Astronomer Explains If Life Is Possible on Venus

11:05, February 13, 2023

Vladimir Surdin gave a scientific and educational lecture at the university

The Ural Federal University hosted a scientific and educational lecture by Vladimir Sourdin, Associate Professor at the Physics Department of Moscow State University and Senior Researcher at the Sternberg Astronomical Institute. On Russian Science Day, the scientist spoke about the possibility of life on Venus. The scientist's lecture is one of the events of the UrFU Science Days.

According to the research of astronomers, Venus is similar to Earth in certain parameters. Therefore, life is hypothetically possible on it. However, the atmosphere of Venus consists mainly of carbon dioxide, and the temperature on the surface reaches 460 degrees Celsius. Therefore, the carbon-based life that we are accustomed to is not possible there, but other types of life may exist.

In 2019, for example, a group of astronomers detected radiation from glycine and phosphine molecules on Venus. Glycine is an amino acid that could be a sign of life. However, there is a lot of it in space. It travels in both interplanetary and interstellar environments. The phosphine molecule, on the other hand, is found in the clouds of Venus, despite the destructive ultraviolet radiation, which means that there are sources of this substance in them. In addition, not long ago, Japanese scientists suggested that dark clouds on Venus are analogous to communities of microorganisms that fly in the upper atmosphere on Earth.

"There are two sources of phosphine on Earth: either volcanic eruptions or microbial activity. No volcanic eruptions have ever been detected on Venus. Only phosphine inspired the idea that there could be living microorganisms in the clouds of Venus," adds Vladimir Surdin.

However, as Surdin notes, not all is clear with this sensational news. Astronomers still cannot agree on whether or not phosphine has been identified in the upper atmosphere of Venus. Whether it is due to the presence of microbes is also an open question.

Last year, scientists from the Ural Federal University suggested the existence of life in the clouds of Venus.

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The news article was translated by UrFU International Marketing Office.
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