Phosphine gas found in Venus’ atmosphere may be ‘a possible sign of life’
Venus’ clouds appear to contain a smelly, toxic gas that could be produced by bacteria, a new study suggests. Chemical signs of the gas phosphine have been spotted in observations of the Venusian atmosphere, researchers report September 14 in Nature Astronomy. Examining the atmosphere in millimeter wavelengths of light showed that the planet’s clouds appear to contain up to 20 parts per billion of phosphine — enough that something must be actively producing it, the researchers say. If the discovery holds up, and if no other explanations for the gas are found, then the hellish planet next door could be the first to yield signs of extraterrestrial life — though those are very big ifs. “We’re not saying it’s life,” says astronomer Jane Greaves of Cardiff University in Wales. “We’re saying it’s a possible sign of life.” Venus has roughly the same mass and size as Earth, so, from far away, the neighboring planet...