Free Astronomy Magazine November-December 2023 ARABIC VERSION

could threaten Earth while giving us a glimpse into what lies beyond. The sample has made it back to Earth, but there is still so much sci- ence to come – science like we’ve never seen before.” Although more work is needed to understand the nature of the car- bon compounds found, the initial discovery bodes well for future analyses of the asteroid sample. The secrets held within the rocks and dust from the asteroid will be stud- ied for decades to come, offering in- sights into how our solar system was formed, how the precursor materi- als to life may have been seeded on Earth, and what precautions need to be taken to avoid asteroid colli- sions with our home planet. The goal of the OSIRIS-REx sample collection was 60 grams of asteroid material. Curation experts at NASA Johnson, working in new clean rooms built especially for the mis- sion, have spent 10 days so far care- fully disassembling the sample re- turn hardware to obtain a glimpse at the bulk sample within. When the science canister lid was first opened, scientists discovered bonus asteroid material covering the outside of the collector head, canister lid, and base. There was so much extra material it slowed down the careful process of collecting and containing the primary sample. “Our labs were ready for whatever Bennu had in store for us,” said Vanessa Wyche, director, NASA Johnson. “We’ve had scientists and engineers working side-by-side for years to develop specialized glove- boxes and tools to keep the asteroid material pristine and to curate the samples so researchers now and decades from now can