Space
Scientists Move on from Mars, Say Venus Shows Signs of Life
Staff Reporter
First Posted: Jan 24, 2012 02:58 PM EST
The Soviet Union's landing probe, Venus-13, detected the presence of several objects resembling living organisms, on the surface of the planet Venus in 1982, according to research published in the current issue of Solar System Research.
The photographs taken by the Russian probe show objects resembling a "disk", a "black flap" and a "scorpion", according to Leonid Ksanfomaliti of the Space Research Institute of Russia's Academy of Sciences who analyzed the pictures and published the findings. All the objects appear to have changed their locations in different photographs, indicating there was a possibility they were living beings. They "emerge, fluctuate and disappear," explained Ksanfomaliti in his research.
"What if we forget about the current theories about the non-existence of life on Venus, let's boldly suggest that the objects' morphological features would allow us to say that they are living," he adds.
The quest to discover life in outer space has been a never-ending one for scientists. The planet Mars is generally considered the most promising field for such endeavors.
Venus, the second planet from the sun, is equally usually least considered during such discussions, particularly since the atmosphere consists mostly of carbon dioxide and no data suggesting life ever existed has been found. In addition, the planet's extremely hot temperatures further supports belief life could not have existed on its surface.
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First Posted: Jan 24, 2012 02:58 PM EST
The Soviet Union's landing probe, Venus-13, detected the presence of several objects resembling living organisms, on the surface of the planet Venus in 1982, according to research published in the current issue of Solar System Research.
The photographs taken by the Russian probe show objects resembling a "disk", a "black flap" and a "scorpion", according to Leonid Ksanfomaliti of the Space Research Institute of Russia's Academy of Sciences who analyzed the pictures and published the findings. All the objects appear to have changed their locations in different photographs, indicating there was a possibility they were living beings. They "emerge, fluctuate and disappear," explained Ksanfomaliti in his research.
"What if we forget about the current theories about the non-existence of life on Venus, let's boldly suggest that the objects' morphological features would allow us to say that they are living," he adds.
The quest to discover life in outer space has been a never-ending one for scientists. The planet Mars is generally considered the most promising field for such endeavors.
Venus, the second planet from the sun, is equally usually least considered during such discussions, particularly since the atmosphere consists mostly of carbon dioxide and no data suggesting life ever existed has been found. In addition, the planet's extremely hot temperatures further supports belief life could not have existed on its surface.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone