Science: Venus Clouds "Might Harbor Life"

Society | May 28, 2004, Friday // 00:00

There could be life on the planet Venus, US scientists have concluded. The existence of life on the planet's oven-hot surface is unimaginable.

But microbes could survive and reproduce, experts say, floating in the thick, cloudy atmosphere, protected by a sunscreen of sulphur compounds.

Scientists have even submitted a proposal for a NASA space mission to sample the clouds and attempt to return any presumed Venusians to Earth.

Venus is described as "hellish place" as it is very hot. But it was not always like that. Earth and Venus are in many ways sister planets. Current theories suggest that Venus and the Earth may have started out alike. There might have been a lot of water on Venus and there might have been a lot of carbon dioxide on Earth. But all that was to change.

On Venus, 30% closer to the Sun than the Earth, any oceans boiled away and the water vapour added to the runaway greenhouse effect.

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