Biomarker Phosphine Discovered in the Atmosphere of Venus
Explanation:
Could there be life floating in the atmosphere of Venus?
Although
Earth's planetary
neighbor
has a surface considered too extreme for any known lifeform, Venus' upper atmosphere
may be sufficiently mild for tiny airborne
microbes.
This usually disfavored prospect took an
unexpected upturn yesterday with the announcement of the
discovery of Venusian
phosphine.
The chemical
phosphine (PH3) is a considered
a
biomarker because it seems so hard to create from
routine chemical processes thought to occur on or around a
rocky world such as
Venus -- but it is known to be created by
microbial life on Earth.
The featured image of Venus and its thick clouds was taken in two bands of
ultraviolet light
by
the Venus-orbing
Akatsuki, a
Japanese
robotic satellite that has been orbiting the cloud-shrouded world since 2015.
The phosphine
finding, if confirmed, may set off renewed interest
in searching for other indications of life floating high in the atmosphere of
our Solar System's second planet
out from the Sun.
Experts Debate:
How will humanity first discover
extraterrestrial life?
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
