Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand web site. “Now, we have raised Venus higher up on the ladder of interesting targets.” The research is published in a paper in the journal Nature Astronomy . The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. A series of probes were sent to Venus during the 60s, 70s and 80s. At the Royal Astronomical Society press briefing on September 14th announcing the discovery, Sara Seager (MIT) spoke about the possibility of a collaboration with Rocket Lab. We like the trusty Observer’s Handbook from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada; it gives the time of the Venus-Saturn conjunction as December 11, 2019, at 04:00 UTC. The only known processes that produce phosphine on Earth in similar quantities are biological in origin. Royal Astronomical Society Artist's impression of Venus, with an inset showing a representation of the phosphine molecules detected in the high cloud decks. They are amazing to be so flexible,” she said. Tune-in today at 4pm for an important announcement. “It’s completely startling to say life could survive surrounded by so much sulphuric acid," she continued. The Society is celebrating its bicentennial anniversary with a series of events around the UK, including public lectures, exhibitions, an organ recital, a pop-up planetarium, and the culmination of the RAS 200: Sky & Earth project. Venus is a scorching "hell planet" and would instantly kill a human, with surface temperatures reaching 880F. The team first spotted the phosphine using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii and confirmed it using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope in Chile. ESO / M. Kornmesser / L. Calçada & NASA / JPL / Caltech , Open Threads , Science & Technology Skywatchers can see an unusual sight in the evening of 3 April: the planet Venus in front of the Pleiades star cluster. And scientists say it's unclear how this could happen without help from alien life. The press release has been issued in advance to some journalists under embargo - but … And it can even be delivered from another planet. Why is it interesting? It can be created in the atmosphere, on the surface, or below the surface. BroBible. This implied that phosphine was present, and absorbing light as it passed through the atmosphere. “I was very surprised - stunned, in fact,” said astronomer Jane Greaves of Cardiff University in Wales, lead author of the research published in the journal Nature Astronomy. ‘An international team of astronomers, led by Professor Jane Greaves of Cardiff University , today announced the discovery of a rare molecule – phosphine – in the clouds of Venus. Culture. “We have been talking to them. Experts at the Royal Astronomical Society have announced phosphine has been discovered in the atmosphere of Venus. quicquid nitet notandum, telescope and frame, e. j. stone. by Royal Astronomical Society. Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand web site. However the moons of Jupiter, such as Europa and Ganymede, have liquid water oceans beneath ice caps kilometres thick, and so life there is more of a possibility. Sports. A 'Transit of Venus' happens when Venus is seen in silhouette against the bright face of the Sun. However, the current state of both planetary environments is very distinct. On Earth, phosphine can result from natural processes such as lightning and volcanic activity, but only in small amounts. Phosphine is widely accepted as being a "promising sign of life", when found in a rocky planet's atmosphere. Video via Royal Astronomical Society. Observations of the light passing through the atmosphere of Venus were made using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) in Hawaii. Phosphine can turn up on a planet in many different ways. March 2: Moon at perigee : March 2: Spica 6.0 degrees south of the Moon Related Videos. Hints of life on Venus Royal Astronomical Society. Processes such as lightning or volcanic activity can produce small amounts of phosphine on Earth. Hear directly from the lead author of the Nature Astronomy paper on the detection of phosphine on Venus. Traces of phosphine in Earth's atmosphere are directly linked to human and microbial activity. The clouds in the sky are hardly inviting, containing droplets of 90% sulphuric acid. Professor Greaves said: "We emphasize that the detection of phosphine is not robust evidence for life. This study is motivated by the possibility of determining the large-body meteoroid flux at the orbit of Venus. This makes life in the atmosphere of Jupiter highly unlikely. Some of those launched probes into the atmosphere and even landed craft safely on the surface. Contact Us The RASNZ Council is pleased to announce its RASNZ 100 Programme to support Affiliated Societies to … Life here is highly unlikely. }, Copyright Royal Astronomical Society 1996-2021. 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