Let\u2019s get the biggest point out of the way first: No, scientists did not announce proof of life on another planet.<\/p>\n
What they did find, however, is tantalizing in its potential meaning \u2013 though a great deal of work remains to rule out the possibility that other, unknown processes could be creating the phosphine signature detected in Venus\u2019 atmosphere by a team of international researchers using ground-based telescopes on Earth.<\/p>\n
In short, it all comes down to the detection of phosphine in a temperate cloud layer of the Venusian atmosphere. <\/p>\n
Read the paper HERE. <\/p>\n
The phosphine signature, confirmed via independent observations from two telescopes on Earth, is certainly intriguing because the only natural way we know of for phosphine to form on terrestrial planets is as a byproduct of life.<\/p>\n
The trick here is that we don\u2019t actually know what specific lifeform it is on Earth that produces the phosphine found in our swamps and marshes. It is believed to be microbiotic, potentially E. coli. But even with in situ research literally in the environment where phosphine is being created naturally on Earth, we still don\u2019t know what causes it.<\/p>\n
And that largely complicates the nature of the discovery announced by Professor Jane Greaves and her team. <\/p>\n
While many have been quick to highlight and publicize the possibility of this being life, scientists on the other hand are far more skeptical and cautious, offering microbial life as a potential answer to this question only after all abiotic processes of phosphine production have been ruled out \u2014 which they have not.<\/p>\n
Astronomy (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n In fact, life might not even factor into this discovery at all. But that\u2019s not headline catching.<\/p>\n