- High temperatures and clouds of sulfuric acid made life on Venus impossible. Scientists have discovered the chance of life in clouds that are colder than the planet.
- In the experiment, a solution similar to Venus clouds was used and it was proven that sulfuric acid is not always an aggressive, human-hostile substance.
- The Photon spacecraft, which will be sent to Venus in January 2025, will examine the clouds and drop a single-instrument probe into the Venus atmosphere.
Recent work from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has strengthened the idea that Venus clouds could support complex chemicals necessary for life.
Venus, Earth’s twin, has high temperatures that melt metals. Clouds floating in Venus’ sky consist of a carcinogenic substance called sulfuric acid, which corrodes teeth and irritates eyes. For this reason, although the rocky planet was not considered suitable for living organisms, scientists continued their studies. The detection of the phosphine molecule, which was previously considered the signature of life in the planet’s atmosphere, and the stability of complex molecules in sulfuric acid increased the motivation for research. The latest paper, published March 18 in the journal Astrobiology, supported the notion that some life forms could be found in toxic clouds that are colder than the planet’s surface.
Sara Seager and her team, who conduct research in the field of astrophysics and planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, tried to imitate the environment in Venus clouds in their experiments. Biogenic amino acids, which carry molecules necessary for all life forms on Earth, were kept in bottles of sulfuric acid mixed with water. The team analyzed the structure of amino acids for four weeks. It was determined that the molecular backbone of 19 molecules was not damaged despite high acids. Janusz Petkowski, co-author of the article, reported that the information that concentrated sulfuric acid is an aggressive solvent that breaks down all substances is not always true.
The study used solutions similar to the sulfuric acid concentration in Venus clouds. It is suggested that Venus’s clouds may host at least a few of these life-friendly molecules.
Based on the study results, scientists say there may be a chance of life on Venus. It is predicted that possible life forms on Venus will be very different from life forms on Earth.
It was noted that 9 amino acids tested in the research were also found in meteoroids. It is estimated that these molecules reached Venus as a result of meteor impacts.
Studying clouds will be the focus of the privately funded expedition to Venus, planned to take place in January 2025. Photon spacecraft will be used in the experiment called Discovery of Life on Venus. In the mission, which aims to explore the life potential of Venus, a small single-instrument probe will be released into the planet’s atmosphere.
Scientists note that Venus cloud chemistry is messy. In future experiments, the team plans to study small amounts of gas mixtures in the Venusian atmosphere.
Compiled by: Esame Ayşe Atalay