Rapid Fire
Phosphine on Brown Dwarf Wolf 1130C
- 07 Oct 2025
- 2 min read
For the first time, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected phosphine, a molecule linked to biological processes on Earth, in the atmosphere of the brown dwarf Wolf 1130C.
- About Wolf 1130C: Wolf 1130C is a brown dwarf in the constellation Cygnus.
- A brown dwarf is a celestial object with a mass between a planet and a star. While it forms like a star, it cannot sustain hydrogen fusion in its core, earning it the term “failed star.”
- On Earth, phosphine is a potential biosignature produced by living organisms, but brown dwarfs are not considered habitable.
- Phosphine may be formed due to the brown dwarf’s metal-poor, oxygen-deficient atmosphere or from nuclear reactions in its white dwarf companion.
- In 2020, scientists detected phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus.
Phosphine
- About: Phosphine (PH₃) is a molecule consisting of one phosphorus atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms and is colorless, flammable highly toxic to humans.
- Production:
- Biological: On planets like Earth and Venus, phosphine is typically produced by living organisms. Anaerobic bacteria in oxygen-poor environments like landfills, marshes, and animal guts produce phosphine by combining phosphate with hydrogen.
- Non-Biological: It can be synthesized by reacting white phosphorus with alkali (like sodium hydroxide) or by hydrolysis of metal phosphides.
- Applications: It is used as a fumigant pesticide to protect stored grains and serves as a dopant in microchip fabrication.
| Read More: Phosphine on Venus: A Sign of Life |
