Researchers have presented new evidence for the presence of two gases closely linked to life on Earth in the atmosphere of Venus. At a national astronomy meeting in the UK, scientists announced the detection of ammonia in the clouds above the surface of Venus, a gas that on Earth is mainly produced by biological activity.
New evidence of phosphine
A different team previously reported the presence of phosphine in 2020, sparking heated debate. While the latest findings are not definitive proof of life on Venus, they do provide intriguing new data for exploring our celestial neighborhood for signs of current or ancient life.
Dave Clements, an astrophysicist at Imperial College London, explained that life could have thrived in the past during a warm, wet phase on the planet. “It could be that if Venus had a warm, wet phase in the past, then with the effect of runaway global warming, life would have evolved to survive in the only remaining niche – the clouds,” he said.
Clouds of Venus: The Phosphine Question
Phosphine, although it can also be produced by volcanic activity, is much more abundantly produced by bacteria in oxygen-free environments, which is why it is considered a “biosignature” gas. However, the actual presence of phosphine in Venus’ clouds is still a matter of debate.
Jane Greaves of Cardiff University said the observations suggest phosphine is being destroyed by sunlight, further complicating the situation. “All we can say is that the phosphine is there. We don’t know what’s producing it. It could be chemistry we don’t understand or it could be life,” she said.
Next steps in research
Despite these findings, more studies are needed to conclude that Venus’s clouds can, or could have, hosted life. The European Space Agency’s Envision mission, approved this year, aims to study the planet’s inner and outer atmosphere, potentially offering new answers.
What do you think? Could the discovery of gas biosignatures on Venus really indicate the presence of life?
