第2969期:Is there life on Venus?

For years, astronomers have hypothesised about life beyond Earth, especially on the closest planet to Earth – Venus. Venus is often named the Earth's 'evil twin' because of its extremely hot temperature and greenhouse effect, which make it toxic and inhospitable. It is also similar in size, mass and rocky composition.多年来，天文学家一直假设地球以外存在生命，特别是在距离地球最近的行星——金星上。 金星经常被称为地球的“邪恶双胞胎”，因为它具有极高的温度和温室效应，使其有毒且不适宜居住。 它的大小、质量和岩石成分也相似。Though no organic molecules have been discovered on Venus, new findings from the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument on board NASA's Magellan spacecraft shows caves lurking beneath the surface. Researchers from Nature Communications add that these could offer us new ideas about the evolution of Venus – about how it might have possibly supported life in the past or could again in the future.虽然金星上没有发现有机分子，但美国宇航局麦哲伦航天器上的合成孔径雷达 (SAR) 仪器的新发现显示，金星表面下潜伏着洞穴。 《自然通讯》的研究人员补充说，这些可以为我们提供关于金星演化的新想法——关于它如何在过去或将来如何支持生命。The caves suggest that lava tubes, otherwise known as pyroducts, could be prevalent. The search for pyroducts was challenging at first because the planet is shrouded in thick clouds of sulphur and carbon dioxide that not only contribute to the immense temperature but also block any view of the surface. However, the recent radar images suggest that a big pyroduct lies near Nyx Mons, a large volcano in the highlands of Venus's Bell Regio region.这些洞穴表明熔岩管（也称为火山熔岩）可能很普遍。 寻找火山产物一开始很困难，因为这颗行星被厚厚的硫和二氧化碳云笼罩着，这不仅导致了巨大的温度，而且挡住了地表的任何视线。 然而，最近的雷达图像表明，金星贝尔区高地的尼克斯蒙斯火山附近有一座大型火山熔岩。In a 2026 study called 'Radar-based observation of a lava tube on Venus', it can be understood that, in the field of geoscience, volcanoes play an important role in the evolution of a planet. If we think about Earth billions of years ago, volcanoes released gases that helped form our oceans and our atmosphere. Volcanoes keep Earth warm, wet and habitable. So, we have evidence that there are many active volcanoes on Venus, but will we ever be able to live there?在 2026 年一项名为“基于雷达的金星熔岩管观测”的研究中，可以看出，在地球科学领域，火山在行星的演化过程中发挥着重要作用。 如果我们想想数十亿年前的地球，火山释放的气体有助于形成我们的海洋和大气层。 火山使地球保持温暖、湿润和适宜居住。 那么，我们有证据表明金星上有许多活火山，但我们能够在那里生活吗？Well, we would require an abundance of water, which is greatly lacking on Venus. But data gathered by the Venus Express orbiter, launched in 2005 by The European Space Agency, could hint toward the planet once having oceans. And though the clouds on Venus rain sulphuric acid, they could still support an exotic biochemistry that thrives in such conditions. There's also plenty of sunlight to serve as a power source for life.嗯，我们需要大量的水，而金星上却非常缺乏。 但欧洲航天局 2005 年发射的金星快车轨道飞行器收集的数据可能暗示这颗行星曾经拥有海洋。 尽管金星上的云层会下硫酸雨，但它们仍然可以支持在这种条件下蓬勃发展的奇异生物化学。 还有充足的阳光可以作为生命的动力来源。