Planet Venus may not have the capacity to nurture life. Researchers who are trying to find clues for extraterrestrial beings on the planet may be unfortunate, too, as a new study shows that extremities reside on specific regions of Venus that could affect the development of biological beings.
Life on Venus: Is it Possible?
The previous years witnessed intensive studies revolving around the second nearest planet to the sun. Among these studies had attempted to justify the presence of life in Venus. This is due to the planet's mysterious oceanic composition, as well as the constantly peaceful climate that covers its skies. In addition, many theorized that the non-chaotic condition of Venus had already existed billions of years from today.
But contrary to popular belief, Venus possesses harsh features on its planetary body. The surface of the planet is drier than we can imagine. Due to the distance of Venus from the sun, the temperature recorded from the orb was so intense that it could melt lead.
These extremities observed on Venus did not bother other astronomy experts who insisted that the planet could have held life before. They believe that if the planet has the capacity to contain life before, it could still cater to persisting life forms.
Among the evidence that may support the existence of life in Venus is the active clouds floating just 50 kilometers above the planet, as the temperature and pressure of the atmospheric formation recorded on Venus' skies are pretty much similar to Earth's sea level.
The new study, according to Space, is in contrast to the idea of potential life in Venus. The current conditions of the planet are similar to other newborn planets, despite its planetary age that scales to millions of years. Venus has an intense temperature that could evaporate the liquid water the Earth contains in its oceanic regions. And if ever there are still waters present on the planet, Venus may have removed almost all of the sauna-level waters from its surface.
Astronomers James Kasting and Chester Harman, of Penn State University and NASA's Ames Research Center said that if the researchers were right then Venus may have always been a "hellhole."
Thick Clouds and Surface on Venus Too Dry to Sustain Life
Previous studies relied on the presence of clouds that covers the planet. Some theories said that due to the placement of thick cloud formation, the planet did cool down. The flares and excessive heat from the sun may have been bounced back to space.
Geneva Astronomical Observatory expert Martin Turbet and their team analyzed the possibilities of the collective theories of life on Venus. The research included a model that simulated the transition of climate on the planet, and what they found magnified what the previous studies were not able to identify.
The findings suggest that Venus intentionally keeps the thick cloud formation on its nightside. The link of the clouds in forming a new life on the planet is also debunked, as there is indeed no capacity on the clouds that may help to inhibit life source. In addition, the clouds are not bouncing back the solar radiations that reach the planet but actually restricted the high temperatures due to the greenhouse effect below the clouds.
The trapping of heat brings a strong limitation towards the development of vast water bodies such as rivers and oceans, much even to pour rain down to the Venus' surface. Further studies on Venus will be conducted in 2028 with the launch of NASA's Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy or VERITAS. The study was published in the journal Nature, titled "Day-night cloud asymmetry prevents early oceans on Venus but not on Earth."
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