Now Reading: Venus cloud aerosols hold 60% water, study finds
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Venus cloud aerosols hold 60% water, study finds
A re-analysis of 1978 Pioneer Venus data shows that cloud aerosols on Venus contain about 60% water by weight, far above earlier estimates of 25% or less. Researchers led by R. Mogul…
The Story in Brief
A re-analysis of 1978 Pioneer Venus data shows that cloud aerosols on Venus contain about 60% water by weight, far above earlier estimates of 25% or less. Researchers led by R. Mogul reinterpreted measurements from the Pioneer Venus Large Probe, which had unknowingly captured and heated cloud particles during its descent. The study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, also found comparable amounts of ferric sulfate and sulfuric acid, challenging the long-held view that Venus's clouds are almost entirely concentrated sulfuric acid droplets. The findings raise fresh questions about the chemical diversity and potential habitability of Venus's cloud layer.
The Indian Opinion
The sensational claim of a 'wet' Venus has been seized upon by those who see life in every solar-system nook. But 60% water bound in hydrated compounds is not the same as liquid water. The original 1978 data was not designed to measure aerosols; this is a clever reinterpretation, not a new measurement. The real test comes when Nasa's DAVINCI probe samples the clouds directly. Until then, can we stop calling every chemical anomaly a sign of life?
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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