Brown dwarfs: too small to be stars, too big to be planets. Only discovered in the 1990s, these in-between cosmic objects aren’t big enough to burn as hot and bright as a true star, instead usually giving off a warm dim glow. In new research published today in Science, a team of astronomers report the detection of a surprising substance in a brown dwarf known as Wolf 1130C: a chemical called phosphine, which has been the focus of controversial claims for evidence of life of Venus. However, the..
Mysterious molecule found on brown dwarf casts further doubt on potential signs of life on Venus
Laura McKemmish, Senior Lecturer, School of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney
