M
Mike Wehner
Guest
- A space probe is about to fly by Venus, and it could help search for the faint signatures of life in the planet's atmosphere.
- The BepiColombo probe is slated to make a pass of Venus next month, but it will be at a great distance from the planet, possibly minimizing the chances of detecting a biosignature.
- The second flyby, which will happen in 2021, will come much closer, offering better odds of detecting signs of life.
The science world has been buzzing for a couple of weeks now after the discovery of what appears to be a biosignature in the atmosphere of Venus. Researchers spotted the existence of phosphine in the planet's upper atmosphere, and we know that phosphine can be created by biological processes. So, does that mean there's life on Venus? We don't know yet, but a space probe that was already planning on a Venus flyby could offer us some new clues.
The BepiColombo probe is a joint mission between the European and Japanese space programs, and while it wasn't sent into space specifically to look for life, it may have the ability to give us more details about the presence of phosphine in the atmosphere.
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A space probe was already headed for Venus before the ‘life’ debate began originally appeared on BGR.com on Wed, 23 Sep 2020 at 17:02:16 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Via BRG - Boy Genius Report