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| Life from Venus blown to Earth? | Life from Venus blown to Earth? |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Life on Venus could be blown to Earth by powerful winds, scientists claim. | Life on Venus could be blown to Earth by powerful winds, scientists claim. |
| Previous research has considered the possibility of micro organisms existing in Venus's atmosphere despite extreme temperatures on its surface. | |
| But two scientists at the Cardiff Centre for Astrobiology say microbes from Venus could actually be blown into the Earth's atmosphere by solar winds. | |
| Their findings follow analysis of data from the European Space Agency's Venus Express probe, launched in 2005. | Their findings follow analysis of data from the European Space Agency's Venus Express probe, launched in 2005. |
| Prof Chandra Wickramasinghe and Dr Janaki Wickramasinghe claim Venus's clouds contain chemicals that are consistent with the presence of micro organisms. VENUS FACTS Distance from Sun: 108,200,000kmDiameter: 12,103kmYear length: 224.7 Earth daysAtmosphere: 96% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogenMoons: 0Missions: Between 1961 and 1989 the US and USSR launched more than 30 spacecraft towards VenusBrightness: Venus is the brightest object in the sky apart from the Sun and Moon | Prof Chandra Wickramasinghe and Dr Janaki Wickramasinghe claim Venus's clouds contain chemicals that are consistent with the presence of micro organisms. VENUS FACTS Distance from Sun: 108,200,000kmDiameter: 12,103kmYear length: 224.7 Earth daysAtmosphere: 96% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogenMoons: 0Missions: Between 1961 and 1989 the US and USSR launched more than 30 spacecraft towards VenusBrightness: Venus is the brightest object in the sky apart from the Sun and Moon |
| They suggest that under certain conditions, these microbes from high in Venus's atmosphere could be blown into the Earth's atmosphere. | They suggest that under certain conditions, these microbes from high in Venus's atmosphere could be blown into the Earth's atmosphere. |
| This process would only take days or weeks. | This process would only take days or weeks. |
| But the Sun, Earth and Venus must be suitably aligned, which last happened in 2004 and will not happen again until 2012. | But the Sun, Earth and Venus must be suitably aligned, which last happened in 2004 and will not happen again until 2012. |
| Prof Wickramasinghe said: "Venus and Earth have often been referred to as sisters because of their geological similarities. | Prof Wickramasinghe said: "Venus and Earth have often been referred to as sisters because of their geological similarities. |
| "Our research proposes that the two sisters may be biologically interconnected as well." | "Our research proposes that the two sisters may be biologically interconnected as well." |
| The work has been published online in a new paper in the Astrophysics and Space Science journal. | The work has been published online in a new paper in the Astrophysics and Space Science journal. |
| Prof Fred Taylor, a planetary scientist at Oxford University, said he was sceptical about the research. | |
| "The idea of life on Venus, particularly the clouds where the temperature and pressure are similar to the Earth, has been floated around for a while but is not really very likely," he said. | |
| He added that it was "most unlikely" anyway that microbes from Venus could be transferred to the Earth's atmosphere by solar winds. | |
| The Venus Express probe, launched in November 2005, is orbiting the planet to study its atmosphere. | The Venus Express probe, launched in November 2005, is orbiting the planet to study its atmosphere. |
| Scientists hope to learn how Venus, which is similar to Earth in size, mass and composition, evolved so differently over the last 4.6 billion years. | Scientists hope to learn how Venus, which is similar to Earth in size, mass and composition, evolved so differently over the last 4.6 billion years. |
| The mission was the first to be sent to the planet in 15 years. | The mission was the first to be sent to the planet in 15 years. |