Unknown chemical reaction or life activity? Detection of phosphorus compounds from the atmosphere of Venus September 15, 15:01
Molecules of phosphorus compounds produced by the activities of living things on the earth were detected in the atmosphere of Venus, and the international research team who made the observation said that it may be derived from living things, and further research is needed. is.
This was published in the British scientific journal "Nature Astronomy" on the 14th by international research teams such as Cardiff University and Kyoto Sangyo University in the United Kingdom.
When the research team observed the atmosphere of Venus with radio telescopes in Hawaii and Chile, South America, it was found that there are a few molecules of a phosphorus compound called "phosphine" in the atmosphere about 60 kilometers above. ..
Phosphine is produced by chemical reactions on some planets such as Jupiter, while it is produced by the activity of microorganisms on the earth.
The research team said that even if phosphine is formed in the environment of Venus, it is decomposed immediately, and the amount detected by volcanic activity or lightning is not produced, it is possible that it was formed by an unknown chemical reaction or life activity. It is said.
Since Venus is close to the Sun and covered with thick clouds of carbon dioxide, the surface of the earth is considered to be a harsh environment for the existence of life at a high temperature of about 500 degrees, but the temperature and pressure are several tens of kilometers above. Some researchers continue to explore it, saying it is low and life may exist.
The research team says it's not proof that life exists on Venus, but NASA's Secretary of Aeronautics and Astronautics Bridenstein told Twitter that "it's the most important step in looking for extraterrestrial life." There is a lot of interest in writing.
"Possibility of unknown chemical reactions and biological activities"
Professor Hideo Sagawa of Kyoto Sangyo University, who participated in the research team, said, "Phosphine is known to be produced by the activity of some organisms on the earth. Phosphine is also observed in the atmosphere of Jupiter, but it is very internal. It is thought that it is produced in a high temperature and high pressure environment. Since the environment of Venus is very different from that of Jupiter, we know that phosphine is stable enough to be detected like this time. It may be made by an unknown chemical reaction, or it may be continuously supplied by the activity of living organisms, so further observation is needed. "
"It's not strange if there are living things"
Professor Emeritus Akihiko Yamagishi of Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Science, who is familiar with life exploration in space, said, "Venus is close to the Sun, and it is said that the temperature is too high for life to exist, but billions of years ago the sea In addition to being thought to have existed, there are places with similar temperatures and pressures to the Earth in some of the atmosphere above, and it is not strange that there are living things. In recent years, life has been centered on Mars and other places. There are plans to look for traces of this, but Venus is also a very interesting subject of research. "