星際生活？

有兩種可能性：要嘛我們在宇宙中是孤獨的，要嘛我們不是。兩者同樣可怕。阿瑟·C·克拉克

The search for extraterrestrial life has captivated humanity for centuries. As we continue to explore our solar system and beyond, recent discoveries have reignited the possibility of finding life on Mars and Venus.

幾個世紀以來，對外星生命的探索一直吸引著人類。隨著我們繼續探索太陽系及更遠的地方，最近的發現重新點燃了在火星和金星上尋找生命的可能性。

Mars, once thought to be a barren wasteland, has revealed signs of a potentially habitable past. Ancient water flows, minerals linked to biological activity, and intriguing atmospheric anomalies have fueled speculation. The Perseverance rover's findings, including veins of white calcium sulfate precipitate and mineral "leopard spots," suggest past environments conducive to life.

火星曾經被認為是一片貧瘠的荒地，現在已經顯示出過去可能適合居住的跡象。古老的水流、與生物活動有關的礦物質以及有趣的大氣異常現像都引發了人們的猜測。毅力號火星車的發現，包括白色硫酸鈣沉澱物的脈絡和礦物“豹斑”，顯示過去的環境有利於生命存在。

The presence of methane in the Martian atmosphere, a gas typically associated with anaerobic fermentation by microorganisms on Earth, has also raised eyebrows. While geological activity could explain some methane production, its seasonal cycle and disappearance during the day hint at a biological origin.

火星大氣中存在的甲烷（一種通常與地球微生物厭氧發酵有關的氣體）也引起了人們的注意。雖然地質活動可以解釋一些甲烷的產生，但其季節性循環和白天的消失暗示了生物起源。

Curiously, earlier NASA Viking landers detected signs of metabolism in Martian soil samples, an observation later dismissed by some scientists. However, researchers Gilbert Levin and Patricia A. Straat have argued that the experiments likely demonstrated the presence of life on Mars.

奇怪的是，早期的美國太空總署維京著陸器在火星土壤樣本中發現了新陳代謝的跡象，但這項觀察結果後來被一些科學家駁回。然而，研究人員吉爾伯特·萊文和帕特里夏·A·斯特拉特認為，這些實驗很可能證明了火星上存在生命。

Venus, once considered too hostile for life, has surprised scientists with the detection of phosphine in its upper atmosphere. This compound is produced on Earth by decomposing organic matter and has been used as a theoretical biosignature.

金星曾經被認為對生命過於不利，但在其高層大氣中檢測到磷化氫令科學家們感到驚訝。這種化合物是透過分解有機物在地球上產生的，並已被用作理論上的生物特徵。

Further analysis revealed the presence of ammonia in Venus' clouds, another potential biomarker. These discoveries have sparked excitement, as they could indicate lifeforms surviving in extreme conditions far from the planet's acidic surface.

進一步的分析揭示了金星雲中存在氨，這是另一個潛在的生物標記。這些發現引起了人們的興奮，因為它們可能表明生命形式可以在遠離地球酸性表面的極端條件下生存。

The presence of phosphine and ammonia in the atmospheres of Mars and Venus, respectively, challenges our understanding of inorganic chemical processes in oxygen-rich or hydrogen-rich atmospheres. While volcanoes or exotic UV-induced reactions could theoretically explain these molecules, their abundance suggests the involvement of lifeforms.

火星和金星大氣中分別存在磷化氫和氨，挑戰了我們對富氧或富氫大氣中無機化學過程的理解。雖然火山或奇異的紫外線引發的反應在理論上可以解釋這些分子，但它們的豐富程度表明生命形式的參與。

If confirmed, these atmospheric anomalies would have profound implications. Assuming a local origin, they could indicate the survival and adaptation of life to changing planetary conditions. Alternatively, panspermia theories propose that life originated elsewhere and was transported to these planets.

如果得到證實，這些大氣異常現象將產生深遠的影響。假設起源於當地，它們可以顯示生命的生存和適應不斷變化的行星條件。或者，有生源論認為生命起源於其他地方並被運送到這些行星。

Native life on Mars or Venus would increase the probability of finding life in other extraterrestrial environments, such as the underground oceans of Europa and Enceladus.

火星或金星上的本土生命將增加在其他地外環境中發現生命的可能性，例如木衛二和土衛二的地下海洋。