London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Study Rules Out Life On Venus Due To Lack Of Water

Study Rules Out Life On Venus Due To Lack Of Water

The search for life on Venus has so far proved fruitless, although a 2020 paper had claimed to have detected phosphine gas -- known to be produced by bacteria on Earth -- in the planet's clouds.

A study measuring water concentration in Venus's atmosphere concluded Monday that life as we know it is not possible among the sulphuric acid droplets that make up the planet's famously cloudy skies.

The search for life on our nearest neighbour has so far proved fruitless, although a 2020 paper rekindled hopes for Venus when it claimed to have detected phosphine gas -- known to be produced by bacteria on Earth -- in the planet's clouds.

The authors have since called their own findings into question.

But the claim inspired scientists led by Queen's University Belfast to test the theory from a different angle: whether there is enough water in Venus's atmosphere to make life possible.

In 2017, microbiologist John Hallsworth discovered a terrestrial fungus that can survive at 58.5 per cent relative humidity -- the driest conditions at which biological activity has ever been measured.

"We bent over backwards to argue that the most extreme, tolerant microbes on Earth could potentially have activity on Venus," said Hallsworth at a press conference.

But he said nothing could cope with the miniscule amount of water in the planet's atmosphere, which is equivalent to a relative humidity of 0.4 per cent.

"It's more than 100 times too low. It's almost at the bottom of the scale, at an unbridgeable distance from what life requires to be active."

Jupiter 'More Optimistic'


To calculate the concentration of water, scientists used existing measurements from seven US and Soviet probes and one orbiter mission sent to Venus in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Chris McKay, a NASA planetary scientist and co-author of the research published in Nature Astronomy, noted that the conclusions of the study were based on the limited direct observations available, and therefore incomplete.

"It's hard to imagine that the results will change as we do further exploration," McKay told reporters.

The team also analysed measurements taken from probes that visited other planets -- and discovered potentially the right amount of water activity to support life in the clouds of Jupiter.

"The results were much more optimistic," said McKay.

"There is at least a layer in the clouds of Jupiter where the water requirements are met."

He emphasised, however, that it is much easier to rule out life in Venus's atmosphere than to prove life is possible in Jupiter's clouds.

"To show that that layer is habitable we would have to go through all the requirements for life and show that they're all met," he said, adding that determining things like ultraviolet exposure and energy sources would require further exploration.

'Search For Life'


Three more Venus missions are planned for sometime around 2030 and McKay feels certain they will confirm the measurements used for the study.

He also said that one mission could shed light on a question not addressed by current research: whether life could have existed on Venus several billion years ago.

"There could've been a time when Venus was earth-like," McKay said.

"One of the missions will fly through the atmosphere and measure trace gases... which will tell us a lot about Venus's evolutionary history and will start to address questions like how much atmosphere did Venus have, where did it go, what happened?"

And the study's authors hope their method of determining water activity will be applied to planets beyond our solar system -- especially with the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) later this year.

"The JWST will be able to determine atmospheric profiles of temperature, pressure and water abundance in exoplanet atmospheres," the study concludes.

"These will allow assessments of water activity in their atmospheres using our approach."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×