A UK-led mission is set to solve one of astronomy’s biggest mysteries: Is there life in Venus’ clouds? Scientists plan to send a probe to search for microbial life in the planet’s atmosphere, where recent discoveries of phosphine and ammonia—gases often linked to biological activity on Earth—have sparked debate. Venus’ surface is hellish, with crushing pressure, 450°C (842°F) heat, and a toxic atmosphere. But about 31 miles (50 km) up, temperatures drop to a more habitable 30–70°C (86–158°F). Researchers suggest extremophile microbes, like those in Earth’s deepest oceans, could survive there—and might explain the mysterious gases. “Our latest data has found more evidence of ammonia on Venus, with the potential for it to exist in the habitable parts of the planet’s clouds,” said Jane Greaves, an astronomer at Cardiff University. “There are no known chemical processes for the production of either ammonia or phosphine, so the only way to know for sure what is responsible for them is to go there.” The mission, VERVE (Venus Explorer for Reduced Vapours in the Environment), will hitch a ride on the ESA’s EnVision orbiter in 2031. A small CubeSat probe will detach to study Venus’ atmosphere, mapping phosphine, ammonia, and other gases that could hint at life. The phosphine mystery began in 2020, when scientists first detected it—but later studies couldn’t confirm it. Then, the JCMT–Venus project found the gas only appears at night, as sunlight destroys it. Levels also fluctuate, deepening the puzzle. Last year, researchers also reported ammonia in Venus’ clouds, another potential biosignature. While skeptics argue non-biological processes could produce these gases, no known Venusian chemistry explains them. “If it’s not life, we’ve got a lot of new physics to figure out,” one researcher joked. The VERVE team hopes to finally answer whether Venus’ clouds harbor life—or if the gases have a stranger, unknown origin. Either way, the mission could rewrite our understanding of life’s potential in the universe. The post Is There Life in Venus’ Clouds? UK Mission Aims to Find Out appeared first on Anomalien.com.