The discovery ofphosphine gasin the atmosphere of Venus rocked our creation on Monday , but the question remain : where is it coming from ? Is the phosphine a result of an unnamed chemical substance chemical reaction or is a living organism producing the gas ? Perhaps it ’s something unlike whole . by nature , many around the world want an answer .
To better empathize how the phosphine is produced , Breakthrough Initiatives is funding a research effort into the theory the informant is a animation organism . This move is unsurprising considering Breakthrough Initiatives ' mission to happen life beyond Earth for the last 10 year , funding political platform such as SETI ( hunt for surplus - Terrestrial Intelligence ) and an Enceladus charge , another shoes in the solar system where life might exist .
The team is leave by Dr Sara Seager , a prof of Planetary Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Their goal is to enquire whether or not alien life history subsist on Venus , as well as to produce an analysis of what an exploratory mission to the major planet would entail to confirm it .
“ We are thrilled to labor the envelope to endeavor to sympathize what form of liveliness could live in the very coarse Venus atm and what further evidence for life history a charge to Venus could search for , ” Professor Seager said in astatement .
Phosphine , which smells like decayed Pisces , should be destroyed by the thick sulfuric acid cloud on Venus . However , something is preventing this from happening .
On Earth , phosphine is either make by bacteria dilapidate organic matter or in the science laboratory . All the research lab reaction are not spontaneous and want energy to acquire the chemical . The original research squad , led by Professor Jane Greaves from Cardiff University , looked at possible ways to supply this energy such as volcanos or lightning , but could n’t find a elbow room to make enough .
So far , this depart two theory for Venus . It ’s potential the phosphine is being produced by an unsung chemical chemical reaction from sunlight or within the planet . The other alternative is a living organism in the clouds . While the latter is an exciting possibility , the cloud of Venus are more acidulous than any environment we have on Earth . As of now , we do n’t know how such life could live .
“ We are assay to do more reflexion , ” Professor Greaves antecedently toldIFLScience . “ Obviously the priority is that people can use telescopes safely , during pandemic conditions . But we hope over the next class or so to get a more elaborate map of where the phosphine is – what meridian , geographic dispersion … and if it changes over sentence . ”
Hopefully , follow - up observance by Professor Greaves and her team , the work of the Breakthrough Initiatives undertaking , and others exercise on this doubtfulness will lend new perceptivity in the coming months and years .
