ﺴـﺘﻘﺒﻠﻴﺔ ﻳﻤﻜﻦ أن ﺗ ﻜﺸﻒ ﻋـﻦ ﻫﻴﺎﻛـﻞ ﻓﺮﻋﻴـﺔ داﺧـﻞ اﻷﺣﺰﻣـﺔ ﻣﺜـﻞ اﻟﻔﺠـﻮات واﻟﺤﻠﻘـﺎت ﺑـﻞ إن اﻷﺣ ﺰﻣﺔ ﻳﻤﻜﻦ أن ﺗﺨﻔﻲ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻛﻮاﻛـﺐ ﻗﺰﻣـﺔ ﻣﺜﻞ ﺑﻠﻮﺗﻮ ﺟﺎﻫﺰة ﻟﻼﻛﺘﺸﺎﻓﻮﻟﻜﻦ دراﺳﺔ ﻫﺬه اﻷﺣﺰﻣﺔ أﻛﺜﺮ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺠـﺮد اﻟﺒﺤـﺚ ﻋـﻦ ﻛﻨـ ﻮز اﻟﻔﻀﺎء؛ إﻧﻬﺎ ﰲ اﻟﻮاﻗﻊ ﺗﻌﻠﻤ ﻨﺎ ا ﺰﻳﺪ ﻋﻦ ﺗﺎرﻳﺦ ﻧﻈﺎﻣﻨﺎ اﻟﺸﻤﴘ وﻛﻮﻛﺒﻨﺎ .. ﻧﻈﺎﻣﻨﺎ اﻟﺸﻤﴘ وﻛﻮﻛﺒﻨﺎ . إن ا ﺮاﺻﺪ ﺗﺮاﻗـﺐ ﺎً داﺋﻤ ﻓ ﺣﺰام ﻛﺎﻳﱪ ﻬﻮ ﻣﺼﺪر ﻣﻬﻢ ﻟﻠﻜﻮﻳﻜﺒﺎت وا ـﺬﻧﺒﺎت وﺑﻤ ـﺎ أن ﻛﻮﻳﻜﺒ ـﺎً ﻗ ـﺪ ﺗﺴ ـﺒﺐ ﰲ ﻧﻘﺮاض ﻻ ا ﻜﺒ اﻟ اﻟﺬي ﺣﺪث ﻗﺒـﻞ 66 ﻣﻠﻴـﻮن ﺳﻨﺔ ﻓﻤﻦ ا ﻔﻬﻮم أن ﻧﺸﻌﺮ ﺑﺎﻟﻘﻠﻖ وﻣﻊ ذﻟـﻚ ﺗﺸـ إﺣـﺪى اﻟﻨﻈﺮﻳـﺎت إﱃ أن ﺑﻌـﺾ ﻣﻴـﺎه اﻷر ض رﺑﻤﺎ وﺻﻠﺖ أﻳﻀﺎً ﻣﻦ ﺣﺰام ﻛﺎﻳﱪ وﻫﻮ ﻣﺴﺘﻮدع ﺿﺨ ﻢ ﻟﻠﻤﻴﺎه ا ﺘﺠﻤﺪة . رﺑﻤﺎ ﻟﻌﺒـﺖ اﻟﻜﻮاﻛـﺐ اﻟﻜﺒـ ة اﻟﺒﻌﻴـﺪة ﻣﺜـﻞ ﻧﺒﺘﻮن أو أوراﻧﻮس دوراً ﻫﺎﻣﺎ ﰲ دﻓﻊ ا ﺬﻧﺒﺎت اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺤﻤﻞ ا ﻴﺎه ﻧﺤﻮﻧﺎ ﻣﻤﺎ وﻓﺮ ﻋﻨﴫاً ﻛـﺎن ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﺎدر وﺟﻮده ﻋﲆ اﻷرض اﻟﺒﺪاﺋﻴﺔ . ﻋﻤﻮﻣﺎ وﺣﺪه اﻟﺰﻣﻦ ﺳﻮف ﻳﺨﱪﻧﺎ ﻣـﺎ إذا ﻛ ﻨـﺎ ﻧﺪﻳﻦ ﺑﺤﻴﺎﺗﻨﺎ ﻟﻠﺼﺨﻮر اﻟﻔﻀﺎﺋﻴﺔ اﻟﻜﻮﻳﻜﺒـ ﺎت واﻟﻨﻴﺎزك وا ﺬﻧﺒﺎت وﻣﻊ ا ﻣﻌﺮﻓﺘﻨـﺎ ﺰﻳـﺪ ﻋـﻦ أﺣﺰﻣﺔ ا ﺬﻧﺒﺎت اﻟ ﻨﺠﻤﻴﺔ ﻓﻘﺪ ﻧﺘﻤﻜﻦ ﰲ ﻧﻬﺎﻳـﺔ ا ﻄﺎف ﻣﻦ ﻓﻬﻢ اﻟﺪور اﻟﺬي ﺗﻠﻌﺒﻪ اﻷﺣﺰﻣـﺔ ﰲ ﺗﻜﻮﻳﻦ وﺗﻄﻮر اﻷﻧﻈﻤﺔ اﻟﻜﻮﻛﺒﻴﺔ . ﺃﺑﺮﻳﻞ - ﻣﺎﺭﺱ 2 0 2 5