Non-Abbie Hoffman Radical Found on Venus
A radical--a highly reactive chemical--found in Venus's atmosphere will help planetary scientists better understand the planet. Steve Mirsky explains, with reporting by Harvey Black.
SUBSCRIBE TO Science Quickly
[The following is an exact transcript of this podcast.]
On June 4th, we told you about iron snowflakes on Mercury. Today we have some radical news about the atmosphere of Venus. Literally. A radical is a molecule that reacts easily with other chemicals because of an unpaired electron. Astronomers have found the hydroxyl radical in the Venusian atmosphere. Hydroxyl is oxygen with a single hydrogen, H1O, if you like.
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The Venus Express Probe discovered hydroxyl in the clouds that shroud the planet. Researchers from the European Space Agency announced the finding in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters. Hydroxyl’s important on earth because it promotes the formation of ground level ozone, a pollutant. Finding the radical on Venus will help scientists test their models of Venus’s atmosphere. Hydroxyl also exists in the thin Martian astmosphere, where it’s thought to stabilize carbon dioxide and prevent it from becoming carbon monoxide. It may also be responsible for sterilizing the red planet’s top layers of soil.
—Steve Mirsky, with reporting by Harvey Black
60-Second Science is a daily podcast. Subscribe to this Podcast: RSS | iTunes
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
