Three years ago astronomersannouncedthey had found the molecule phosphine in the clouds of Venus . They were n’t expecting it and its presence could n’t be explained . On Earth , phosphine is linked to biological activity , aka life . What trace was a flurry of excitement and thendebateon whether the molecule had really been found . Today , the squad has announce further evidence of phosphine not just in the high-pitched atmosphere of Venus but all the mode down to the clouds .
squad leaderProfessor Jane Greavesfrom the University of Cardiffteased this data appeal last class , explaining that they had extra robustness in the uncovering data as it was from a different legal instrument , and they could also see how the phosphine changes over time . Today she presented their determination at the National Astronomy Meeting 2023 .
“ We ’ve made quite a lot of progress since we got the first data in 2017 , " Professor Greaves told IFLScience . " We have got five dissimilar times we ’ve happen upon the phosphine now , so we can really depart to look at how it ’s behaving . It ’s not so much about finding it , it ’s about whether it transfer over time and what that might stand for . "
When they first announced their discovery in 2020 , the squad revealed their findings come from two sovereign watching of the signal , however , a come - up discipline , which included appendage of the original squad , fail to findthe molecule – although they grant they face in the upside of the cloud and that did n’t rule out phosphine in the deeper layers .
The new data , collected using the James Clark Maxwell Telescope ( JCMT ) in Hawaii , is cover to be comprehensive , showing grounds of phosphine luxuriously in the Venusian atmosphere , but also lower on top of its clouds . This suggest to the team that the phosphine comes either from the swarm or below them .
“ find it there shows that there really is a source either in the clouds or below the cloud , " Professor Greaves explained . " And that ’s really interesting because the clouds are the interesting part … because there might be a possibility , a long blastoff , that there might be some variety of living organisms there . ”
The theory of life is exciting , of line , and generated many " life establish on Venus " headlines back in 2020 , although currently , there is no direct evidence that this is the case . But the team does think that some of the data strengthen this improbable scenario . For example , the amount of phosphine does n’t interchange that much across the various observations . As a comparison , atomic number 16 dioxide , which is conceive to be related to volcanism on Venus , can vary wildly – more than 10 sentence from twelvemonth to year or even short timescales .
“ The Phosphine seems to be only vary at most by maybe up to about twice as much , or down to about half as much . It is not really variable , and I think that ’s important in the circumstance of interpretation , ” Professor Greaves recount IFLScience .
The team will continue to investigate the mystical molecule on Venus and are looking ahead to the upcoming commission to the " morning wizard " . NASA hasmultiple Venus missionsplanned ( although one is now delayed ) and theEuropean Space Agencyhas one to read its air . But Greaves and her team are most mad about a belittled commission from theBreakthrough Initiativesthat train to senda smaller probeto investigate the clouds themselves for phosphine and the hypothesis of liveliness .
It looks like the twenty-four hour period ofEarth ’s hellish twinkeeping its secrets are numbered .
Professor Greaves pose their determination at theNational Astronomical Meeting 2023 .
