Astronomers have found a key gas on Venus linked to human life, raising the “enticing possibility” the planet could be supporting life in some form.
Conditions on Venus are often described as hellish with daytime temperatures hot enough to melt lead and an atmosphere comprised almost entirely of carbon dioxide.
They detected traces of phosphine, a flammable gas that on Earth occurs from the breakdown of organic matter, in a discovery that gives fresh insight into conditions on our nearest planetary neighbour., the team stressed that the presence of phosphine alone did not prove the presence of life on Venus.
Speaking at a Royal Astronomical Society briefing to announce the event, Professor Sara Seager stressed: “We are not claiming we have found life on Venus … we are claiming detection of phosphine gas whose existence is a mystery.” The researchers conducted several modelling calculations in a bid to explain the new phosphine production.
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