Recently, the scientific community detected a surprising gas, phosphine, in the thick acidic clouds of Venus.
This gas is usually closely associated with life on Earth, so the discovery immediately piqued great interest in this distant planet. Four years ago, a team of researchers at Imperial College London announced for the first time that signs of phosphine had been captured in the atmosphere of Venus. However, the discovery was controversial because other astronomers subsequently failed to repeat the observation with different instruments.
Now, however, the Clements team has reconfirmed the presence of phosphine with new observational data and more in-depth analysis. They point out that the key to the failure of previous observations may be a difference in time choice.
The intense solar ultraviolet rays on Venus break down molecules in the upper atmosphere, and successful observations of phosphine were made during the transition from night to day in Venus's atmosphere. The choice of this time period provides a new perspective for scientists to reveal the secrets of Venus's atmosphere.
The Imperial College research team didn't stop at the initial findings, choosing the James · Clark · Maxwell telescopes in Hawaii for a more accurate look at Venus' atmosphere. This decision undoubtedly led to a breakthrough in their research. Through high-precision observations, the team succeeded in reconfirming the presence of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus, and this time obtaining data 140 times the initial detection value.
This leap forward not only strengthens scientists' belief in the existence of phosphine, but also provides a solid foundation for further research.
In addition to phosphine, the team also accidentally detected another lifemarker in the atmosphere of Venus – ammonia. Both gases are closely associated with life processes on Earth, especially phosphine, which is often associated with the activity of microorganisms. This unexpected discovery undoubtedly added a new page to the mystery of Venus's life.
The presence of phosphine and ammonia on Earth is closely related to life processes, especially phosphine, which is often closely related to the activity of microorganisms. The discovery of these two gases on Venus naturally led to speculation about whether there was life on the planet.
However, Venus's environment is extremely harsh, with extremely high surface temperatures and an atmosphere full of corrosive substances, all of which seem to indicate the impossibility of life on Venus.
Scientists are thus puzzled, what exactly is the source of these gases? One speculation is that they may be related to some unknown life form, and another possibility is that they were produced through abiotic chemical reactions.
Dave · Clements of Imperial College London proposed that phosphine and ammonia are regarded as possible life markers on exoplanets, and the discovery in the atmosphere of Venus provides us with a new direction of research, but it does not directly prove the presence of microorganisms on Venus. At present, there are still many unknowns about the specific situation of Venus, and these unknowns are the driving force for scientists to study in the future.
To delve deeper into the secrets of Venus' atmosphere, the European Space Agency and NASA United States have planned to launch a Venus probe. The probes will carry a range of advanced scientific instruments to provide a more comprehensive view of Venus at close range.
These missions are expected to provide us with valuable data on the composition, climate, and surface characteristics of Venus's atmosphere, which is expected to unravel the mystery of the origin of mysterious gases such as phosphine and ammonia. Scientists are looking forward to these future missions, hoping to take the opportunity to learn more about Venus and look for possible signs of life.