علماء الفلك

Hall, Asaph

أَصَاف حَال: كَشْفُ أَسْرَارِ الْمَرِّيخ

وُلِدَ أَصَاف حَال فِي عَامِ 1829 وَتُوفِّي فِي عَامِ 1907، كَانَ عَالِمَ فَلَكٍّ أَمْرِيكِيًّا خَلَّفَ أَثَراً دَائِمًا فِي فَهْمِنَا لِلْنِّظَامِ الْشَمْسِيّ. يُعْرَفُ بِأَكْثَرِ مَا بِكَشْفِهِ لِقَمَرَيْ الْمَرِّيخ، فُوبُوس وَدَيْمُوس، وَهُوَ إِنجَازٌ ثَوْرِيٌّ غَيَّرَ نَظْرَتَنَا إِلَى الْكَوْكَبِ الْأَحْمَرِ لِلأَبَد.

بَدَأَتْ رِحْلَةُ حَال إِلَى الشَّهْرَةِ الْفَلَكِيَّةِ بِشَغَفِ الطِّفُولَةِ بِالنُّجُومِ. بَعْدَ خِدْمَتِهِ فِي الْحَرْبِ الأَهْلِيَّةِ، سَعى لِمَكَالِهِ، وَانْضَمَّ إِلَى مُرَصَدِ الْبَحْرِيَّةِ الْأَمْرِيكِيَّةِ فِي وَاشِينْطَنْ، دِي سِي فِي عَامِ 1862. رَكَّزَ عَمَلُهُ الْمُبَكِّرُ عَلَى دِرَاسَةِ شَذُوذِ النُّجُومِ وَتَحْدِيدِ مَوَاضِعِ الْكَوَاكِبِ بِدِقَّةٍ، مُوَاضِحًا دِقَّتَهُ الشَّدِيدَةَ وَالْمَهَارَةَ الْمُلَاحَظِيَّةَ الْمُتَمَيِّزَةَ.

وَلَكِنَّهُ فِي عَامِ 1877، أَخَذَتْ حَيَاةُ حَالِ مُنْحَنىً مُهِمًّا. بِوُصُولِ مُقَابَلَةِ الْمَرِّيخِ الْمُوَافِقَةِ، وَتُوَفِّرُ فُرْصَةً نَادِرَةً لِلْمُشَاهَدَةِ الْقَرِيبَةِ، وَجَّهَ نَظْرَهُ إِلَى الْكَوْكَبِ. مُسَلَّحًا بِالتِّلِسْكُوبِ الْكَسْرِيّ الْجَدِيدِ الَّذِي يَبْلُغُ طُولُهُ 26 بُوصَةً، كَرَّسَ حَال نَفْسَهُ لِرَسْمِ سَطْحِ الْمَرِّيخِ بِدِقَّةٍ. أَدَّى هَذَا الْجُهْدُ الْقَاسِي، مَعَ عَيْنِهِ الْحَادَّةِ، إِلَى كَشْفِهِ الْعَظِيمِ.

فِي 11 أَغْسْطُسَ 1877، رَأَى حَال جِسْمًا صَغِيرًا ضَعِيفًا قُرْبَ الْمَرِّيخِ. عَلَى خِلَالِ الْلَّيَالِي الْقَلِيلَةِ الَّتِي تَلَتْ، أَكَّدَ مُشَاهَدَتَهُ، وَأَطْلَقَ عَلَى الْقَمَرِ الْمَكْتُوفِ الْجَدِيدِ **فُوبُوس**، وَيَعْنِي "خَوْف" بِالْيُونَانِيَّةِ. بَعْدَ سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ فَقَط، فِي 17 أَغْسْطُسَ، رَأَى حَال ثَانِيَةً جِسْمًا صَغِيرًا آخَرَ، قَمَرًا ثَانِيًا يَدُورُ حَوْلَ الْمَرِّيخِ، وَسَمَّاهُ **دَيْمُوس**، وَيَعْنِي "فَزَع".

أَوْصَلَ كَشْفُ هَذِهِ الْأَقْمَارِ الْمَرِّيخِيَّةِ صَدَمَاتٍ إِلَى الْمُجْتَمَعِ الْعِلْمِيّ، مُؤَكِّدًا مَكَانَةَ حَال فِي التَّارِيخِ كَفَلَكِيٍّّ رِيَادِيٍّ. لَمْ يَكْشَفْ فَقَطْ عَنْ أَسْرَارِ نِظَامِ الْكَوْكَبِ الْمَرِّيخِيّ، بَلْ أَشْعَلَ صُعُودًا فِي الِاهْتِمَامِ بِالْكَوْكَبِ الْأَحْمَرِ، مُوَقِّدًا فِي الْوَقْتِ نَفْسِهِ مُزِيدًا مِنَ الْاسْتِكْشَافِ وَالْبَحْثِ.

وَبِالإِضَافَةِ إِلَى كَشْفِهِ، أَدَّى حَال مَسَاهَمَاتٍ كَبِيرَةً فِي الْفَلَكِ، وَخَاصَّةً فِي مَجَالِ مُشَاهَدَاتِ الْكَوَاكِبِ. كَانَ عَمَلُهُ الدَّقِيقُ عَلَى مَدَارِاتِ الْكَوَاكِبِ، وَخَاصَّةً الْمَرِّيخِ، أَسَاسِيًّا فِي تَحْسِينِ فَهْمِنَا لِلْمَكَانِيَّةِ السَّمَاوِيَّةِ. لَعِبَ أَيْضًا دَوْرًا رِيَادِيًّا فِي تَأْسِيسِ مُرَصَدِ الْبَحْرِيَّةِ كَمُؤَسَّسَةٍ رِيَادِيَّةٍ فِي الْبَحْثِ الْفَلَكِيّ.

