- dr Michelle Thaller claims ‘possible signs of life’ have been seen on Venus
- Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system at a scorching 475°C (900°F).
A planet subject to scorching temperatures of 475°C (900°F) under a thick acidic atmosphere may be the last place one would expect to find extraterrestrial life in our solar system.
But a NASA scientist claims that aliens are most likely hiding on Venus in conditions unbearable for humans.
The new theory was developed by Dr. Michelle Thaller, a scientist at the US Goddard Space Flight Center.
She says “possible signs of life” have already been seen in the carbon dioxide-filled atmosphere, adding that she is absolutely certain life exists somewhere.
“We see possible signs of life in the atmosphere of Venus,” said Dr. Thaller in an interview with The Sun.
dr NASA’s Michelle Thaller claims “possible signs of life” have been seen on Venus
“I never expected Venus. “On Venus, we’re now seeing something in the atmosphere that looks very much like it was produced by bacteria.”
VENUS: THE BASICS
Venus, the second planet from the Sun, is a rocky world about the same size and mass as Earth.
However, its atmosphere is radically different from ours — it is 96 percent carbon dioxide, has a surface temperature of 867°F (464°C) and a pressure 92 times that of Earth.
The inhospitable planet is shrouded in clouds of sulfuric acid, making it impossible to see the surface.
In the past, it was suggested that Venus likely had oceans similar to Earth’s – but these would have evaporated when subjected to a runaway greenhouse effect.
The surface of Venus is an arid desert landscape periodically altered by volcanic activity.
facts and figures
Orbital period: 225 days
Area: 460.2 million km²
Distance from the sun: 108.2 million km
Length of day: 116 days 18 hours 0 minutes
Radius: 6,051.8 km
Mass: 4.867 × 10^24 kg (0.815 M⊕)
Because of their similar size and structure, Venus is often referred to as “Earth’s twin.”
But their conditions couldn’t be further apart, as astronomers believe it would be impossible for humans to exist on Venus.
Located 67 million miles from the sun, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system. He suffers from temperatures that can even melt lead.
Its atmosphere – composed of sulfuric acid and carbon dioxide – also contributes to the situation, setting off a “runaway greenhouse effect” that prevents heat from escaping into the space beyond.
Still, scientists have long debated whether Venus’ clouds might harbor microbial life forms that can survive on sulfur, methane, and iron.
Many assume that photosynthesis is possible on the planet’s surface because Venus receives enough solar energy to penetrate its dense clouds.
However, Professor Dominic Papineau, an astrobiologist at University College of London, believes that Dr. Thaller’s views are “difficult to set up realistic hypotheses”.
Speaking to Web, he explained: “For vital chemical reactions to take place, liquid water is necessary.” Therefore, to find extraterrestrial life we need to find liquid water, and to find extraterrestrial fossils we need to look for sedimentary rocks found in the been associated with liquid water in the past.
“This makes it difficult to make realistic hypotheses about life on Venus today because its surface is too hot, even though Venus may have had liquid water in the past.”
“One problem with a possible fossil record on Venus, however, is widespread volcanism, which appears to have covered most of the surface over the past few hundred million years.”
Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system at a scorching 475°C (900°F).
Located 67 million miles from the sun, Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system
Nevertheless, both Professor Papineau and Dr. Thaller agrees that our solar system’s icy moons could also be sites of potential microbial life.
NASA estimates that there are 290 “traditional moons” in our solar system – excluding 462 smaller asteroids and minor planets.
“More likely, we could find extraterrestrial life and/or fossils on Mars and in the icy moons of the outer solar system,” continued Professor Papineau.
“That’s because there’s liquid water on these planetary bodies, including in the ice at the south pole of Mars.” Mars and the icy moons also have geological records that could preserve fossils.”
Web has Dr. Thaller asked for comment.
IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF VENUS CARBON DIOXIDE AND SULFURIC ACID DROPS OCCUR
Venus’ atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide with clouds of sulfuric acid droplets.
The dense atmosphere traps the sun’s heat, resulting in surface temperatures in excess of 470 °C (880 °F).
The atmosphere consists of many layers with different temperatures.
At the height of the clouds, about 50 km above the surface, the temperature is about the same as on the earth’s surface.
As Venus moves forward in its orbit around the sun, slowly rotating backwards on its axis, the top layer of clouds orbits the planet every four Earth days.
They are powered by hurricane-force winds moving at about 224 miles (360 km) per hour.
Atmospheric flashes illuminate these fast-moving clouds.
Velocities within clouds decrease with cloud height and are estimated to be only a few miles (km) per hour at the surface.
On the ground, it would appear like a very hazy, overcast day on Earth, and the atmosphere is so heavy it feels like you’re 1 mile (1.6 km) underwater.