Sulfuric acid may be no problem for Venus life
Why Venus microbes could be as comfortable with concentrated sulfuric as Earth living things are with water…
Life in the clouds of Venus?
The recent report of phosphine there looks like a serious clue.
The apparently successful quest for phosphine was conducted because Clara Sousa-Silva and others singled out the compound as a strong biosignature — a compound whose discovery on a rocky planet would be an major indicator of life there, because it is unlikely to be produced by non-living processes.
The biggest apparent obstacle to Venusian life is neither temperature nor pressure, but the presence of sulfuric acid in highly concentrated form.
But it’s possible they have developed methods of protecting themselves against the acidity. It’s also possible that they differ from Earth organisms in such a way that they need no protection.
We Earthlings have long regarded Venus as a “hell world”. Right now we’re becoming more aware that’s not the whole story.
It’s true Venus’ surface is too hot for anyone to touch, but the clouds are a different matter.
They provide a bearable temperature, and molecules containing the six basic elements of life: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and…