فِي عَامِ 1896، انتَقَلَ حَال إِلَى جَامِعَةِ هَارْفَرد، وَأَصْبَحَ أَسْتَاذًا لِلْفَلَكِ. وَصَلَ بِبَحْثِهِ هُنَاكَ حَتَّى تَقَاعُدِهِ فِي عَامِ 1901، مُخَلِّفًا وَرَاءَهُ إِرْثًا مِنَ الْتَقَدُّمِ الْعِلْمِيّ وَأَثَراً دَائِمًا عَلَى مَجَالِ الْفَلَك.

قِصَّةُ أَصَافِ حَالِ شَهَادَةٌ عَلَى قُوَّةِ فَضُولِ الْإِنْسَانِ وَسَعْيِهِ لِلْمَعْرِفَةِ. لَمْ تُكْشِفْ تَفَانِيَهُ وَمُشَاهَدَاتُهُ الْمَهَارَةِ فَقَطْ عَنْ أَقْمَارِ الْمَرِّيخِ الْمُخْتَفِيَةِ، بَلْ مُهَّدَتْ الطَّرِيقَ لِمُسْتَمْرِ رَغْبَتِنَا فِي أَسْرَارِ الْكَوْنِ.

Test Your Knowledge

Asaph Hall: Unveiling the Secrets of Mars - Quiz

Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question.

1. What was Asaph Hall's primary profession?

a) Engineer b) Mathematician c) Astronomer d) Physicist

Answer

c) Astronomer

2. What year did Asaph Hall discover the two moons of Mars?

a) 1862 b) 1877 c) 1896 d) 1901

Answer

b) 1877

3. What was the name of the telescope Asaph Hall used to discover Phobos and Deimos?

a) 10-inch refracting telescope b) 26-inch refracting telescope c) 40-inch reflecting telescope d) 60-inch reflecting telescope

Answer

b) 26-inch refracting telescope

4. Which of these is NOT a contribution Asaph Hall made to astronomy?

a) Discovery of the two moons of Mars b) Detailed studies of planetary orbits c) Development of the first space telescope d) Strengthening the reputation of the Naval Observatory

Answer

c) Development of the first space telescope

5. What does the name "Deimos" mean in Greek?

a) Fear b) Panic c) War d) Hope

Answer

b) Panic

Asaph Hall: Unveiling the Secrets of Mars - Exercise

Instructions: Imagine you are a young astronomer in the 19th century. Asaph Hall's discovery of the Martian moons has sparked your curiosity about the Red Planet. Design a simple experiment to observe Mars and record its apparent movement across the sky.

Materials:

  • Telescope (even a small one will do)
  • Notebook and pen
  • Star chart or planetarium app

Procedure:

  1. Choose a clear night with good visibility. Use your star chart or app to locate Mars in the sky.
  2. Set up your telescope and point it towards Mars.
  3. Carefully observe Mars through the telescope. Note its position in relation to nearby stars.
  4. Repeat your observations every night for a week or two. Record the date, time, and the apparent position of Mars in your notebook.
  5. Compare your observations over time. Notice how Mars's position changes relative to the stars.

Analysis:

  • What do you notice about Mars's movement?
  • Does it seem to move in a straight line, or a curved path?
  • How does its position change relative to the stars over time?

Exercice Correction

This exercise allows you to experience a similar process to what astronomers used to observe the planets before modern technology. Here's what you might observe: * Mars appears to move against the background of stars, not just in a straight line, but in a curved path. * This apparent movement is due to the Earth's own motion around the Sun and the relative positions of the Earth and Mars. * You can observe this movement over time as you record Mars's position.

Books

  • "The Discovery of the Moons of Mars" by Asaph Hall (1878): This primary source provides Hall's personal account of his discovery and his observations of Phobos and Deimos. It's available for download on the Internet Archive.
  • "The History of Astronomy" by A. Pannekoek (1961): This comprehensive work covers the history of astronomy, including Hall's contributions.
  • "Mars: The Red Planet" by Robert Zimmerman (2009): This book provides a thorough overview of Mars's history, exploration, and its moons.
  • "The Moon and the Mars Chronicles" by William Sheehan (2007): This book details the history of lunar and Martian observation, with a chapter dedicated to Hall's discoveries.

Articles

  • "Asaph Hall and the Discovery of the Moons of Mars" by James Evans (Journal of the British Astronomical Association, 1987): This article delves into the context of Hall's discovery and its significance.
  • "The Discovery of the Moons of Mars" by Asaph Hall (Astronomical Journal, 1877): This original article, published shortly after Hall's discovery, provides a detailed description of his observations and the naming of the moons.
  • "Asaph Hall: A Man of Vision" by David H. Levy (Sky & Telescope, 2007): This article offers a biographical portrait of Hall and highlights his contributions to astronomy.

Online Resources

  • "Asaph Hall" by Wikipedia: This Wikipedia page provides a comprehensive overview of Hall's life and accomplishments.
  • "Asaph Hall" by NASA: This website provides information about Hall's discoveries and their impact on our understanding of Mars.
  • "The Asaph Hall Papers" by the US Naval Observatory: This collection of Hall's personal papers provides valuable insights into his life and work.

Search Tips

  • Use specific keywords like "Asaph Hall," "Mars moons," "Phobos," "Deimos," and "discovery."
  • Combine keywords with search operators like "site:nasa.gov" to limit your search to a specific website.
  • Use quotation marks around phrases to find exact matches.
  • Include date ranges in your search to find resources from a specific time period.

Techniques

None

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