Life from Earth may have already reached Venus

A groundbreaking study by an international team of astronomers led by Emma Guinan of Arizona State University sheds new light on the possibility of transferring life from Earth to Venus. Scientists have presented a fascinating hypothesis regarding the mechanism by which organic cells could be transported between planets via asteroids.

The research focuses on a concept known as "panspermia" - a theory that life could be transferred between different parts of the universe. Scientists believe that asteroids that hit Earth over billions of years could have acted as natural "transport vehicles" for life. During the collisions, material including plant cells and single-cell organisms could have been ejected into space with enough force to overcome Earth's gravity.

Particularly intriguing are the research team’s calculations, which suggest that over the course of a billion years, about a billion cells could have been transported to Venus. As Dr. Guinan explains, this does not mean a regular transport of one cell per year, but rather an average frequency of this occurrence. What’s more, the researchers found that cells during the cosmic journey can combine, allowing for the transport of more organisms at once.

The key element of this hypothesis is the layer of Venus' atmosphere located 45-60 kilometers above the planet's surface. In this zone, conditions are surprisingly similar to those on Earth in terms of temperature and barometric pressure. It is there, according to scientists, that the transferred cells could potentially survive and adapt.

However, the researchers are cautious in their conclusions. Although there are theoretical possibilities for cell transport, there is no direct evidence yet that these organisms can survive the journey through space and the harsh conditions of the Venusian atmosphere. The team only confirms that such transport physically occurs.

Interestingly, the panspermia concept also works in the opposite direction—it suggests the possibility that life on Earth may have initially arrived from space. This bidirectional nature of the theory opens up fascinating avenues for further research into the origins of life in the solar system.

This research represents the first experimental step toward understanding the mechanisms of panspermia. Until now, this theory has remained largely speculative, but thanks to the work of Dr. Guinan's team, we now have the first concrete data on the possibility of interplanetary transfer of life.

This discovery has potentially huge implications for our understanding of the spread of life in the Solar System and could affect how we search for signs of life on other planets. At the same time, it highlights the complexity and interconnectedness of the celestial bodies in our solar system.