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In September, Venus made headlines after scientists discovered large areas of phosphine in the planet’s atmosphere. According to current knowledge, phosphine is created through biological processes that have suggested, albeit slightly, that there may be some form of microbial life on Venus.
However, a new study has found that the finding may be based on a mistake in the dataset and that there may be no evidence of life on Venus after all.
Scientists reexamined the phosphine perspective on Venus using the Atacama Large Millimeter / submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile.
They found that the phosphine levels on Venus are about one part per billion.
This is roughly one seventh of the original results.
Cardiff University astronomer Jane Greaves, who led the new research, said phosphine levels could vary significantly across the planet.
As a result, the previous study may have spotted a patch in the Venusian sky where phosphine levels were high.
When scientists make a major discovery, other academics in the field reexamine, reexamine, and reexamine again to look for errors in the data.
This way, experts can be sure of the results.
READ MORE: Space Innovation: Life on Venus was first detected 42 years ago
Bob Grimm, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado who is not involved in any of the phosphine studies, said, “The scientific process is working.”
However, the only way to be completely sure of the results of both studies is to head to Venus.
David Grinspoon, an astrobiologist at the Planetary Science Institute, said: “There are 1,001 reasons to return to Venus, and if the phosphine” disappears “through further observation and analysis, there will still be 1,000 reasons to go.”
While there is certainly evidence of phosphine, no matter how big or small, scientists warn not to get carried away.
For example, there may be an unknown chemical process causing the creation of phosphine that is not biological.
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Paul Byrne, associate professor of planetary sciences at North Carolina State University, wrote in The Conversation: “First of all, it is crucial to point out that this discovery does not mean that astronomers have found alien life in the clouds of Venus.
“Although the discovery team identified phosphine on Venus with two different telescopes, helping to confirm the initial detection, the phosphine gas can result from several non-life-related processes, such as lightning, meteorite impacts or even volcanic activity.”
Rocket Lab may be the first to confirm or deny the presence of microbial life in the clouds of Venus, with plans to send a rocket there ahead of the likes of NASA.
The New Zealand-based company is planning to send a rocket called Electron in 2023, which will carry a spaceship known as the Photon.
As Photon flies close to Venus, it will release a small probe that will travel to the planet at six miles per second.
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