Venus, the second planet from our Sun, vividly demonstrates why the greenhouse effect makes life impossible. With an average surface temperature of roughly 1000º F (500º C) under a toxic atmosphere primarily composed of thick carbon dioxide, no lifeform known to inhabit our third planet from the Sun can dwell on its neighbor. Yet scientists hypothesized that although Venus is likely uninhabitable today, it may have been hospitable in its ancient history.
Yet a recent study in the journal Nature Astronomy strongly suggests Venus was always hostile to life. Scientists from the University of Cambridge looked at data from past probes to the second planet to learn about the chemical composition of the Venusian atmosphere. Regular volcanic activity on the planet keeps the Venusian innards churning outward into the atmosphere, allowing astronomers to analyze their chemical composition for gases like carbon dioxide, carbonyl sulphide and — most importantly in terms of finding life — liquid water.
