Astronomers found a gas in Venus' clouds that could signal alien life

An image of Venus. NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center Venus' carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere and high temperatures make the planet's surface inhospitable to life. But new research suggests the clouds surrounding Venus could harbor microbial life. A new study found traces of phosphine — a gas typically produced by anaerobic microbes on Earth — in the upper reaches of Venus' clouds. The researchers suggest the phosphine's origin "could be unknown photochemistry or geochemistry, or possibly life." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Astronomers have assumed for some time that the best places to hunt for extraterrestrial life in our solar system are on Jupiter and...