study this precious gift from the cosmos.” Within the first two weeks, scien- tists performed “quick-look” analy- ses of that initial material, collecting images from a scanning electron mi- croscope, infrared measurements,X- ray diffraction, and chemical ele- ment analysis. X-ray computed to- mography was also used to produce a 3D computer model of one of the particles, highlighting its diverse in- terior. This early glimpse provided the evidence of abundant carbon and water in the sample. “As we peer into the ancient secrets ﻣﻨﻈـــﺮﻟﻠﺠــــﺰء اﻟــــﺨﺎرﺟﻲﻣـــﻦﺟﻬـــ ــــﺚ ﺎزﺗ ﻤﻴــــﻊ اﻟﻌ ﻨـــﺎت اوﺳــــﺎﻳﺮسرﻛـــﺲﺣ ــــﺔﻋ ﻨـــﺔ ﻣـــﻦ ﻤﻜـــﻦرؤ اﻟﻤﻮاد ﻣﻦ اﻟ ﻮ ﻜﺐﺑ ﻨﻮ ﻓﻲﻣﻨﺘﺼﻒاﻟ ﻤ . ـﻞ ﻣـﻦ اﻟﻜﺮ ـﻮن ﻟﻘﺪ وﺟﺪ اﻟﻌﻠﻤـﺎء أدﻟـﺔﻋﻠـﻰوﺟـﻮد واﻟﻤﺎء ﻓﻲاﻟﺘﺤﻠﻴﻞ اﻷوﻟﻲﻟﻬﺬﻩ اﻟﻤﺎدةﻋﻠﻤﺎً ﺄن اﻟـﺠﺰء اﻷﻛ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻌ ﻨﺔ ﻓﻲاﻟﺪاﺧﻞ . ﻟﻠﻜﻮﻳﻜﺒـﺎت اﻟﺘـﻲ ﻳﻤﻜـﻦ أن ﺗﻬـﺪد اﻷرض ﺑﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﺗﻌﻄﻴﻨﺎ ﺤﺔ ﻋﻤﺎ ﻳﻜﻤﻦ وراءﻫﺎ . ﻟﻘـﺪ ﺟﻠﺒﺖ اﻟﻌﻴﻨﺔ إﱃ اﻷرض وﻟﻜﻦ ﻻ ﻳﺰال ﻫﻨـﺎ ك اﻟﻜﺜ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻌﻠـﻮم ﰲ ا ﺴـﺘﻘﺒﻞ ، ﻋﻠـﻮم ﻟـﻢ ﻧﺸﻬﺪﻫﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻗﺒﻞ وﻋﲆ اﻟﺮﻏﻢ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺤﺎﺟﺔ إﱃ ﻣﺰﻳﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻌﻤـﻞ ﻟﻔﻬـﻢ ﻃﺒﻴﻌـﺔ ﻣﺮﻛﺒـﺎت اﻟﻜﺮﺑـﻮن ا ﻮ ﺟـﻮدة ﻓـﺈن اﻻﻛﺘﺸـﺎف اﻷوﱄ ﻳﺒﴩ ﺑﺎﻟﺨ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﻠﺘﺤﻠﻴﻼت ا ﺴﺘﻘﺒﻠﻴﺔ ﻟﻌﻴﻨـﺔ اﻟﻜﻮﻳﻜـﺐ . ﺳـﺘﺘﻢ دراﺳـﺔ اﻷﴎار ا ﻮﺟﻮدة داﺧﻞ اﻟﺼﺨﻮر واﻟﻐﺒﺎر اﻟﻨﺎﺗﺞ ﻋﻦ اﻟﻜﻮﻳﻜﺐ ﻟﻌﻘﻮد ﻗﺎدﻣﺔ، ﻣﻤـﺎ ﻳـﻮﻓﺮ ﻧﻈـﺮة ﺛﺎﻗﺒﺔ ﺣﻮل ﻛﻴﻔﻴﺔ ﺗﺸﻜﻞ ﻧﻈﺎﻣﻨﺎ اﻟﺸ ﻤﴘ ـ وﻛﻴﻒ ﻳﻤﻜﻦ أن ﺗﻜﻮن ا ﻮاد اﻷوﻟ ﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﺤﻴـﺎة