Alien life could thrive in Venus' acidic clouds

New research is focusing on the sulfuric-acid clouds of Venus as a potential abode for life.

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The new Venus study calls for the start of a new branch of astrobiology and a new branch of organic chemistry.

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"The search for signs of life beyond Earth is a motivator in modern-day planetary exploration, but life on other planets does not have to have the same biochemistry as our life here on Earth," said Janusz Pętkowski

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The research team is particularly interested in concentrated sulfuric acid as a potential solvent for life.

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Liquid droplets of concentrated sulfuric acid build the clouds of Venus

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The acid concentrations in the droplets vary from 81% to 98% acid, with the rest being composed of water.

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