CARDIFF, WALES — In an experiment made from "pure curiosity," scientists from Cardiff University, the University of Manchester and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology scanned the clouds of Venus and detected phosphine — a gas that could be a sign of life. The findings were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
To make their discovery, the scientists used the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii. They were shocked when they found hints of phosphine in Venus' spectrum. The team later confirmed the detection using the more sensitive ALMA observatory in Chile.
In a statement Jane Greaves, the lead researcher on the phosphine discovery from Cardiff University, said: "This was an experiment made out of pure curiosity."
"I thought we'd just be able to rule out extreme scenarios, like the clouds being stuffed full of organisms. When we got the first hints of phosphine in Venus' spectrum, it was a shock!"
