Three ways the universe could end - Venus Keus

Translator: Julie Mbeyella Reviewer: Doris Mangalu

Tunajua ya kale ya ulimwengu wetu:

We know about our universe’s past:

the Big Bang theory predicts that all matter, time, and space

nadharia ya Mlipuko Mkubwa inatabiri kuwa mata, muda na anga zote

began in an incredibly tiny, compact state about 14 billion years ago.

vilianza kwa hali ya udogo sana, takribani miaka bilioni 14 iliyopita.

And we know about the present:

Nasi tunajua kuhusu sasa:

scientists’ observations of the movement of galaxies

mitazamo ya watafiti ya mienendo ya galaksi

tell us that the universe is expanding at an accelerated rate.

inatuambia kwamba ulimwengu unapanuka kwa kasi sana.

But what about the future?

Je vipi kuhusu mbeleni?

Do we know how our universe is going to end?

Tunajua namna gani ulimwengu wetu utafikia kikomo?

Cosmologists have three possible answers for this question,

Wanakosmolojia wana nadharia tatu za swali hili,

called the Big Freeze,

zinazoitwa Mgando Mkubwa,

the Big Rip and the Big Crunch.

Mraruo Mkubwa na Uchakacho Mkubwa.

To understand these three scenarios,

Kuzielewa hizi nadharia tatu,

imagine two objects representing galaxies.

waza vitu viwili vya kuwakilisha galaksi.

A short, tight rubber band is holding them together—

Kamba ya mpira fupi, iliyokaza inazishikilia pamoja---

that’s the attractive force of gravity.

hiyo ni mvuto wa nguvu ya uvutano.

Meanwhile, two hooks are pulling them apart—

Wakati huo huo, koleo mbili zinaziachanisha---

that’s the repulsive force expanding the universe.

hiyo ni nguvu ya muasi inayofanya ulimwengu usambae.

Copy this system over and over again,

Nakili huu mfumo tena na tena,

and you have something approximating the real universe.

Na una kitu kinachokaribia ulimwengu wa ukweli.

The outcome of the battle between these two opposing forces

Matokeo ya mashindano ya hizi nguvu mbili zinazokinzana

determines how the end of the universe will play out.

inaamua jinsi mwisho wa ulimwengu utakuwaje.

The Big Freeze scenario is what happens if the force pulling the objects apart

Matukio ya Mgando Mkubwa ndiyo yanayotokea kama nguvu inayofanya vitu viachane

is just strong enough to stretch the rubber band until it loses its elasticity.

ina nguvu ya kutosha ya kuisogeza kamba ya mpira hadi ipoteze uvutikaji.

The expansion wouldn’t be able to accelerate anymore,

Kusogea hakutoweza kuongezeka tena,

but the universe would keep getting bigger.

lakini ulimwengu utazidi kuwa mkubwa.

Clusters of galaxies would separate.

Makundi ya galaksi yanaweza kutengana.

The objects within the galaxies–

Vitu vilivyomo kwenye galaksi--

suns, planets, and solar systems

jua, sayari, na mifumo wa jua

would move away from each other,

vingeweza kutengana,

until galaxies dissolved into lonely objects

mpaka galaksi ziyeyuke kuwa vitu vya kipekee

floating separately in the vast space.

vikielea kwa kujitegemea kwenye anga kubwa.

The light they emit would be redshifted to long wavelengths

Mwanga unaotoka ungeweza kuhamishwa kwenye mawimbi marefu

with very low, faint energies,

yenye nguvu kidogo na hafifu,

and the gas emanating from them would be too thin to create new stars.

na gesi inayotoka kwao ingekua nyembamba sana kutengeneza nyota mpya.

The universe would become darker and colder,

Ulimwengu ungekuwa wa giza na wa baridi zaidi,

approaching a frozen state

ukikaribia hali ya kuganda

also known as the Big Chill,

unaojulikanana kama Ubaridi Mkubwa,

or the Heat Death of the Universe.

au kifo cha joto cha Ulimwengu.

But what if the repulsive force is so strong

Lakini inakuwaje kama nguvu muasi ni kubwa sana

that it stretches the rubber band past its elastic limit,

kufanya kamba ya mpira ipanuke kupita kipimo chake,

and actually tears it?

na iichane kabisa?

