The current discoveries could make the planet one of the main targets for future research.
Although the temperature prevailing on the surface of Venus is unbearable (it can even rise above 450 degrees Celsius), what’s more, the planet’s atmosphere is also toxic, the other day gases were identified in its atmosphere that could indicate the presence of simple life forms – writes the The Guardian. The results were presented within the framework of an astronomy conference by the researchers, who reported that phosphine and ammonia had been identified on the planet.
The latter gases are called certain biosignatures, i.e. substances that may indicate life, since they also occur in large quantities in the Earth’s atmosphere – they are mostly emitted by living organisms and industry. Related to this, science currently does not know of any geological or atmospheric processes that would explain the presence of these types of gases.
The researchers also pointed out that the planet may once have had a somewhat more temperate, wet period, when life could have developed on it. Based on these, it is conceivable that some organisms adapted to the subsequent warming remained in the atmosphere, which is why they can still be detected. The theory may explain the presence of phosphine identified on Venus, as it is emitted by microbes living in the oxygen-poor environment on Earth.
Although the discoveries are particularly exciting, the gases identified on Venus alone are not enough evidence for extraterrestrial life. According to the scientists, it is also possible that the gases identified in the planet’s atmosphere got there as a result of a completely unknown chemical process.
Source: www.pcwplus.hu
