In cool space news, it looks like there might be organisms living in the clouds of Venus. According to researchers, it's very possible that organisms are livin' it up on the brightest planet in the solar system.
A highly detailed paper published in Astrobiology discussing extremophiles, organisms that can survive in extreme conditions on Earth, has made it seem even more plausible that Venus could also be supporting similar organisms that can withstand the planet's extreme environments.
One thing is for certain, these organisms are not like humans. Venus' atmosphere is primarily carbon dioxide and water droplets that contain sulfuric acid, both of which are toxic to us humans here on Earth. Also, temperatures can reach up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit on Venus. Think about that next time you're viciously sweating when it's only 85 degrees outside.
Despite all of these factors, planetary researchers still consider Venus to be Earth's twin given its relatively similar size and potential to sustain liquid water. So, what does all of this mean? Aliens (sort of).
As previously mentioned, extremophiles on Earth have been studied by scientists and found to be able to survive at areas like Yellowstone's hot springs, toxic sludge of polluted areas, and more.
"On Earth, we know that life can thrive in very acidic conditions, can feed on carbon dioxide, and produce sulfuric acid,” said California State Polytechnic University professor of biological chemistry and a co-author on the new paper Rakesh Mogul. These are conditions similar to the atmosphere of Venus. "To really know, we need to go there and sample the clouds. Venus could be an exciting new chapter in astrobiology exploration."
If you have a ton of extra time on your hands and want to dive into this research for yourself, you can check it out here. If not, here's a more simple explanation for how there is potentially life forms on Venus:
