Life in space

Ever since human science has enabled us to, we have searched for signs of life in our solar system and beyond.

This is one version of a classic science fiction story. It illustrates several aspects of the question that has haunted our civilisation since we began to understand our universe in terms of since, rather than religion: Is there intelligent life in the universe? If so, will we ever find it?

The universe is vast, so vast we can't really imagine it. There are billions of suns out there, surrounded by billions of planets. There may even be other universes, with ever more stars and planets.

Ever since human science has enabled us to, we have searched for signs of life in our solar system and beyond.

We send out messages in various different formats. Using signs and symbols, sounds and ever radio waves, we send messages that say, more or less, "Here we are! Drop by and see us. We can think! And we're friendly".

Why do scientists do this? Do they really believe they will find something? Actually, most scientific theory suggests that the universe should be full of life. The atoms on Earth are constructed in the same way as atoms in a galaxy on the other side of the universe. They obey the same physical laws.

Most astronomers believe that our sun is a very average kind of star, and that stars similar to it occur billions of times in the universe.

Theory suggests that life has evolved again and again throughout the history of the universe. But there is no proof.

One estimate is that intelligent life has probably appeared in one out of every three million solar systems.

We know that one day, out sun will use up all of the fuel in its core. Its great mass will start to shrink.

Without our sun, life on Earth will die. But that's still five to tern billions years away. There should be no other limitation on how long life can exist.

The morning star (venus)

Venus is our closest neighbour¹ among other planets of the solar system. It is also one of our most interesting cosmic neighbours. There is hardly a person² who hasn't observed the brilliance of Venus at daybreak or at sunset. Since time immemorial³ this planet has been known as the Morning Star.

Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun, and is separated from it by approximately 108 million kilometres (two-thirds the dis­tance from the Earth to the Sun). This is why⁴ we always observe Venus in the sky close to the Sun and can watch it in the evening at sunset or in the morning before sunrise against the clear back­ground of the dawn.

Venus is an extraordinary bright planet. No other planet⁶ is so bright as this one. Its brilliance is 13 times that of the brightest star⁶ in the night sky Sinus.

Since long ago ⁷ Venus has attracted the attention of astronomers. The fact is that. the .planet is generally shrouded in a dense layer of clouds which makes observation by means of an ordinary telescope extremely difficult. This is why Venus is sometimes called the "Planet of Mystery".

The atmosphere on Venus was discovered in 1761 by Mikhail Lomonosov. Loinonosov's discovery played an important part in the study of Venus and, as a matter of fact,⁸ laid the beginning for research into the physical properties of the planets of the solar system.

The study of Venus through optical telescopes which gave a visual picture has led to a number of fundamental discoveries.

The development of science and technology has considerably widened the possibilities of astronomical research. An important discovery was made after radio waves had been received from Venus. The distance from our planet to Venus has been checked with great accuracy and reliability by radar and reliable data have been obtained for the first time about the rotation of this planet. It has been found that a day on Venus is approximately 10 earth days.

Thanks to ¹⁰ the methods of planetary radio astronomy, scientists have estimated the probable temperature of the surface of Venus, and have obtained a number of other important data about its nature. The first attempt to study Venus with the aid of a rocket was undertaken in the Soviet Union on February 12. 1961, when Venera-l automatic space probe was launched from a heavy sputnik. By May 19—21, it had reached the area of Venus and passed the planet at a distance of about 100,000 kilometres.