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Scientists in 2020 detected the presence of phosphine gas in the clouds of Venus. That discovery led to much debate and excitement about the presence of life on Venus given that phosphine is a molecule associated with biological activity on Earth. However, the initial study led by Cardiff University’s Jane Greaves could not be replicated by later research.
In an exciting development, Jane Greaves and her team have detected phosphine at deeper level in Venus’ atmosphere than before using the James Clark Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) at Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii.
Greaves and her team studied the findings for over an year before making them public at the National Astronomy Meeting 2023.
Is there life on Venus?
Phosphine on Earth is developed by bacteria that live in very low-oxygen environments. In contrast, Phosphine has been found deep into the clouds of Venus.
In her speech at the National Astronomy Meeting, Greaves noted that clouds are the most intriguing part and there is a remote possibility of some form of life existing there.
However, researchers noted that while the presence of phosphine could indicate a possible biosignature, it could also be caused by other processes that are not yet fully understood.
“There’s a big school of thought that you can make phosphine by lobbing phosphorus-bearing rocks up into the high atmosphere and kind of eroding them with water and acid and stuff and getting phosphine gas,” Greaves was quoted as saying by Space.com
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Updated: 11 Jul 2023, 08:12 AM IST
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