Njia ya Maziwa Juu ya Glacier Point

Yosemite ina anga za giza sana usiku. Polly alitaka kuziona.

Yosemite has very dark skies at night. Polly wanted to see them.

Alisubiri kwenye Glacier Point. Ni mwamba mrefu juu ya bonde. Umati mdogo ulikuwa pale kutazama machweo.

She waited at Glacier Point. It is a high cliff above the valley. A small crowd was there to watch the sunset.

Jua lilitua. Half Dome upande wa pili wa bonde iligeuka kuwa nyekundu, kisha giza. Umati ulipiga makofi kwa upole.

The sun went down. Half Dome across the valley turned red, then dark. The crowd clapped softly.

Mwanajimu wa bustani aliweka darubini ndogo. Alizungumza kuhusu anga za usiku. Alisema miji mingi ya Marekani imepoteza Njia ya Maziwa kwa sababu ya taa za barabarani. Lakini Yosemite bado ina anga za giza.

A park astronomer set up a small telescope. He talked about the night sky. He said most American cities have lost the Milky Way because of streetlights. But Yosemite still has dark skies.

Nyota za kwanza zilianza kuonekana moja baada ya nyingine. Kisha Njia ya Maziwa ilionekana. Ilikuwa ni mkanda mpana wa mwanga hafifu angani. Kulikuwa na sehemu za giza ambapo vumbi linaficha nyota.

The first stars came out one by one. Then the Milky Way appeared. It was a wide band of pale light across the sky. It had dark patches where dust hides stars.

Mwanajimu alielekeza darubini kwenye sehemu ndogo. "Hii ndiyo katikati ya galaksi yetu," alisema. "Iko umbali wa miaka 26,000 ya mwanga."

The astronomer pointed the telescope at a small spot. "This is the centre of our galaxy," he said. "It is 26,000 light years away."

Mgeni mmoja aliangalia kupitia darubini. Kisha mwanajimu alimruhusu Polly kuangalia pia. Aliona nyota nyingi na vumbi kupitia kioo cha darubini.

A visitor looked through the telescope. Then the astronomer let Polly look too. She saw many stars and dust through the eyepiece.

Mwanga kutoka kwa nyota hizo ulianza safari yake miaka 26,000 iliyopita. Polly aliangalia kwa muda mrefu.

The light from those stars started its trip 26,000 years ago. Polly looked for a long time.