Phosphine at Venus

• Scientist have detected Phosphine in deeper parts of Venus’ atmosphere using the James Clark Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) located at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii.
  • On Earth, microorganisms residing in low-oxygen environments generate phosphine.
• This discovery has sparked intrigue and led to the notion that phosphine could serve as a potential biosignature in other worlds.
  • “Biosignatures” are indirect signs of life on other planets and moons in the solar system and beyond.

ABOUT PHOSPHINE

• Phosphine is a phosphorus atom with three hydrogen atoms attached (PH3) – is highly toxic to people.
• It is a flammable, colorless and toxic gas on Earth that’s often thought of as swamp gas.
• Phosphine is still manufactured as an agricultural fumigant, is used in the semiconductor industry, and is a by-product of meth labs.

ABOUT VENUS

• Venus is the second planet from Sun and is Earth’s closest planetary neighbor (often called Earth’s twin).
• Surface temperatures reach a scorching 880 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt lead. It is the hottest planet in the solar system.
• Venus rotates on its axis backward i.e from east to west.
• The planet’s atmosphere is primarily made of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid clouds.