Scientists Find Gas in Venus’s Atmosphere That Could Indicate Extraterrestrial Microbial Life | Science and health

“We have detected a gas called phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus. This could indicate the presence of life in the clouds of the planet,” said study leader Jane Greaves, a professor at the University of Cardiff in the United Kingdom, during a conference of press on Monday.

Phosphine gas exists in Earth’s atmosphere and is produced by anaerobic microbes (which do not need oxygen) or by industrial activity. On Venus, it is generated by unknown photochemical or geochemical processes. However, scientists have not been able to identify the source of phosphine on the planet.

“There are two possibilities: there may be some completely unknown reaction that is creating phosphine on Venus or, the most exciting thing, it could be life,” said William Bains, a researcher at MIT.

Greaves has been searching for phosphine in Venus’s atmosphere since 2016. She and her team observed the planet’s surface through two telescopes, one in Hawaii and one in Chile. “[A descoberta] It is unexpected and exciting, ”said the astronomer.

“We are excited about the discovery,” said one of the authors, Sara Seager, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), during the press conference.

“But we’re not saying we’ve found life on Venus,” Seager mused.

According to the article, despite Professor Greaves’ suspicions, the discovery of gas in Venus’s atmosphere is surprising because conditions on the planet’s surface are hostile to life and the composition of its clouds, where phosphine was identified, it is very acidic. “Under such conditions, the phosphine would be destroyed very quickly,” says the text.

Scientists say more observations of Venus and more studies are needed to explore the origin of phosphine in the planet’s atmosphere.