Nangona ukungcoliseka kokukhanya kuye kwenza isibhakabhaka ebusuku kwaba nzima kunakuqala, ubusuku obucacileyo nobumnyama bunokubonisa iliso malunga neenkwenkwezi ezibengezelayo ezingama-2 500, ngoku ka IAtlantic . (Kunokubakho izigidi zezigidi zeenkwenkwezi kwindalo ebonakalayo, kodwa zimbalwa kakhulu ezibonakalayo ngamehlo abantu.)

Kukho ubungqina obuncinci obukholisayo njengale - isibhakabhaka esigcwele amaqela eenkwenkwezi - ubukhulu bendawo yonke. Kodwa ukutyikitywa kweenkwenkwezi kusayina into enkulu ngakumbi.

Yeyona nkwenkwezi ikufutshane isibhakabhaka , ngaphaya kweyethu, yiProxima Centauri, ipholile Iikhilomitha ezingama-25 ezigidi ukusuka elangeni. Enye yezona ndawo zikude zibonakalayo, umnyele weAndromeda, ungaphezulu kwe-14 yezigidi zezigidi zeekhilomitha kude - ezo zizigidi zezigidi ezili-14. Ngenxa yokuba ihambe umgama omde kangako, ukukhanya kwenkwenkwezi okufikelela kumphezulu womhlaba kungaphezulu nje komsonto wentambo yokuluka.

Kodwa olo khanyiso alugungqi. Ukukhanya kweenkwenkwezi kukhanya ngokuthe tye kwaye kuyinyani. (Oko kukuthi, ukuthintela isiganeko esivela kudala sasezulwini esibonakalayo kuthi ngoku.) Umbane esiwubonayo sisiphumo sale micu mincinci kodwa izinzileyo yokukhanya ibetha iatmosfera yomhlaba kwaye ijikeleza: ibonakaliswa ngamasuntswana omoya apha, athe saa yigesi iimolekyuli apho. Ngenxa yokuba indlela yeenkwenkwezi imxinwa - uhambe ukusuka kude kakhulu - kulula ukubona ezi zinxaxhi zincinci.

Iiplanethi, kwelinye icala, zikhanya ngokuthe ngcembe esibhakabhakeni ebusuku njengoko zibonwa kumphezulu woMhlaba. Kungenxa yokuba zisondele kakhulu kuthi, kwaye ukukhanya kunomgama omfutshane kakhulu wokuhamba. Ukukhanya kubonakalise iiplanethi (ngelixa iinkwenkwezi zivelisa ezazo) zinendlela ebanzi kakhulu kunaleyo yenkwenkwezi.

Xa ujonga iplanethi ngeteleskopu, ubona indawo eqinileyo. Xa ujonga iinkwenkwezi ngeteleskopu, konke okubonayo kukucofa. (Ukukhanya kwabo kuhambele kude kakhulu ukuba iiteleskopu zenze umahluko omkhulu.) Kwaye kuba indlela yokukhanya ibanzi, kunzima ukubona ukuba ukukhanya kubonakaliswe njani kwiiplanethi kujikeleziswa ngumoya woMhlaba.

Ukusuka emajukujukwini, iinkwenkwezi ziyakhazimla kwaye iiplanethi zibonisa ngaphandle kokuphazanyiswa, oko kuthetha ukuba iinkwenkwezi zasebusuku ezibengezelayo zizinto ezenzeka kakuhle eMhlabeni- ngokukhethekileyo kwindawo yokugcina isibhakabhaka emnyama eyaziwayo kwilizwe liphela, apho ungcoliseko lokukhanya lusasibekele isibhakabhaka esihle esikhazimlayo.

Iindawo zokuhlala ezibonisa iinkwenkwezi kunye neendawo ezithandwayo ze-astrophotography ubukhulu becala zikude. I-Chile kunye ne-apos; s I-Atacama Desert, umzekelo, nokuphakama kwayo okuphezulu kunye nomoya owomileyo, ongena polar, uye waba yindawo yokufikela kukhenketho lwe-astro. Ewe kunjalo, kukho ukhetho olunokufikeleleka ngakumbi, kubandakanya iCherry Springs State Park ePennsylvania nase Mauna Kea eHawaii (i-13,796 yeenyawo ingqungquthela inokufikelelwa ngemoto) Kodwa zimbalwa iindawo eMhlabeni apho unokufumana ngcono umlingo wamawaka eenkwenkwezi ezincanyazayo ezihlaba isibhakabhaka ebusuku.