Nicker on 15/9/2020 at 04:01
(
https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2015/) A chemical associated with anaerobic life has been detected in large quantities in the atmosphere of Venus.
Phosphine is produced in tiny amounts by volcanoes but the only known terrestrial source in larger quantities is anaerobic life. It is possible that the high levels of phosphine on Venus are due to some unique planetary chemistry but no alternate process has yet been proposed to replicate these findings.
Tantalising.
SubJeff on 15/9/2020 at 06:24
She's got it, yeah baby she's got it.
demagogue on 15/9/2020 at 06:24
I remember in Space Engine, which is supposed to be a scientifically informed space sim, I visited some planets that were labeled as having atmospheric microbial life, and I thought that was an interesting idea and looked it up. I'll be interested to see what the consensus position will be when the evidence and analysis shakes out. I always had the impression that the first extraterrestrial life would be found on Mars, but if atmospheric life is a thing that happens sometimes, then it makes sense why Venus would be the front runner.
rachel on 15/9/2020 at 07:43
Aside from the pressure cooker conditions, Venus is the closest match to Earth in the system iirc. It would be amazing to find life there living like those extreme organisms that evolved in the plumes of oceanic volcanoes...
Fascinating stuff.
Sulphur on 15/9/2020 at 08:20
Apart from the pressure cooker conditions, Venus's atmosphere also contains clouds of sulphuric acid (y'all know I was gonna namedrop that) which, as we know, doesn't really bode well for complex organic life. Acid-resistant microbes certainly is an interesting thing if true, and evidence of it could mean life does indeed find a way on more places than just Earth.
rachel on 15/9/2020 at 11:01
Sorry, I did oversimplify things with this example yes. To clarify, I meant the planet in terms of size and composition (I believe Venus is geologically active, though I go from memory on that so I might be wrong there too...)
Nicker on 15/9/2020 at 12:11
Sulphur! You and sulfuric acid! Get a roooom! :rolleyes:
Marecki on 15/9/2020 at 18:08
It's David Bowie. They were going to send his ashes to Mars but in the end Major Tom got put in charge of doing burn calculations and it turned out the spaceship didn't know which way to go after all.
...sorry, couldn't help myself. Seriously though, this is fascinating stuff - if the results are solid (haven't read the paper) and it is indeed anaerobic microbes which have produced all that phosphine, then BOY talk about extremophiles!
Nicker on 15/9/2020 at 21:04
Take us to Mars, Spaceship.
I'm afraid I can't do that, David.
Microwave Oven on 16/9/2020 at 01:49
Not to be that guy, but the Russians did send a probe to Venus, and you never know how well they decontaminated the vessel before it landed. Who knows if some Earth-based microbe managed to survive the trip and the acidic atmosphere and thrive.