NASA scientist is ‘absolutely certain’ that life exists on Venus

Venus

Venus is the most hellishly hot planet in our solar system — even more so than Mercury, the planet closest to the sun. But a NASA scientist believes there is life there, reports the Daily Mail:

I never expected Venus. Venus is now one where we see something in the atmosphere that looks very much like it could be produced by bacteria.’

Venus, the second planet from the sun, is a rocky world about the same size and mass as the Earth.

However, its atmosphere is radically different to ours — being 96 per cent carbon dioxide and having a surface temperature of 867°F (464°C) and pressure 92 times that of on the Earth.

The inhospitable planet is swaddled in clouds of sulphuric acid that make the surface impossible to glimpse.

In the past, it has been suggested that Venus likely had oceans similar to Earth’s — but these would have vaporised as it underwent a runaway greenhouse effect.

The surface of Venus is a dry desertscape, which is periodically changed by volcanic activity.

Venus is often described as ‘Earth’s twin’ due to its similar size and structure.

But their conditions couldn’t be further apart, as astronomers believe it would be impossible for humans to exist on Venus.

Positioned 67 million miles from the Sun, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system, suffering temperatures that can even melt lead.

Its atmosphere – comprised of sulfuric acid and carbon dioxide – also adds to the inhospitable situation, sparking a ‘runaway greenhouse effect’ that prevents heat from escaping to the space beyond.

Despite this, scientists have long debated whether Venus’ clouds may host microbial lifeforms that can survive off sulfur, methane and iron.

Many theorise that photosynthesis is possible on the planet’s surface as Venus receives enough solar energy to penetrate through its thick clouds.

However, Professor Dominic Papineau, an astrobiologist at the University College of London, believes Dr Thaller’s views are ‘difficult to realistically hypothesise’.

More at this link: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12440275/NASA-scientist-absolutely-certain-alien-life-Solar-reveals-extraterrestrials-likely-hiding-Venus.html

Water, a potential building block of life, was recently found in a nearby solar system.

In other news, India recently became the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the moon.

New asteroid-spotting software could help save life on Earth.

The earth itself is getting greener. “The amount of vegetation growing on the earth has been increasing every year for at least 30 years,” notes Human Progress. “The greening of the earth means more food for animals and greater crop yields for humans,” observes Matt Ridley.

Malnutrition has fallen to its lowest level ever worldwide.