Life can exist on Venus, scientists from the University of Wisconsin in Madison made such a statement.
Astrophysicists are looking for traces of organic matter on exoplanets located hundreds of light years from Earth. But perhaps they should look at our next door neighbor.
A new study says that clouds in the lower atmosphere of Venus may have their own microflora. It is she who is the source of anomalous atmospheric phenomena visible in ultraviolet images, Astrobiology reports.
Venus has always been considered completely uninhabited. The conditions on it are very unfavorable - the temperature is about 465 degrees Celsius, the atmospheric pressure is 92 times higher than the earth's, and in some places it rains from sulfuric acid. In such a world, the most unpretentious bacteria will not survive.
But at an altitude of about 50 kilometers, the situation is different. The temperature there is already 0-60 degrees Celsius, the pressure is 0.4-2 atmospheres.
The study authors noted that small microorganisms can be found in the Earth's atmosphere at altitudes up to 15 kilometers. These are bacteria, mold spores, pollen and algae, trapped there as a result of evaporation or thrown out by some kind of cataclysm.
Something similar could have happened on Venus. Once at a high altitude, microorganisms would find themselves in the so-called "habitable zones" suitable for life.
Water vapor left over from ancient times when Venus had liquid water, carbon dioxide, sulfuric acid compounds and UV rays would give microbes food and energy.
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The scientists' theory is indirectly confirmed by pictures of the neighboring planet. In the UV range, it is seen that dense clouds covering the entire surface are "decorated" with dark spots and veins. They were first noticed back in 1927. According to scientists, something absorbs 40% more ultraviolet light than the surrounding area. The true nature of this phenomenon is still unknown - theoretically, it can be assumed that inhabited zones are actually located there.
The size and contrast of spots can change over several days or weeks, move over considerable distances. On Earth, similar processes are caused by weather factors, but on Venus there is no change of seasons and temperature differences that we are used to.
Scientists noted that this behavior of "spots" is most similar to the life cycle of microbes that bloom and die, as well as drift and migrate in the atmosphere. Perhaps they are similar to the terrestrial Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans or Stygiolobus, which feed on sulfur, are acid resistant and absorb UV radiation.
Previous studies have proven that in the atmosphere of Venus, where conditions are much milder than on the surface, 1.4 billion tons of biomass can theoretically survive (this is found in the entire oceans of the Earth).
The authors of the work emphasized that only a mission to Venus will help to answer all questions. So far, no spacecraft has been able to take samples of this planet's atmosphere or take long-term measurements. But in the future, everything will change: Russia and the United States are planning a joint research project, the start of which is scheduled for 2026.