Photo via The Atlantic
Recently, the Internet exploded with reports that astronomers may have found signs of life on Venus, but is that really the case?
Well, maybe.
The reports said that astronomers detected traces of a gas called phosphine in Venus's atmosphere, in clouds some 50 kilometres above the surface.
This is a huge discovery because as far as we know, phosphine can only be produced two ways; in a factory, or by bacteria.
This suggests that Venus's clouds could be teeming with microscopic life. However, this is still speculation.
Scientists are quick to point out that much of Venus remains a mystery, and the planet could be producing phosphine in a non-biological way that we still don't understand.
Photo via NASA
Why would there be life in Venus' atmosphere?
Well, according to the US' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Venus is actually the hottest planet in the solar system.
On the surface it has an average temperature of 471 degrees Celsius, and the pressure down there is 90 times that of Earth.
That's the pressure you'd feel if you were to dive 1 kilometre underwater.
However, conditions in the atmosphere are a lot less hellish, as the temperature where the phosphine was found is more Earth-like.
Why is this discovery such a big deal?
Ever since humanity looked to the stars, we've wondered if we are alone in the universe, and if we can prove that microbial life exists in a planet like Venus, it could suggest that there's more life elsewhere in the solar system.
by Faisal Merican
