Extraterrestrial

Exotic alien life forms could be living in the clouds of Venus

By T.K. Randall
December 24, 2021 ·  1 comment

Could there be life in the clouds of Venus ? Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech With surface temperatures exceeding 860 degrees and crushing atmospheric pressures that are more than 100 times those found on our own planet, the conditions on Venus are undeniably hellish.

But while the likelihood of finding signs of life on its surface remains low, scientists have long speculated that primitive life forms could potentially eke out an existence high up in the clouds.

Of particular note is the unexplained presence of ammonia in the upper atmosphere of Venus - a gas that, on Earth at least, is typically associated with aquatic life forms.

Now a new study by scientists from Cardiff University, MIT and Cambridge University has revealed that this ammonia could potentially make the atmosphere of Venus a more habitable environment."We know that life can grow in acid environments on Earth, but nothing as acid as the clouds of Venus were believed to be," said study co-author Dr William Bains.

"But if something is making ammonia in the clouds, then that will neutralize some of the droplets, making them potentially more habitable."

The researchers have even gone so far as to suggest that the ammonia on Venus is more likely to be biological than geological or meteorological in nature.

"Ammonia shouldn't be on Venus," said study co-author Professor Sara Seager.

"It has hydrogen attached to it, and there's very little hydrogen around. Any gas that doesn't belong in the context of its environment is automatically suspicious for being made by life."

Source: Yahoo! News | Comments (1)

Tags: Venus