Generally considered inhabitable, new observations suggest that Venus could in fact be harboring life. Where? In its clouds.
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After earning a bad reputation as Earth’s “evil twin,” Venus is finally getting some good press. Recently, a team of international astronomers announced the discovery of a rare gas called phosphine in the planet’s atmosphere, leaving some to believe it might be a sign of potential life on the seemingly inhabitable planet.

With Venus' surface reaching a temperature hot enough to melt lead; its crushing air pressure; and its ultra-dense clouds made up mostly of corrosive sulfuric acid, it’s no wonder that the search for life has been focused on Mars.

But in June 2017, astronomers made a surprising find while examining data captured by the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii. Radio telescopes like this take advantage of the fact that atoms and molecules absorb and emit specific frequencies, leaving “fingerprints” that can be used to identify chemical compounds over astronomical distances.

And a tell-tale dip in the spectrum showed that phosphine, a pyramid-shaped molecule considered by some scientists as a potential biomarker, meaning that it could hint at the presence of life, was somehow present in the upper clouds of Venus. Phosphine is more commonly expected to be found on Earth.

In 2019, the ALMA telescope confirmed the findings, revealing roughly 20 parts per billion of phosphine.

While this discovery is exciting, we still need more data in order to confirm whether or not Venus is a potential candidate for life. Find out more about the journey to discover if there really is life on Earth’s “Evil” Twin in this Elements.

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Why Scientists Are Exploring Earth’s Dangerous Twin
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Read More:

Astronomers may have found a signature of life on Venus
https://news.mit.edu/2020/life-venus-...
"While they have not found direct evidence of living organisms there, if their observation is indeed associated with life, it must be some sort of “aerial” life-form in Venus’ clouds — the only habitable portion of what is otherwise a scorched and inhospitable world."

What Is Phosphine and Why Does It Point to Extra-Terrestrial Life Floating in the Clouds of Venus?
https://scitechdaily.com/what-is-phos...
"To create the observed quantity of phosphine (which consists of hydrogen and phosphorus) on Venus, terrestrial organisms would only need to work at about 10% of their maximum productivity, according to the team."

Is There Life on Venus? These Missions Could Find It
https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
"The reality is that the puzzle of Venusian phosphine will remain unsolved until several critical pieces of information are in hand, says Kandi Jessup, a senior research scientist at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)."

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