Recent data obtained from NASA's retired SOFIA telescope indicates the presence of atomic oxygen in Venus's atmosphere, marking the first direct detection on the planet's daytime hemisphere.
These findings hold the potential to enhance understanding of the differences between Venus's and Earth's atmospheres and to support upcoming Venus missions. The observations were made in November 2021, about 60 miles above Venus's surface.
Atomic Oxygen in the Toxic Venusian Atmosphere
This discovery, published in Nature Communications, suggests that oxygen is generated on Venus's dayside through the decomposition of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide exposed to sunlight.
Subsequently, atmospheric circulation patterns transport this oxygen to Venus's nighttime side. Venus presents a stark contrast to Earth, with a blistering surface temperature and an atmosphere predominantly composed of thick, carbon dioxide-laden clouds, posing intriguing questions about the divergent evolution of these neighboring planets.
Understanding the atmospheric discrepancies between Venus and Earth is important. This revelation opens a new avenue for research by tracking atomic oxygen, a highly reactive, transient species that differs from the oxygen living things on Earth breathe (molecular oxygen).
On Earth, atomic oxygen is produced at high altitudes through the photodissociation of molecular oxygen, driven by solar photons. A similar process is believed to occur on Venus, where sunlight's interaction with carbon dioxide results in photodissociation, splitting molecules into atomic oxygen and carbon monoxide.
This remarkable discovery was made possible through the study of data collected by the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) on 17 locations within Venus's atmosphere, including the daytime and nighttime hemispheres.
The researchers detected atomic oxygen peaking at an altitude of approximately 100 kilometers, a transitional zone influenced by Venus's distinct atmospheric circulation patterns.
These findings suggest that atomic oxygen serves as an invaluable resource for exploring this atmospheric region and could support future Venus missions, offering new insights into the fundamental differences between Venus and Earth.
Venus's Atomic Oxygen Discovery Sparks Speculation on Its Enigmatic Past
While the detection of atomic oxygen on Venus represents an intriguing development, it may not match the excitement of the recent discovery of phosphine on the planet, which could potentially be associated with life. Phosphine, a flammable and toxic gas on Earth, has been identified in Venus's atmosphere, hinting at unusual chemistry or, remarkably, the presence of acid-resistant microbial life.
Nonetheless, the detection of atomic oxygen at all 17 locations on Venus provides researchers with a unique opportunity to study atmospheric changes and mixing processes, particularly in the region where atomic oxygen is most prevalent, located 90 to 120 kilometers above the planet's surface. This region holds significance as it serves as a transition zone between two dominant atmospheric circulation patterns.
However, one of the central questions raised by this finding is the origin of the atomic oxygen on Venus. It raises the possibility of Venus having once possessed liquid water on its surface, suggesting that billions of years ago, the planet may have been habitable before evolving into its current, inhospitable state.
This idea gains support from previous evidence of volcanic activity on Venus, further motivating space agencies to explore the planet's atmosphere and map its surface in greater detail.
RELATED ARTICLE: Early Venus Could Have Sustained Liquid Water on Its Surface for Billions of Years That Made It Habitable, Study Suggests
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