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. “Instead of phosphine in the clouds of Venus, the data are consistent…
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