But scientists think the "temperate" upper cloud layer on Venus could play host to some forms of life. , Open Threads , Science & Technology display: inline-block; The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Royal Astronomical Society Fact Sheet. The discovery of the gas on Earth's closest neighbor could open up a new era of science if the hints of life are confirmed by additional telescopes or future space missions. The scientist further explains that there has long been a theory out there that Venus might have once been inhabited and that life could have retained a stronghold in the clouds. Atoms and molecules absorb light at very specific and unique wavelengths, and the resulting 'absorption spectrum’ revealed a gap at the wavelength of phosphine. Here are ten essential facts about the discovery: What has been discovered? Phosphine can turn up on a planet in many different ways. What's more, scientists caution that it's unlikely that we'll find the source of the gas without investigating the clouds or surface of Venus directly – using some kind of spacecraft. The Royal Astronomical Society, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. In 1982, the Soviet spacecraft Venera 13 lasted only a couple of hours after landing, sending home photos of orange-brown rocks before it succumbed. The press release has been issued in advance to some journalists under embargo - but … drupal-media[data-view-mode=half_page_width] { The significant announcement was made by the Royal Astronomical Society in a press conference on Monday. quicquid nitet notandum, telescope and frame, e. j. stone. Very few organisms on Earth produce phosphine, and very few if any are capable of surviving in the extreme conditions in the Venusian cloud decks. Ultimately this would involve re-visiting Venus with probes, which would make measurements in the planet’s atmosphere, and potentially bring back samples to Earth for further analysis. Culture. The only known processes that produce phosphine on Earth in similar quantities are biological in origin. Hints of life on Venus Royal Astronomical Society. The phosphine molecule is created either artificially on Earth or “by microbes that thrive in oxygen-free environments,” as RAS describes. Phone: 1-888-924-7272 Phone: (416) 924-7973. by Royal Astronomical Society. Venus is often named as Earth's twin because both worlds share a similar size, surface composition, and have an atmosphere with a complex weather system. Royal Astronomical Society, gold Prize medal, 1869, by W. Wyon, Sir Isaac Newton left, rev. Scientists confirmed the presence of phosphine in Venus' atmosphere using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and Chile's Atacama telescope array. Atoms and molecules absorb light at very specific and unique wavelengths, and the resulting 'absorption spectrum’ revealed a gap at the wavelength of phosphine. The Royal Astronomical Society tweeted that researchers have detected ‘phosphine’, a rare and toxic gas, in the atmosphere of Venus, suggesting that it may be home to some form of life. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. No further transits will be visible until 2117. They want you to know its big news. Traces of phosphine in Earth's atmosphere are directly linked to human and microbial activity. João M Mendonça, Lars A Buchhave, Modelling the 3D climate of Venus with oasis, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 496, Issue 3, August 2020, Pages 3512–3530, ... Venus is the most Earth-like planet in the Solar system in terms of mass and size. Observations of the light passing through the atmosphere of Venus were made using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) in Hawaii. 203-4920 Dundas Street West Toronto ON M9A 1B7. The most recent Transit of Venus occured on 5-6 June 2012. "However, we have ruled out many chemical routes to phosphine, with the most likely ones falling short by four to eight orders of magnitude.". Phosphine is widely accepted as being a "promising sign of life", when found in a rocky planet's atmosphere. Mercury has no atmosphere, and is simultaneously very hot (on the side facing the Sun) and very cold (on the side facing away). Towards this end, we attempt to estimat They are amazing to be so flexible,” she said. This makes life in the atmosphere of Jupiter highly unlikely. “Their spacecraft would only be about 15 kg, and they would reserve about 3 kg for a payload. ‘An international team of astronomers, led by Professor Jane Greaves of Cardiff University , today announced the discovery of a rare molecule – phosphine – in the clouds of Venus. A 'Transit of Venus' happens when Venus is seen in silhouette against the bright face of the Sun. Related Videos. No. It can be created in the atmosphere, on the surface, or below the surface. Sports. Conditions on the surface are so extreme that it's hard to send a probe that can survive. That doesn't mean that there definitely is life, as we could be missing some other method of producing phosphine in the required amounts, but it's a very exciting possibility which needs more investigation. The Society is celebrating its bicentennial anniversary with a series of events around the UK, including public lectures, exhibitions, an organ recital, a pop-up planetarium, and the culmination of the RAS 200: Sky & Earth project. From around 2030 BST, Venus should be very e... Venus and the Pleiades | The Royal Astronomical Society THE ROYAL Astronomical Society announced the exciting news that scientists have detected a gas associated with a sign of life in the acidic clouds of Venus. Professor Jane Greaves of Cardiff University walks you through the discovery, how they made it, and why this international team is so excited about what it … The RASNZ Council is pleased to announce its RASNZ 100 Programme to support Affiliated Societies to … Contact Us Research News. The finding was published in the new study called Phosphine gas in the cloud decks of Venus. This study is motivated by the possibility of determining the large-body meteoroid flux at the orbit of Venus. Mariner 2 showed that the surface of Venus was an inhospitable furnace, so it couldn't be the kind of primordial jungle that some had imagined. On Earth, phosphine can result from natural processes such as lightning and volcanic activity, but only in small amounts. Both facilities observed Venus at a wavelength of about 1 millimeter, much longer than the human eye can see - only telescopes at high altitude can detect this wavelength effectively. Why is it interesting? “I was very surprised - stunned, in fact,” said astronomer Jane Greaves of Cardiff University in Wales, lead author of the research published in the journal Nature Astronomy. Share. 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The phosphine was detected around 37 miles above the surface on Venus, Experts said the detection of phosphine does not provide robust evidence for life on Venus just yet, Nasa shows an image of Venus transiting the Sun in 2012, detected phosphine — a possible signature of life, Venus is nearly the same size as Earth with a diameter of 12,104 km compared to Earth's 12,742 km, Venus is so hot that the surface temperature can reach 471 °C, It rotates in the opposition direction to most planets, potentially due to an asteroid collision, Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system, It is the second brightest object in the sky at night. Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand web site. Keith's note: There is a big press release coming out tomorrow (Monday, 14 September) morning at the Royal Astronomical Society.