If the expansion of the universe continues to accelerate,

Kama kutanuka kwa ulimwengu kunazidi kuongezeka,

it will eventually overcome not only the gravitational force –

itaweza kuzidi sio tu nguvu ya uvutano --

tearing apart galaxies and solar systems–

ikichana galaksi na mifumo ya jua--

but also the electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear forces

lakini pia na nguvu hafifu ya sumaku umeme,na nguvu za nguvu za nuklia

which hold atoms and nuclei together.

ambayo inashikilia atomu na nuklia pamoja.

As a result,

Matokeo yake,

the matter that makes up stars breaks into tiny pieces.

mata inayotengeneza nyota inavunjika katika vipande vidogo.

Even atoms and subatomic particles will be destroyed.

Hata atomu na vipande vidogo vya atomu vitaharibika.

That’s the Big Rip.

Hiyo ni Mraruo Mkubwa.

What about the third scenario,

Vipi kuhusu tukio la tatu,

where the rubber band wins out?

ambapo kamba ya mpira inashinda?

That corresponds to a possible future

Ambayo ina shabihiana na uwezekano wa mbeleni

in which the force of gravity brings the universe’s expansion to a halt—

ambapo nguvu ya uvutano inaletea kusambaa kwa ulimwengu kusimama---

and then reverses it.

Halafu inaigeuza.

Galaxies would start rushing towards each other,

Galaksi zitaanza kukimbizana kukaribiana,

and as they clumped together

na zikijikusanya pamoja

their gravitational pull would get even stronger.

nguvu zao za uvutano zingekua na nguvu zaidi.

Stars too would hurtle together and collide.

Nyota pia zingekusanyika pamoja na kugongana.

Temperatures would rise as space would get tighter and tighter.

Joto lingepanda kadri anga inavyozidi kujibana zaidi.

The size of the universe would plummet

Ukubwa waa ulimwengu ungekua timazi

until everything compressed into such a small space

hadi kila kitu kilichojikusanyika kwenye nafasi ndogo

that even atoms and subatomic particles would have to crunch together.

mpaka hadi chembe za atomu na atomu ndogo vitajikusanyika pamoja.

The result would be an incredibly dense, hot, compact universe —

Matokeo yatakuwa ni ulimwengu mzito, wenye joto na ulio jifunga ---

a lot like the state that preceded the Big Bang.

kama ile hali iliyoitangulia Big Bang.

This is the Big Crunch.

Hii ndiyo Uchakacho Mkubwa.

Could this tiny point of matter explode in another Big Bang?

Je hii sehemu ndogo ya mata inaweza kulipuka kuwa Mlipuko Mkubwa mwingine?

Could the universe expand and contract over and over again,

Ulimwengu unaweza kuongezeka na kujifunga tena na tena,

repeating its entire history?

ikirudia historia yake yote?

The theory describing such a universe is known as the Big Bounce.

Nadharia inayoeleza ulimwengu huo unajulikana kama Mruko Mkubwa.

In fact, there’s no way to tell how many bounces could’ve already happened—

Pia hamna namna ya kujua miruko mingapi imeshatokea tayari---

or how many might happen in the future.

au mingapi itatokea huko mbeleni.

Each bounce would wipe away any record of the universe’s previous history.

Kila mruko itafuta mbali kumbukumbu yeyote ya historia ya ulimwengu ya nyuma.

Which one of those scenarios will be the real one?

Matukio yapi kati ya haya yatakuwa sahihi?

The answer depends on the exact shape of the universe,

Jibu linategemea na umbo halisi la ulimwengu,

the amount of dark energy it holds,

kiasi cha nguvu ya gizai iliyobeba,

and changes in its expansion rate.

na mabadiliko ya kusambaa kwake.

As of now, our observations suggest that we’re heading for a Big Freeze.

Na kwa sasa, mitazamo yetu inapendekeza kua tunaelekea kwenye Mgando Mkubwa.

But the good news is that we’ve probably got about 10 to the 100th power years

Japo habari njema ni kwamba tuna karibia miaka 10 mpaka nguvu ya 100

before the chill sets in —

kabla ya ubaridi kuingia ---

so don’t start stocking up on mittens just yet.

kwahiyo usianze kununua kinga za mkononi bado.