BREAKING: Data from two ground-based telescopes have discovered small quantities of phosphine gas in the clouds of Venus. There are no known non-biological mechanisms of making the gas on Venus, so it *may* be being produced by alien microbes. (1/5) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2254413-have-we-spotted-alien-life-floating-in-the-clouds-of-venus/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=echobox&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1600095714

The only way phosphine is made on Earth is in laboratories or by microbes. It also exists deep inside giant planets, but its formation requires conditions that don’t exist on Venus. (2/5)

Researchers tested a variety of ways to produce phosphine on Venus, from atmospheric chemistry to volcanism to delivery by meteorite, but they couldn’t account for the amount of phosphine observed in the data. (3/5)

Only two scenarios remain: either there is something going on in Venus’ clouds that we don’t understand, or whatever is producing all that phosphine is alive. To be sure where it is coming from. we will probably have to send a spacecraft to Venus to take a closer look. (4/5)

Our space reporter @downhereonearth will be answering your questions here for the next hour. Fire away!

Read the full story here: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2254413-have-we-spotted-alien-life-floating-in-the-clouds-of-venus/