Washington, June 8 (AP) - Possible evidence of life on the Planet Venus - discovery that carbon dioxide is "probably present in large amounts" in the planet's atmosphere - was announced today by the Carnegie Institution of Washington
Carbon dioxide is essential to life as we know it on earth, especially plant life. Discovery of the gas on Venus is no sure indication that life exists there, the announcement said, but it does sow that one of the conditions essential to life seems to be present.
The discover is more evidence of the close resemblance between the earth and Venus, which sometimes is called the "earth's twin sister," although a little smaller. Venus has about four-fifth the mass or weight of the earth, is two-thirds as far from the sun, and has a gravity pull about four-fifths as powerful. It is believed to have a solid surface.
Discovery of the probable presence of carbon dioxide on Venus was made by Dr. Walter S. Adams and Dr. Theodore Durham at the Carnegie institution's observatory at Mount Wilson, Calif.
"This discovery, if fully substantiuated, is of marked scientific interest for two reasons," said the Carnegie announcement. "It will have been the first time a gas of any kind has been identified in the spectra of any of our plants; and it indicates that one of the essentials to life as we know it on this earth may exist in the atmosphere of Venus."
Mount Wilson astronomers identified the carbon dioxide across millions of miles of space with a spectroscope. The light from Venus, really reflected sunlight, was focused by the 100-inch telescope on the slit in the spectroscope, splitting it into its different colors
When the light passed through Venus' atmosphere, some of it was absorbed by the carbon dioxide. This is shown in the spectrum by a dark line or "absorption band." The position of the band in the spectrum shows what gas did the absorbing.
Wed May 30, 2012 4:08 pm