Although Venus is the closest planet to Earth, there is still a lot we don’t know about it, especially when it comes to its galactic history. Was it once livable? Was there any water in it? Was the atmosphere once different from the toxic cocktail of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid swirling around its burning surface today? Could this be a warning to Earth? To find out, astronomers suggested using the James Webb Space Telescope to study five exoplanets in the Venus region.

First proposed by University of California, Riverside (UCR) astrophysicist Stephen Kane in 2014, the Venus region is a region that is too hot for a planet to hold water around a star, but not too hot to lose its atmosphere. . This is similar to the idea of ​​the Goldilocks zone, where astronomers regularly train their instruments to find planets that still contain liquid water and may therefore have the “right” conditions for life to form.

Looking at exoplanets in the Venus region can help astronomers better understand our own planetary neighbor. For example, if an exoplanet emitting gases such as methane or nitrous oxide is found in the Venus region, this may indicate the presence of life.

“Finding these molecules in ExoVenus will indicate that habitable worlds may exist in the Venus region and strengthen the possibility of a temperate period in Venus’ past,” said UCR graduate student Colby Ostberg.

Osterberg led the study to identify five Venus-like planets from a list of 300 that would be ideal candidates for further study. In narrowing down the list, Osterberg and colleagues looked at criteria such as size, mass, density, orbital paths, and distance from their stars. The researchers suggest that the James Webb Space Telescope take a look at these planets in 2024 as part of its ongoing search for the galaxy, where it recently detected its first exoplanet. Therefore, they also looked for planets orbiting relatively bright stars to give Webb the best light to see them.

Another thing scientists hope to find is whether recent volcanic activity seen on Venus is normal and whether a lack of tectonic activity is typical.

Data collected by Webb’s observations will feed into the findings of two upcoming NASA Venus exploration missions: DAVINCI, which will analyze Venus’ atmosphere, and VERITAS, which will map the landscape in 3D. The results of all this new information may help astronomers understand why Earth and its nearest neighbor have such contrasting conditions, and whether the hellish atmosphere on Venus worries us earthlings.