Earth has the right atmospheric pressure, gravity, warmth, and resources to support life. This makes it the only planet in the solar system that is livable. This was what we all read as children while in school. And this was the reality until a few years ago.
Research over the past few years shows that there is a possibility of life on Mars. And since then, attempts have been made to send a man to Mars and colonize the space. However, the belief was that Earth was the only planet that could support life. And that’s because of the presence of oxygen, water, and other essential gases necessary for human survival.
Venus – The Earth’s Twin
The planet Venus is often addressed as Earth’s twin or Earth’s sister planet. That’s because both the planets have the same size, mass, and bulk composition, besides their proximity to the Sun. However, the belief until now was that Venus is radically different from Earth in every other aspect.
This is mainly in terms of supporting life. The atmosphere of Venus contains over a million times more sulfur dioxide than that of Earth. Similarly, it is composed of carbon dioxide rather than oxygen and is several times denser and hotter than our home planet.
Life on Venus?
A recent finding that has piqued everyone’s interest is that Venus could have life. Astronomers found traces of Phosphine gas amidst the highly toxic atmosphere of Venus. It leads them to believe that there could be life on the planet already.
Yes, the presence of Phosphine gas on the planet’s surface leads NASA to track that there could be a possibility of alien life on Venus. This could only mean one thing. There is a possibility of the existence of lifeforms on the planets neighboring our home planet.
What Could This Mean?
The scientists have found a chemical produced from biological processes, which prompts them to think about the possibility of life on this planet. However, this chemical in the atmosphere could also be from the underbelly of volcanoes or meteorite activities. But if it were a result of a volcano or a meteorite, the chemical composition would have been slightly lesser in the atmosphere so, while the scientists are stressing that life is just a possibility and not a confirmation yet, here’s what it could mean for mankind.
According to experts, this gas’s discovery is more significant than finding water on Earth’s Moon or Mars. And that is why scientists are calling this as the biggest find in their search for extra-terrestrial life. Professor Sara Seager from the Physics Department at MIT stated that this could be a great beginning in the ladder of interesting targets.
So, Can Venus Support Life?
Well, the answer to this might leave you quite unhappy. Venus, as we know it, is a planet that uninhabitable by humans, the reason for it being the high temperature and acidic atmosphere. However, scientists are also looking into the possibility that the phosphine in the planet’s atmosphere could be when the planet is habitable. So, there is a lot of research underway to understand the implications of finding phosphine on this planet.
However, a few scientists opine that finding phosphine on Venus cannot be the same as finding water or Mars. If researches manage to find microbes of any the planet, that would be a huge green signal and a breakthrough in planetary research. That is because it would go on to prove without an iota of doubt that life exists beyond the planet Earth.
What The Future Holds?
While we cannot be certain about where these findings would take us. However, we are sure it will increase the space missions to Venus. While space missions to Venus are being made since the 1960s, it would only increase the missions that nations plan.
One could definetly see an increase in space exploration to Venus as nations battle it out to prove the existence of life there. However, that is something we would have to wait and watch. Until then, we could celebrate the giant leap that mankind has taken in the right direction! And we can hope that the work of the scientists will payout and change the way of life as we know it!