Life may have been discovered on Venus, say top scientists

Lifeform may have been discovered on Venus, according to top scientists.

Last year researchers made waves when they announced the discovery of many sources of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus.

They claimed at the time that the colourless and odourless gas could be a potential indication of life because it's often due to organic matter breaking down on Earth.

Now, the hypothesis, according toFuturism, is a bit of a stretch as the clouds in the planet's carbon-dioxide atmosphere could have lifeforms that could be resilient to the droplets of sulfuric acid surrounding them.

However, a new study from scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) notes that the presence of ammonia could neutralize sulfuric acid.

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They said that ammonia would propel a long chain of chemical reactions that can make Venus's clouds become a hospitable place to live.

Ammonia would set off a long chain of chemical reactions, they say, that could turn Venus' clouds into a hospitable place.

"Essentially, life could be making its own environment on Venus", the researchers penned in their paper.

"Our model, therefore, predicts that the clouds are more habitable than previously thought and may be inhabited," the researchers said.

The authors also suggest that the ammonia gas itself could be a result of biological processes instead of lightning or volcanic eruptions, as suggested in prior research.

MIT planetary sciences professor and research co-author Sara Seager said that there are acidic environments on Earth where life does exist," but it's nothing like the environment on Venus ­— unless life is neutralizing some of those droplets."

As of June 2021, NASA and the European Space Agency have been gearing up to send their own respective spacecraft to the Morning Star within the next 10 to 15 years.

Hopefully, we may have some answers heading our way!

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