Potential for Life on Venus: Could Venus’s Atmosphere Host Microbial Life?

KOMPAS.com – In some ways, the planet Venus is very opposite to Earth. Some of the differences include Venus turning retrograde and having longer days than the year.

Once upon a time, Venus probably had habitable oceans, like Earth, but that was at least a billion years ago.

A runaway greenhouse effect turns all the water on Venus’ surface into steam, which then slowly leaks out into space.

So, if asked whether the surface of Venus is likely to host life today, experts can answer briefly and emphatically, “no”.

Also read: Why is a Day on Venus Longer than a Year?

Potential for life on Venus

Reporting from NASA’s Solar System Exploration, at an altitude of around 50 km, the temperature on Venus ranges from 30 to 70 degrees Celsius. In this temperature range, even the highest temperatures, can accommodate life on Earth, such as “extremophile” microbes.

The atmospheric pressure at this altitude is similar to that at the Earth’s surface. In the cloud tops of Venus, which rotate around the planet due to wind speeds reaching 360 km per hour, one can find another transformation.

The transformation takes the form of persistent dark lines. Scientists have so far been unable to explain why these lines remain intact, even in the midst of hurricanes.

The lines also have a strange habit of absorbing ultraviolet radiation. The most likely explanations focus on fine particles, ice crystals, or even a chemical compound called ferric chloride.

Also read: Scientists Deny There is Life on the Planet Venus

Although unlikely, another thing scientists studying astrobiology are considering is that these streaks might consist of microbial life, similar to Venus.

Astrobiologists noted that the ring-shaped bonds of sulfur atoms, which are known to exist in Venus’ atmosphere, could provide a kind of coating for microbes that would protect them from sulfuric acid.

This useful chemical “cloak” will also absorb potentially damaging ultraviolet light and re-emit it as visible light.

Several Russian Venera probes have detected particles in Venus’ lower atmosphere that are about one micron long, which is about the same size as bacteria on Earth.

Also read: Is There Rain on the Planet Venus?

However, none of these findings provide strong evidence for the existence of life in Venus’s clouds.

Get selected news updates and breaking news every day from Kompas.com. Let’s join the Telegram Group “Kompas.com News Update”, by clicking the link https://t.me/kompascomupdate, then join. You must install the Telegram application first on your cellphone.

2023-09-17 04:00:00
#Potential #Life #Venus #Kompas.com