Could there be life in the atmosphere of Venus?
Usually, one would expect and look for life on other planets or their moons on the ground or in an ocean if it has one.
But now astrobiologists also think about the upper regions of Venus' atmosphere.
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US researchers say first indications of this has been found already.
The team of scientists around Sanjay Limaye of Space Science and Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison wrote this in the journal „Astrobiology“ on 30th of March 2018.
Climate models show that there may have been liquid water on the surface of the Venus for up to two billion years - much longer than once on Mars.
Here on earth, we know that micro-organisms can go up to 40km into the atmosphere and live under very difficult conditions.
Prof. Rakesh Mogul of California State Polytechnic University and co-author of the study says:
"On Earth, life thrives even under the most adverse conditions: it can, for example, feed on carbon dioxide and produce sulfuric acid,"
"The highly reflective and acidic atmosphere of Venus mainly consists of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid water droplets."
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Actually, the idea of life in the atmosphere of Venus isn't new. Several scientists thought about this idea before beginning in 1967 with biophysicist Harold Morowitz - more followed.
Inspired by the observation of the Polish scientist Grzegorz Slowik from Zielona Góra University, who himself is a co-author of the current study, Limaye's team studied light-absorbing terrestrial bacteria. These are actually similar to previously unidentified particles, which emerge in the cloud-dense Venus atmosphere as dark spots and stripes.
Now they speculate if this dark spots and stripes couldn't be similar to our seaweed on earth.
To be sure if there is life in the atmosphere of Venus we would, of course, have to send something to investigate the atmosphere with the dark spots and stripes.
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Therefore, the scientists hope that the concept of the Russian mission "Venera-D", in which perhaps also NASA wants to participate, and whose launch is planned for the middle to the end of the 2020s, will actually be carried out.
Until then we can only speculate about life in Venus' atmosphere.
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Steem on!
It's a pity we always have to wait such a long time to know.
Indeed @frankvvv - first some years to build something that can fly in such an atmosphere. Then some months or years to wait for the correct launch moment. Then the flight to Venus itself.
Hopefully, I'll make it till we have some results :)
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It is foolish to think there is no life on other planets when we find it here on Earth in the most inhospitable areas of the planet. Many of them on our own planet, I am sure are still undiscovered. The only question is how advanced it got... I wouldn't say far, but how can one know?
Hopefully Space X is going to moon soon so maybe they visit Venus too.
Exactly what I'm thinking @mkaralic!
On the other side, I just listened to a report on the radio today that the likelihood of other lifeforms in the universe might lower than we thought until now.
This because phosphor is needed but also very rare in the universe.
So there might be a lot of other planets where life would be possible but it's not there because of the lack of phosphor.
This was just said in Liverpool today. They said phosphor arises with super-novae and only a small amount. So this small amount must also come down on a planet where life can develop.
Looks like all creatures need ATP where they collect energy for later use.
The written report will come out in some days - perhaps I'll write about it again ;)
That would be interesting to read @pundito. My belief is that these scientists are basically guessing mostly, because there is no way for them to know for sure.
Everything is theory based on theory on today's way of thinking and with the information they have. And I dont think they have a lot. Were still discovering stuff on Earth.
So there could be a fair chance of them being completely wrong and that somewhere in universe maybe closer than we think there is a world with silicon based life forms.
We will just have to wait for the technology to advance so we can look for the answers.
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wow.
I think it makes sense, after all life has come to earth. I cannot imagine it just apeared here, it makes far more sense to have come via an astroid and as such it makes sense to also have come to other places.
I am surprised though it could be this close.
These were might thoughts also @knircky.
It's still such a big mistery where life comes from and where it can be found.
But where has the asteroid come from?
The 1 million dollar question ;)
@knircky,
is there a way to NOT count self-upvotes for @steem-bounty?
Because otherwise again the biggest accounts will run with the bounties ...
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I'd think if there is life in the atmosphere there should be life on the planet itself.
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That's the question @gduran.
Should this really be so or do we only think so because we can't imagine in another way yet?
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