ﻗ ـﺪ ﺗــﻢ زرﻋﻬــﺎ ﻋــﲆ اﻷرض وﻣــﺎ ﻫ ـﻲ اﻻﺣﺘﻴﺎﻃـﺎت اﻟﺘ ـﻲ ﻳﺠــﺐ اﺗﺨﺎذﻫـﺎ ﺗ ـﻢ و اﺗﺨﺎذﻫــﺎ ﻟﺘﺠﻨــﺐ اﺻ ـﻄﺪام اﻟﻜﻮﻳﻜﺒ ـﺎت ﺑﻜﻮﻛﺒﻨﺎ . ﻟﻘﺪ ﻛﺎن اﻟﻬﺪف ﻣﻦ ﺟﻤﻊ ﻋﻴﻨـﺎت اوﺳﺎﻳﺮس رﻛﺲ ﻫﻮ 60 ﺎً ﺟﺮاﻣ ﻣـﻦ ﻣـﺎدة اﻟﻜﻮﻳﻜﺐ ﻟ . ﻘﺪ أﻣﴣ ﺧﱪاء ا ﻌﺎﻟﺠﺔ ﰲ ﻧﺎﺳﺎ ﺟﻮﻧﺴﻮن اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻳﻌﻤﻠﻮن ﰲ ﻏـﺮف ﻣﻌﻘﻤـﺔ ﻧﻈﻴﻔﺔ ﺟﺪﻳﺪة ﻣﺼﻤﻤﺔ ﺧﺼﻴﺼًﺎ ﻟﻠﻤﻬﻤـﺔ ١٠ أﻳـﺎم ﺣﺘﻰ اﻵن ﰲ ﺗﻔﻜﻴـﻚ أﺟﻬـﺰة ﺟﻠـﺐ اﻟﻌﻴﻨـﺔ ﺑﻌﻨﺎﻳﺔ ﻟﻠﺤﺼـﻮل ﻋـﲆ ﺤـﺔ ﻋـﻦ اﻟﻌﻴﻨـﺔ ا ﺠﻤﻌﺔ ﺑﺪاﺧﻠﻬﺎ . ﻋﻨـﺪﻣﺎ ﺗـﻢ ﻓـ ﺘﺢ ﻏﻄـﺎء اﻟﻌﻠﺒﺔ اﻟﻌﻠﻤﻴﺔ ﻷول ﻣـﺮة اﻛﺘﺸـﻒ اﻟﻌﻠﻤـﺎء ﻣــﺎدة ﻛﻮﻳﻜــﺐ إﺿــﺎﻓﻴﺔ ﺗﻐﻄــﻲ اﻟﺠــﺰء اﻟﺨﺎرﺟﻲ ﻣﻦ رأس ذراع اﻟﺘﺠﻤﻴـﻊ وﻏﻄـﺎء اﻟﻌﻠﺒﺔ واﻟﻘﺎﻋﺪة . ﻛﺎن ﻫﻨﺎك اﻟﻜﺜ ﻣﻦ ا ﻮاد اﻹﺿ ﺎﻓﻴﺔ ﻣﻤﺎ أدى إﱃ إﺑﻄﺎء اﻟﻌﻤﻠﻴﺔ اﻟﺪﻗﻴﻘﺔ ﻟﺠﻤﻊ اﻟﻌﻴﻨﺔ اﻷوﻟﻴﺔ واﺣﺘﻮاﺋﻬﺎ . ﻗﺎﻟ ـﺖ ﻓﺎﻧﻴﺴــﺎ وﻳﺘ ـ ﴚـ ﻣ ـﺪﻳﺮة ﺑﻤﺮﻛــﺰ ﺟﻮﻧﺴـﻮن اﻟﺘـﺎﺑﻊ ﻟ ﻮﻛﺎﻟـﺔ ﻧﺎﺳـﺎ " : ﻛﺎﻧـﺖ ﻣﺨﺘﱪاﺗﻨ ـﺎ ﺟ ـﺎﻫﺰة ﻷيﳾء ﻳﺨﺒﺌ ـﻪ ﻟﻨ ـﺎ ﺑﻴﻨﻮ " ." ﻟﻘﺪ ﻛﺎن ﻟﺪﻳﻨﺎ ﻋﻠﻤـﺎء وﻣﻬﻨﺪﺳـﻮن ﻳﻌﻤﻠﻮن ﺟﻨﺒﺎً إﱃ ﺟﻨـﺐ ﻟﺴـﻨﻮات ﻟﺘﻄـﻮﻳﺮ ﺻﻨﺎدﻳﻖ اﻟﺘﺠﺎرب اﻟﺤﻴﺔ وأدوات ﻣﺘﺨﺼﺼﺔ ﻟﻠﺤﻔﺎظ ﻋﲆ ﻣﺎدة اﻟﻜﻮﻳﻜﺐ ﻧﻘﻴﺔ وﻟﺘﻨﻈـﻴﻢ اﻟﻌﻴﻨﺎت ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﺘﻤﻜﻦ اﻟﺒـﺎﺣﺜﻮن اﻵن وﺑﻌـﺪ ﻋﻘﻮد ﻣـﻦ اﻵن ﻣـﻦ دراﺳـ ﺔ ﻫـﺬه اﻟﻬﺪﻳـﺔ اﻟﺜﻤﻴﻨﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻜﻮن . أﺟﺮى اﻟﻌﻠﻤﺎء ﰲ ﻏﻀﻮن اﻷﺳﺒﻮﻋ اﻷوﻟ ﺗﺤﻠﻴﻼت " ﻧﻈﺮة ﴎﻳﻌﺔ " ﻟﺘﻠﻚ ا ﺎدة اﻷوﻟﻴﺔ وﺟﻤﻌﻮا اﻟﺼـﻮر ﻣـﻦ ا ﺠﻬـﺮ اﻹﻟﻜﱰوﻧـﻲ ا ﺎﺳﺢ، وﻗﻴﺎﺳﺎت اﻷﺷﻌﺔ ﺗﺤـ ﺖ اﻟﺤﻤـﺮاء وﺣﻴﻮد اﻷﺷﻌﺔ اﻟﺴﻴﻨﻴﺔ وﺗﺤﻠﻴـﻞ اﻟﻌﻨـﺎﴏ اﻟﻜﻴﻤﻴﺎﺋﻴــﺔ ﻛﻤــﺎ ﺗ ـﻢ اﺳـﺘﺨﺪام اﻷﺷـﻌﺔ اﻟﺴـــﻴﻨﻴﺔ ا ﺤﺴ ــﻮﺑﺔ ﻋ ــﲆ اﻟﺘﺼـــﻮﻳﺮ اﻟﻔﻮﺗﻮﻏﺮاﰲ ﻹﻧﺘﺎج ﻧﻤﻮذج ﺣﺎﺳ ﻮﺑﻲ ﺛﻼﺛـﻲ اﻷﺑﻌﺎد ﻷﺣﺪ اﻟﺠﺴﻴﻤﺎت ﻟﺘﺴﻠﻴﻂ اﻟﻀﻮء ﻋﲆ داﺧﻠﻬﺎ ا ﺘﻨﻮع . ﻗﺪﻣﺖ ﻫﺬه اﻟﻠﻤﺤﺔ ا ﺒﻜﺮة دﻟﻴﻼ ًﻋﲆ وﺟـﻮد وﻓــﺮة ﻣــﻦ اﻟﻜﺮﺑــﻮن وا ــﺎء ﰲ اﻟﻌﻴﻨــﺔ . اﻟﺘﺎﻻﺗﻠﺘﺎﻻﺗﻼت ﻧﻮﻓﻤﺒﺮ - ﺩﻳﺴﻤﺒﺮ 2 0 2 3