Detection of a Biosignature on a Brown Dwarf Creates Issues for Astrobiology
JWST Confirms Phosphine on Ancient Brown Dwarf, Redefining Biosignature Search
Discover why the detection of phosphine on the distant brown dwarf Wolf 1130C simultaneously validates old planetary models and strongly invalidates phosphine as a reliable tracer for extraterrestrial life.
Short Summary
- The James Webb Space Telescope detected phosphine ($\text{PH}_3$) on the extremely old brown dwarf Wolf 1130C.
- This detection aligns with models predicting $\text{PH}_3$ in hydrogen-rich atmospheres, contradicting previous null results from other brown dwarfs.
- The finding overwhelmingly suggests phosphine is chemically produced, making it an unreliable biosignature for seeking alien life.
- This specific brown dwarf's unique low-metallicity environment or high phosphorus enrichment may explain its outlier status.
This discussion centers on interpreting a major JWST discovery regarding atmospheric chemistry in brown dwarfs. Understanding this result forces astronomers to re-evaluate atmospheric models and requires astrobiologists to abandon phosphine as a primary marker for life.
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Top Comments (10)
What a weird solution to the Fermi paradox it would be to discover that we’re the odd ones out living on a terrestrial planet and everyone else is chilling out in 100k psi atmospheres.
Aliens are doing drivebys and dropping off loads of phosphene just to mess with everyone.
From my expertise as a Youtube commenter I must conclude that we are detecting false-positives of the presence of phosphene in these distant atmospheres
I knew a brown dwarf named Gene. Heck of a dancer.
Life, errr, finds a way.
"... bizarre, basically, until now." --my tombstone (also something Anton said)
Wonderful as always Anton. Thank you. 🤙😄
I think of Brown Dwarfs as fat Jupiters.
Even after all this time I'm still impressed how you manage to balance depth and keeping things understandable for an average Joe like me. Nobody taught me as much as you did - you've been an interesting decade to me. Thank you, wonderful person. ♥
Still pretty neat to see that in places that seem to be hostile for molecules forming at all seem to have some forming here and there. Can't even begin to have life (as we know it) without things being able to form some kind of coherence/connections/patterns/etc. that isn't just fully chaos, really.
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Top Comments (10)
What a weird solution to the Fermi paradox it would be to discover that we’re the odd ones out living on a terrestrial planet and everyone else is chilling out in 100k psi atmospheres.
Aliens are doing drivebys and dropping off loads of phosphene just to mess with everyone.
From my expertise as a Youtube commenter I must conclude that we are detecting false-positives of the presence of phosphene in these distant atmospheres
I knew a brown dwarf named Gene. Heck of a dancer.
Life, errr, finds a way.
"... bizarre, basically, until now." --my tombstone (also something Anton said)
Wonderful as always Anton. Thank you. 🤙😄
I think of Brown Dwarfs as fat Jupiters.
Even after all this time I'm still impressed how you manage to balance depth and keeping things understandable for an average Joe like me. Nobody taught me as much as you did - you've been an interesting decade to me. Thank you, wonderful person. ♥
Still pretty neat to see that in places that seem to be hostile for molecules forming at all seem to have some forming here and there. Can't even begin to have life (as we know it) without things being able to form some kind of coherence/connections/patterns/etc. that isn't just fully chaos, really.