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Possible sign of life on Mars


marsman

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 Possible sign of life on Mars confirmed by scientists as methane spotted by spacecraft

Gas could be coming from microorganisms, researchers say

Scientists have independently confirmed methane on Mars, in a possible sign of life on the planet.

The gas was first spotted on the Martian surface more than a decade ago. But debate has raged about whether the detection was legitimate, as well as about where it could have come from if it is.

Now it has been independently confirmed for the first time, marking a major step forward in the hunt for the mysterious source of the gas.

On Earth, methane is a key sign of life, and is emitted from biological organisms. Even if the Martian gas is coming from another process, it is still likely to be an indication that the red planet's surface is far more active than previously thought.

In June 2013, the Curiosity rover spotted methane on the Martian surface, near the Gale Crater.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/mars-methane-detection-confirmed-spacecraft-martian-red-planet-latest-a8849546.html

 

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13 minutes ago, acute said:

If it's methane, it's probably from Mars Cows.

 

or these things the rover filmed

 

 

except this post on methane isnt a joke

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by marsman
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Would be really interesting if there were some sort of microbes on Mars. They probably wouldn't be very different from Earth organisms at this archaic stage but still...
 

1 hour ago, acute said:

If it's methane, it's probably from Mars Cows.

Do Mars Cows give Shamrock Milkshakes or that awful Lime flavoured milk?

Edited by Orphalesion
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1 hour ago, Orphalesion said:

Do Mars Cows give Shamrock Milkshakes or that awful Lime flavoured milk?

I have limited knowledge of Martian ruminants.

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2 hours ago, acute said:

If it's methane, it's probably from Mars Cows.

Yep, they're definitely there :D

 

3200501692_11fb66a9c7.jpg

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1 hour ago, Orphalesion said:

Would be really interesting if there were some sort of microbes on Mars. They probably wouldn't be very different from Earth organisms at this archaic stage but still..

 

we would need  to bring some home to study.....but im sure i read a new rover is being sent

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The story seems legitimate, not an 'April Fools'. I have seen similar reports on a number of media sources, including the scientific press.

In thinking about life on exoplanets, it's sometimes observed that methane plus oxygen is a far better indicator of life, than either gas alone.

This should apply to Mars, as well. I note that Mars has about 1 part per thousand of oxygen in its atmosphere. Methane was detected at 15.5 parts per billion. That's a ratio of about 65,000 to 1. 

One Earth the ratio of these two gases, almost all of which is due to life, is about 117,000 to 1; not too dissimilar to Mars. The latter is about 56 percent of the methane proportion of the former.

Please find a link below to an article on this story from the scientific press:

https://phys.org/news/2019-04-scientists-source-methane-mars.html

Edited by bison
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NASA's new rover for Mars 2020 is now in development

The robot is headed to the red planet to collect samples

“Mars 2020 has two new objectives – to specifically seek the signs of life, and then sample materials and prepare a cache that could be returned to Earth by a future mission,” explains project scientist Ken Farley.

“[The rover will] have instruments on board which are expressly designed to seek evidence of ancient life, what we call biosignatures, and we have the capability to prepare samples, drill them out of a rock, seal them in a tube so that a future mission could go and bring them up. We call that caching.”

https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/nasas-new-rover-for-mars-2020-is-now-in-development-a3705241.html

 

 

Edited by marsman
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when the samples come back....wow that will be hugely interesting to see.....we could be on the brink of discovering life elsewhere......if only microbial.....

 

 

Edited by marsman
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Whenever the proportion of the lighter carbon isotope, carbon 12, to the heavier, carbon 13, can be discerned in Mars' methane, we should have a pretty good verdict on the question of life. Life processes consistently favor the lighter isotope. If more carbon 12 is found than expected in a lifeless scenario, then life is the ready answer.  

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7 hours ago, Orphalesion said:

Would be really interesting if there were some sort of microbes on Mars. They probably wouldn't be very different from Earth organisms at this archaic stage but still...
 

Do Mars Cows give Shamrock Milkshakes or that awful Lime flavoured milk?

Apart from the forests, plants, animals and rivers, lakes, etc the place is completely dead.

PS it is April.

B)

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4 minutes ago, tmcom said:

Apart from the forests, plants, animals and rivers, lakes, etc the place is completely dead.

PS it is April.

B)

 

methane had been detected some time ago.....this isnt a prank post at all

 

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1 hour ago, marsman said:

 

methane had been detected some time ago.....this isnt a prank post at all

 

I Know!

B)

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7 hours ago, tmcom said:

Apart from the forests, plants, animals and rivers, lakes, etc the place is completely dead.

PS it is April.

B)

And I hope you understand I was speaking hypothetically.

And that the cows were a joke...(Everybody knows that Mars cows became extinct when the energy pyramids of Cydonia went into overload and blew up the atmosphere :rolleyes:)

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liSsllQ.jpg

Methane source found! ^_^

Ignore the things that look like houses, buildings, tree's, cars and roads, they are just "what did NASA call it" "when our minds see's a building it interprets it as a ummm, never mind".

I am sure it is just the way the film is processed?

B)

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