Venus, phosphine and the possibility of life.

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Title: Venus, phosphine and the possibility of life.
Authors: Clements, David L.1 (AUTHOR) d.clements@imperial.ac.uk
Source: Contemporary Physics. Sep2022, Vol. 63 Issue 3, p180-199. 20p.
Subjects: Solar system, Phosphine, Planetary orbits, Extraterrestrial life, Venus (Planet), Extraterrestrial beings, Possibility
Abstract: The search for life elsewhere in the universe is one of the central aims of science in the twent-first century. While most of this work is aimed at planets orbiting other stars, the search for life in our own Solar System is an important part of this endeavour. Venus is often thought to have too harsh an environment for life, but it may have been a more hospitable place in the distant past. If life evolved there in the past then the cloud decks of Venus are the only remaining niche where life as we know it might survive today. The discovery of the molecule phosphine, PH 3 , in these clouds has reinvigorated research looking into the possibility of life in the clouds. In this review we examine the background to studies of the possibility of life on Venus, discuss the discovery of phosphine, review conflicting and confirming observations and analyses, and then look forward to future observations and space missions that will hopefully provide definitive answers as to the origin of phosphine on Venus and to the question of whether life might exist there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Contemporary Physics is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Contemporary+Physics%22">Contemporary Physics</searchLink>. Sep2022, Vol. 63 Issue 3, p180-199. 20p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Solar+system%22">Solar system</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phosphine%22">Phosphine</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Planetary+orbits%22">Planetary orbits</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Extraterrestrial+life%22">Extraterrestrial life</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Venus+%28Planet%29%22">Venus (Planet)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Extraterrestrial+beings%22">Extraterrestrial beings</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Possibility%22">Possibility</searchLink>
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  Data: The search for life elsewhere in the universe is one of the central aims of science in the twent-first century. While most of this work is aimed at planets orbiting other stars, the search for life in our own Solar System is an important part of this endeavour. Venus is often thought to have too harsh an environment for life, but it may have been a more hospitable place in the distant past. If life evolved there in the past then the cloud decks of Venus are the only remaining niche where life as we know it might survive today. The discovery of the molecule phosphine, PH 3 , in these clouds has reinvigorated research looking into the possibility of life in the clouds. In this review we examine the background to studies of the possibility of life on Venus, discuss the discovery of phosphine, review conflicting and confirming observations and analyses, and then look forward to future observations and space missions that will hopefully provide definitive answers as to the origin of phosphine on Venus and to the question of whether life might exist there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Contemporary Physics is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/00107514.2023.2184932
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 20
        StartPage: 180
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Solar system
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Phosphine
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Planetary orbits
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Extraterrestrial life
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Venus (Planet)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Extraterrestrial beings
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Possibility
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      – TitleFull: Venus, phosphine and the possibility of life.
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              Text: Sep2022
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