New Research Suggests Venus Never Had Oceans, Dimming Hopes for Past Life
CAMBRIDGE, UK – Recent findings from a team at Cambridge University indicate Venus likely never possessed oceans or conditions suitable for life, challenging previous speculation about the planet’s potential habitability. published in nature Astronomy, the research suggests Venus’s interior has been too dry to support liquid water on its surface throughout its history.
Despite being shrouded in clouds containing water particles, Venus remains a scorching world wiht surface temperatures averaging 500°C – hot enough to melt metal. Often called “Earth’s twin” due to its similar size and shape, Venus is now understood to be a far more extreme environment.
For decades, scientists have considered the possibility that Venus may once have harbored oceans or even microscopic life within its cloud layers. However,lead author Tereza Constantinou of the Cambridge Astronomy Institute stated the probability of this is “very small.”
“We will not no without a doubt until the exploration mission is sent there at the end of this decade. But with dry interior conditions, it is challenging to imagine Venus ever supported life like on earth,” Constantinou said.
Researchers analyzed the chemical composition of Venus’s atmosphere, specifically water content and volcanic gas emissions. On Earth, volcanic activity releases meaningful water vapor due to the planet’s water-rich interior. However, calculations reveal Venusian volcanic gas contains only approximately 6% water, indicating a similarly dry interior and ruling out the likelihood of past oceans.
NASA’s upcoming Davinci mission, scheduled to launch later this decade, will further investigate Venus through multiple flybys and atmospheric probes. The mission aims to directly examine the planet’s atmosphere and validate these findings.
Constantinou added that while the results may seem discouraging, they will help scientists refine the search for habitable planets beyond our solar system, allowing them to focus on worlds with a greater potential for supporting life.
Source: University of cambridge,Nature Astronomy
