Space: No life on Venus but maybe on Jupiter, say scientists

Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system

There is no life on Venus but there could be on Jupiter.

That's according to a new scientific study which says the amount of water within the clouds of Venus is too low for life to thrive.

But Jupiter's clouds have the right water conditions to permit Earth-like life, according to researchers.

Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system and is the fifth planet from the Sun.

Venus is the second planet from the Sun and is the brightest natural object in Earth's night sky after the Moon.

Could there actually be life on Jupiter?

Last year, a different group of scientists released a study which added hope to the theory that there's been life on Venus because of the existence of phosphine gas in its atmosphere.

On Earth, phosphine gas is associated with life. However, scientists think the added existence of sulphuric acid within the Venus clouds - which is bad for the structures that support life - means that it is unlikely.

Dr John Hallsworth, one of the study's authors from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen's University Belfast, said: "One thing which we found which was unexpected was that the clouds of Jupiter actually have the right temperature and water activity combination to support active life.

"We absolutely hadn't expected that."

Nasa and the European Space Agency have recently announced three missions to Venus in the coming years.