Recently, scientists have detected phosphine at deeper level in Venus' atmosphere than before using the James Clark Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) at Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii.
About Phosphine:
Phosphine on Earth is developed naturally by bacteria that live in very low-oxygen environments.
To produce phosphine, Earth bacteria take up phosphate from minerals or biological material and add hydrogen.
It is also called as hydrogen phosphide.
Properties
It is a colourless, flammable, extremely toxic gas with a disagreeable garlic like odour.
It is formed by the action of a strong base or hot water on white phosphorus or by the reaction of water with calcium phosphide (Ca3P2).
It is structurally similar to ammonia(NH3), but phosphine is a much poorer solvent than ammonia and is much less soluble in water.
Uses of Phosphine
It is used in semiconductor and plastics industries, in the production of a flame retardant, and as a pesticide in stored grain.
Key facts about Venus
It is Earth’s closest planetary neighbour.
Similar in structure but slightly smaller than Earth, it is the second planet from the sun.
It is wrapped in a thick, toxic atmosphere that traps in heat.
Its surface temperatures reach a scorching 880 degrees Fahrenheit (471 degrees Celsius).
It rotates very slowly on its axis – one day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days.
Unlike the other planets in our solar system, Venus spins clockwise on its axis.
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