Purported phosphine on Venus is more likely to be ordinary sulfur dioxide, a new study shows. In September, a team led by astronomers in the United Kingdom announced that they had detected the chemical phosphine in the thick clouds of Venus. The team’s reported detection, based on observations from two Earth-based radio telescopes, surprised many Venus experts. Earth’s atmosphere contains small amounts of phosphine, which may be produced by life. Phosphine on Venus generated buzz that the planet, often succinctly touted as a “hellscape,” could somehow harbor life within its acidic clouds. This image, which shows the night side of Venus glowing in thermal infrared, was captured by Japan’s Akatsuki spacecraft. (Credit: Damia Bouic/JAXA/ISAS/DARTS)