Venus in focus
Paper:
Mains: General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
Context:
- The recent discovery of traces of phosphine, another biomarker, in Venus atmosphere has just given the search for extraterrestrial life a shot in the arm.
Venus:
- Venus is the second closest planet to the sun in the Solar system and is often referred to as ‘Earth’s twin’because its size and shape are very much similar to that of the earth.
- Venus has no satellite.
- Venus is considered hostile to lifedue to the following reasons:
- Venus is the hottest planet in the solar systemwith surface temperatures being above 460° Celsius.
- It possesses a dense atmosphere of carbon dioxide (Green House Gas) which is said to be causing the heating of Venus.
Phosphine:
- Phosphine, a compound of one phosphorous atom and three hydrogen atoms, has been discovered in Venus’s atmosphere.
- Phosphine gets oxidized in an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide and hence should be shortlived in Venus’s atmosphere.
- The presence of phosphine despite this has led to speculations of the presence of life forms in the hostile conditions of Venus.
Significance:
- The researchers estimate that phosphine forms about 20 parts per billion of Venus’s atmosphere.
- This fact, when added to the hostile conditions on its surface, yields tantalising possibilities — of phosphine’s survival through extraordinary chemistry and thermodynamics or the stubborn triumph of biology and life.
Challenges:
- Apart from the high surface temperature and dense atmosphere, the presence of sulphuric acid in the atmosphere of Venus makes it a highly corrosive environment.
- Perhaps flying at a height and sending down drones or balloons would be more feasible than a landing.
- Phosphine could have also originated from unknown photochemistry or geochemistry processes on Venus. Thus, there is a need to also evaluate the source of phosphine on Venus.
- Given that the atmospheric conditions are drastically different between the earth and Venus, the presence of phosphine alone may not prove the presence of life on Venus.
Conclusion:
- Currently, the discovery of phosphine is based on telescopic observations. To conclusively confirm the presence of Phosphine, there is a need to make in situ measurements in the atmosphere of Venus.