Phosphine Archives

This study reports the first formation of (E)-phosphinimine (HPNH, X1A′) – the simplest iminophosphane – in low-temperature interstellar model ices composed of phosphine (PH3) and ammonia (NH3) exposed to galactic cosmic ray proxies. -- [Chemical Science]

Non-equilibrium Preparation Of (E)-phosphinimine (HPNH, X1A′) – A Precursor To Prebiotic Phosphorylating Agents

by Keith CowingJuly 21, 2026July 21, 2026

[Chemical Science] Phosphorus–nitrogen compounds play crucial roles as intermediates in aza-Wittig reactions and serve as key precursors to prebiotic phosphorylating agents such as amidophosphonates linked to the Origins of Life.

Giovanni Schiaparelli’s 1878 map of Mars has a distribution of features interpreted as land (white) and sea (blue). Many of the names Schiaparelli gave to locations on Mars are still used today. Source: Library of Congress.

Astrobiology (general), Biosignatures & Paleobiology, NASA Astrobiology Program, SETI & Technosignatures, Status Report

Responsible Discovery in Astrobiology: Lessons from Four Controversial Claims

by Keith CowingDecember 7, 2025December 7, 2025

This paper examines four case studies of life-detection claims in astrobiology, covering both biosignatures and technosignatures: the 1877 “canals” on Mars, the 1976 Mars Viking landers experiments, the 2020 phosphine […]

Carbonaceous chondrite - large individual of the Murchison Meteorite with fusion crust. FMNH Me 2640 (Field Museum of Natural History meteorite collection, Chicago, Illinois, USA). -- Wikiedia Source

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Panspermia, Status Report

Pseudo-panspermia of Phosphorus Species on the Early Earth

by Keith CowingOctober 13, 2025October 13, 2025

In the Earth system, Phosphorus (P) does not form a single phase, but mostly combines into compounds forming multiple minerals. Phosphate (P+5) is the majority P species in the Earth’s […]

Schematic of the Wolf 1130ABC triple system, composed of the red dwarf star Wolf 1130A, its close and compact white dwarf companion Wolf 1130B, and the distant brown dwarf tertiary Wolf 1130C. The three components of this system are shown scaled to their relative sizes. (cr: Adam Burgasser)

Astrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Brown Dwarfs, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Venus

Detection of Phosphine In A Brown Dwarf Atmosphere Raises More Questions

by Keith CowingOctober 3, 2025October 3, 2025

Phosphorus is one of six key elements necessary for life on Earth. When combined with hydrogen, phosphorus forms the molecule phosphine (PH3), an explosive, highly toxic gas. Found in the […]

An artist’s impression of the proposed VERVE mission to Venus the answer whether tiny bacterial lifeforms really do exist in the planet’s clouds. Credit Danielle Futselaar Licence type Attribution (CC BY 4.0)

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Venus

The Venus Explorer for Reduced Vapours in the Environment (VERVE)

by Keith CowingJuly 10, 2025July 10, 2025

The answer to whether tiny bacterial lifeforms really do exist in the clouds of Venus could be revealed once-and-for-all by a UK-backed mission.

Comparison of Venus and Earth atmospheric profiles (left) and depth-equivalent Earth altitude versus Venus altitude (right). Data of Venus atmosphere taken from [21]; Earth atmosphere represented with Linsley’s model [17, 22]. The vertical green dashed lines at the left panel indicate the extremes of the “Habitable Zone” (HZ) of reference [23] (venusian altitudes in the range 42.8 km to 62.2 km). -- astro-ph.EP

Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Venus

The Venusian Chronicles

by Keith CowingFebruary 23, 2025February 23, 2025

Venus’ atmosphere — specifically its clouds buoyed up 40 to 60 km above the surface — has long been suspected to encompass a biosphere where Earth-like living organisms could grow […]

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Venus

Venus Phosphine: Updates and Lessons Learned

by Keith CowingSeptember 24, 2024

The discovery of phosphine in Venus’ atmosphere provides lessons for the search for life. The detection has survived all challenges and has acquired independent support from archival data from PVP.

UV absorption cross sections for the phosphorus species in the network that undergo photolysis reactions. The photolysis threshold wavelength for each species is indicated by the coloured arrows. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Jupiter, Saturn, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

A Photochemical PHO Network For Hydrogen-dominated Exoplanet Atmospheres

by Keith CowingSeptember 13, 2024September 13, 2024

Due to the detection of phosphine PH3 in the Solar System gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, PH3 has long been suggested to be detectable in exosolar substellar atmospheres too. However, […]

Intensity maps of PN and SiO integrated in velocity towards G31.41+0.31 (Fontani et al., 2024), obtained with ALMA. (a) PN J = 2 − 1 integrated in the range 85.7–105.8 km s−1 . The white contour is the 3σ rms level of the integrated map (σ = 1.14 × 10−2 Jy km s−1 ), while the black contours are in steps of 1σ rms. The PN emission arises from two regions labelled as 1 and 2, offset from the yellow contour which is the 3 mm continuum emission (20σ rms) from the hot core. The synthesised beam is in the bottom-left corner. (b) Map of the intensity of SiO J = 2 − 1 integrated in the same velocity range as PN (colour scale). The PN emission regions identified in panel (a) are highlighted in white. Contours start at the 3σ rms level of the integrated emission (3 × 10−2 Jy km s−1 ), and correspond to 3, 15, 30, 50, 80, and 120σ. Adapted from Fontani et al. (2024). -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Observations Of Phosphorus-bearing Molecules In The Interstellar Medium

by Keith CowingJuly 30, 2024July 30, 2024

The chemistry of phosphorus (31P) in space is particularly significant due to the key role it plays in biochemistry on Earth. Utilising radio and infrared spectroscopic observations, several key phosphorus-containing […]

To JAXA's Akatsuki's IR2 camera, the thick clouds on Venus's night-side appear darker. Credit: JAXA/ISAS/DARTS/Damia Bouic

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Venus

A Novel Abiotic Pathway For Phosphine Synthesis Over Acidic Dust In Venus’ Atmosphere

by Keith CowingJuly 29, 2024July 29, 2024

Recent ground-based observations of Venus have detected a single spectral feature consistent with phosphine (PH3) in the middle atmosphere, a gas which has been suggested as a biosignature on rocky […]