Can Venus shed microorganisms?

Konesky, Gregory A.

doi:10.1117/12.828643

Cited by 5 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Although increasing turbulence can have an inhibitory influence on the growth and metabolism of a variety of species, the opposite is true of phytopklanton and diatoms. Turbulence can increase photosynthetic activity (Gibson 2000;Gibson and Thomas 1995;Thomas et al 1995), thus supporting the plankton hypotheses of Konesky (2009) and Schulze-Makuch et al (2004). Schulze-Makuch et al (2004) have argued "that the cloud deck of the Venusian atmosphere may provide a plausible refuge for microbial life....…”

Section: Life In the Clouds Of Venusmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…It has been argued that a variety of terrestrial organisms could tolerate the high temperatures and dwell in the atmosphere of Venus (Clarke et al 2013;Cockell 1999;Grinspoon and Bullock 2007;Konesky 2009). These include thermophilic photothrophs (Arrhenius 1918;Cockell 1999), algae (Seckbach and Libby 1970) and acidophilic microbes (Schulze-Makuch et al 2004).…”

Section: Can Life Survive On Venus? Terrestrial Analogsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Limaye et al (2018): "The lower cloud layer of Venus (47.5-50.5 km)" provides "favorable conditions for microbial life, including moderate temperatures and pressures (∼60 • C and 1 atm), and the presence of micron-sized sulfuric acid aerosols," which could sustain sulfate-reducing microbes. Konesky (2009) argues in favor of the life-cloud hypothesis, and states "there exists a habitable region in the atmosphere, centered at approximately 50 km, where the temperature ranges from 30 to 80 • C and the pressure is one bar." He's suggested that organisms similar to plankton may dwell in the upper atmosphere.…”

Section: Life In the Clouds Of Venusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As these organisms fall toward the surface they would encounter environments between the middle and lower cloud layers that are conducive to biological activity (Limaye et al 2018). Moreover, the turbulence experienced may enhance the viability of some species (Gibson 2000;Gibson and Thomas 1995) including plankton which have been hypothesized to be dwelling in the clouds of Venus (Konesky 2009;Schulze-Makuch et al 2004).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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RETRACTED ARTICLE: Life on Venus and the interplanetary transfer of biota from Earth

Joseph¹

2019

Astrophys Space Sci

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Evidence and observations favoring the hypothesis that Venus is habitable, and the celestial mechanisms promoting the interplanetary transfer of life, are reviewed. Venus may have been contaminated with Earthly life early in its history via interplanetary transfer of microbe-laden bolide ejecta; and this seeding with life may have continued into the present via spacecraft and due to radiation pressure and galactic winds blowing microbial-laden dust ejected from the stratosphere via powerful solar winds, into the orbit and atmosphere of Venus. Venus may have had oceans and rivers early in its history until 750 mya, and, hypothetically, some of those species which, theoretically, colonized the planet during that time, may have adapted and evolved when those oceans evaporated and temperatures rose. Venus may be inhabited by a variety of extremophiles which could flourish within the lower cloud layers, whereas others may dwell 10 m below the surface where temperature may be as low as 200 ∘C—which is within the tolerance level of some hyperthermophiles. Speculation as to the identity of mushroom-shaped specimens photographed on the surface of Venus by the Russian probe, Venera 13 support these hypotheses.

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Section: Life In the Clouds Of Venusmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Can Life Survive On Venus? Terrestrial Analogsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Life In the Clouds Of Venusmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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RETRACTED ARTICLE: Life on Venus and the interplanetary transfer of biota from Earth

Joseph¹

2019

Astrophys Space Sci

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“…This leads to an intriguing possibility. Could the eroding outer atmosphere of Venus carry away with it putative Venusian cloud life microorganisms and transport them through interplanetary space to the Earth [15,16]? The solar wind has been invoked as the primary interplanetary transport mechanism, moving typically at approximately 400 km/s [17].…”

Section: A Mission Of Opportunity -The Venus Transit Eventmentioning

confidence: 99%

Proposed mission for in-situ detection of microorganisms in Low Earth Orbit

Konesky

2010

SPIE Proceedings

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Microorganisms may exist in Low Earth Orbit both from terrestrial sources, and potentially, from extraterrestrial origins. A simple, low cost method for in-situ detection is proposed, suitable for CubeSat and similar micro and nano-satellite implementation. A block of silica aerogel, similar to that used on the highly successful Stardust mission, is used as a collection medium. Edge-wise UV illumination by a LED array, and orthogonal optical emission detection by a photodetector array, is used for identification. The detection process is on-going, and no sample return is required. Potential terrestrial background sources and missions of extraterrestrial opportunity are discussed.

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Planetary Protection: Too Late

Safonova

Sivaram

2021

Planet Formation and Panspermia

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Can Venus shed microorganisms?

Cited by 5 publications

References 41 publications

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Life on Venus and the interplanetary transfer of biota from Earth

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Life on Venus and the interplanetary transfer of biota from Earth

Proposed mission for in-situ detection of microorganisms in Low Earth Orbit

Planetary Protection: Too Late

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