Was Phosphine on Venus Just Sulfur Dioxide? - The Cosmic Companion Jan. 29, 2021
In September, researchers reported finding phosphine in the clouds of Venus. There's another possibility, and it smells like burnt matches.
Signs of phosphine on Venus might have just been sulfur dioxide, dashing hopes for the detection of life in the atmosphere of Venus.
By James Maynard
In September 2020, astronomers announced the possible detection of phosphine on Venus. On our own world, phosphine is mostly produced by life, and the detection of this gas in the atmosphere of Venus could have been an intriguing hint of alien lifeforms.
However, a new study from the University of Washington shows the chemical markers thought to be caused by phosphine may have been the result of ordinary sulfur dioxide. This gas, released into the atmosphere by volcanic activity, is commonly associated with the smell of burnt matches.
Read more: https://thecosmiccompanion.net/was-phosphine-on-venus-just-sulfur-dioxide
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