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Dr. Michelle Thaller claims “possible signs of life” have been seen on Venus
Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system with a scorching temperature of 475°C (900°F).
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A planet suffering scorching temperatures of 475°C (900°F) under a thick, acidic atmosphere may be the last place you would expect extraterrestrial life in our Solar System.
But a NASA scientist claims that there are most likely aliens hiding on Venus in unbearable conditions for humans.
The new theory was proposed by Dr. Michelle Thaller, a research scientist at the US-based Goddard Space Flight Center.
She says “possible signs of life” have already been seen within the carbon dioxide-filled atmosphere, adding that she was absolutely certain life exists somewhere.
“We see possible signs of life in the atmosphere of Venus,” said Dr. Thaller in an interview with Sun.
NASA’s Dr. Michelle Thaller claims “possible signs of life” have been seen on Venus
‘I never expected Venus. On Venus we now see something in the atmosphere that looks very much like what bacteria might have produced.’
Venus is often described as the “twin of Earth” due to its similar size and structure.
But its conditions couldn’t be further away, as astronomers believe it would be impossible for humans to exist on Venus.
Located 67 million miles from the Sun, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system, experiencing temperatures that can even melt lead.
Its atmosphere, made up of sulfuric acid and carbon dioxide, also aggravates the situation, causing a “runaway greenhouse effect” that prevents heat from escaping into outer space.
Despite this, scientists have long debated whether Venusian clouds can harbor microbial life forms that can survive on sulfur, methane, and iron.
Many theorize that photosynthesis is possible on the planet’s surface since Venus receives enough solar energy to penetrate through its thick clouds.
However, Professor Dominic Papineau, an astrobiologist at University College London, believes that Dr Thaller’s views are “difficult to formulate a realistic hypothesis”.
Speaking to MailOnline, he explained: ‘For life-related chemical reactions to take place, you need liquid water. Therefore, to find alien life we need to find liquid water, and to find alien fossils we need to look for sedimentary rocks that were associated with liquid water in the past.
“This makes it difficult today to formulate realistic hypotheses about life on Venus, because its surface is too hot, even though Venus could have had liquid water in the past.
“However, one problem with a possible fossil record on Venus is widespread volcanism that seems to have covered most of the surface in the last few hundred million years.”
Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system with a scorching temperature of 475°C (900°F).
Located 67 million miles from the Sun, Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system.
Still, both Professor Papineau and Dr Thaller agree that the icy moons of our solar system could also be sites of possible microbial life.
NASA suggests that there are 290 “traditional moons” in our solar system, excluding 462 asteroids and minor planets.
“Most likely, we can find extraterrestrial life and/or fossils on Mars and the icy moons of the outer solar system,” Professor Papineau continued.
“This is because liquid water exists on those planetary bodies, including the ice at the Martian south pole. Mars and its icy moons also have a geological record that could preserve fossils.’
MailOnline has contacted Dr. Thaller for comment.