Methane discovery suggests presence of life on Mars, say Nasa scientists

maquiladora

NASA scientists are expected to announce they may have proof there is life on Mars.

The scientists suspect alien microbes are alive and kicking just below the soil of the big planet, after large quantities of what is believed to be the organisms’ waste products were detected.

The organisms – called methanogens – are suspected to have been living in water beneath underground ice, where they are disgorging tonnes and tonnes of methane.

On Earth, methane is produced in massive quantities by animals such as cows, sheep and goats.

Giant telescopes from Earth and NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have spotted a haze of the gas surrounding Mars, and according to some scientists this can only point to the presence of life on Mars.

“Methane is a product of biology,” UK Mars expert Professor Colin Pillinger told UK tabloid The Sun last night.

“For methane to be in Mars’ atmosphere, there has to be a replenishable source.

“The most obvious source of methane is organisms, so if you find methane in an atmosphere, you can suspect there is life.

“It’s not proof, but it makes it worth a much closer look.”

“What could be more profound than to know it’s not just us out there?

"We’ve really only scratched the surface — it’s an absolute certainty that there is life out there and we are not alone.

“If there is life on Mars then the logical conclusion is that there must be life elsewhere too."

Although there is a consensus among some scientists that methane is also produced by volcanic processes, the lack of any active volcanoes on Mars rules this possibility out.

Methane plumes are very short-lived, it is chemically broken down by sunlight within a year. Something is replacing the methane, and quickly.

The fascination with the idea that Mars harbours life has pervaded popular culture for over a century.

The public obsession with Martians began way back in 1877 when astronomer Giovanni Sciaparelli reported observations of large canali – meaning "channels" – on Mars, which he speculated must have been dug by an intelligent race, although this proved mistaken.

H.G. Wells classic 1898 novel of a Martian invasion of Earth War of the Worlds has been turned into two big budget Hollywood films and when staged as 1938 radio play by Orson Wells caused reportedly caused panic when some of the audience mistook it for a real newscast.

Director Tim Burton reimagined the scenario with playfully malignant extraterrestrials in his blackly comic 1996 film Mars Attacks.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24917099-401,00.html

ClutchIt

Jesus, that sounds interesting...

I'd say this is just exaggeration though. The quotes sound a little too much like he wants there to be life on Mars and he's not being scientific in this biased approach.

"We’ve really only scratched the surface — it’s an absolute certainty that there is life out there and we are not alone.

This is obviously a ridiculous statement and makes him lose all credibility.

However, we'll wait and see, interesting tho for sure.

maquiladora

NASA would not confirm the report but said a press conference about its Mars programme will be held later today.

LookingFor

NASA is holding a briefing at 2pm EST today:

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/jan/HQ_M09-005_Mars_Update.html

NASA will hold a science update at 2 p.m. EST, Thursday, Jan. 15, to discuss analysis of the Martian atmosphere that raises the possibility of life or geologic activity. The briefing will take place in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St., S.W., Washington, and carried live on NASA Television.

'Possibility of life'.. it doesn't sound like there's any direct evidence yet, but I guess they'll be speculating about the methane as indirect evidence.

I thought methane was fairly common in planetary atmospheres? Why didn't they detect it on Mars before?

I know they're pondering biological sources because there is no known volcanic activity on mars currently...but I find it strange they're only now seeing the methane. Or have they discovered something else in tandem with that, or something new about the methane?

KTRIC

I for one welcome our Methanogen overlords :pac:

Linguo

Great news but I agree why is this only a new development?

The Sun covered it on their front page (although could never buy that tat) and have the headline 'Darth Vapour'........ glad to see quality journalism isn't dead there:D

RedPlanet

This is not new.
Scientists have hypothisized this at least 10 years.
In 2004 they announced methane was detected in Mar's atmosphere.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3577551.stm
There are other sources of methane than biological, serpentinization for example.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpentinite

getz

maquiladora wrote: »

NASA scientists are expected to announce they may have proof there is life on Mars.

The scientists suspect alien microbes are alive and kicking just below the soil of the big planet, after large quantities of what is believed to be the organisms’ waste products were detected.

The organisms – called methanogens – are suspected to have been living in water beneath underground ice, where they are disgorging tonnes and tonnes of methane.

On Earth, methane is produced in massive quantities by animals such as cows, sheep and goats.

Giant telescopes from Earth and NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have spotted a haze of the gas surrounding Mars, and according to some scientists this can only point to the presence of life on Mars.

“Methane is a product of biology,” UK Mars expert Professor Colin Pillinger told UK tabloid The Sun last night.

“For methane to be in Mars’ atmosphere, there has to be a replenishable source.

“The most obvious source of methane is organisms, so if you find methane in an atmosphere, you can suspect there is life.

“It’s not proof, but it makes it worth a much closer look.”

“What could be more profound than to know it’s not just us out there?

"We’ve really only scratched the surface — it’s an absolute certainty that there is life out there and we are not alone.

“If there is life on Mars then the logical conclusion is that there must be life elsewhere too."

Although there is a consensus among some scientists that methane is also produced by volcanic processes, the lack of any active volcanoes on Mars rules this possibility out.

Methane plumes are very short-lived, it is chemically broken down by sunlight within a year. Something is replacing the methane, and quickly.

The fascination with the idea that Mars harbours life has pervaded popular culture for over a century.

The public obsession with Martians began way back in 1877 when astronomer Giovanni Sciaparelli reported observations of large canali – meaning "channels" – on Mars, which he speculated must have been dug by an intelligent race, although this proved mistaken.

H.G. Wells classic 1898 novel of a Martian invasion of Earth War of the Worlds has been turned into two big budget Hollywood films and when staged as 1938 radio play by Orson Wells caused reportedly caused panic when some of the audience mistook it for a real newscast.

Director Tim Burton reimagined the scenario with playfully malignant extraterrestrials in his blackly comic 1996 film Mars Attacks.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24917099-401,00.html

if life is found on other planets will this upset all mainstream religions?

jim o doom

getz wrote: »

if life is found on other planets will this upset all mainstream religions?

with any luck..

maquiladora

'NASA and Science magazine will announce Thursday afternoon that large amounts of methane have been found on the Red Planet, which could be a sign of biological activity.'


'American media outlets are not yet reporting the story because they're honoring an "embargo," a promise to not run a story until a designated time, in this case 2 p.m. EST, when NASA is expected to hold a press conference. The Sun "broke" the embargo, prompting other British papers to follow suit.'

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479997,00.html

RedPlanet

Ironically, if life is detected on Mars, it could have come from Earth.
And not have developed there on it's own.
Early Earth was hit by meteorites, of which the ejecta may have seeded Mars.

AtomicHorror

RedPlanet wrote: »

Ironically, if life is detected on Mars, it could have come from Earth.
And not have developed there on it's own.
Early Earth was hit by meteorites, of which the ejecta may have seeded Mars.

It could also have gone the other way. If the younger Mars was more conducive to the abiogenesis process, ejecta from Mars might have seeded Earth.

Only way to know will be to take a look at the genetic material. Might not even be DNA-based, which could be very exciting.

BenjAii

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7829315.stm

The BBC have a little more detail on the NASA announcement.

It seems the methane is being released from certain parts of Mars and only at certain times of year.

It's fascinating but as yet inconclusive, and I agree with the previous poster that you could not rule out Earth as the original source if it did prove to be of biological origin.

However seriously contemplating the idea that Earth might be the only place in the Universe to have developed life is one riddled with superstitious religious ideas. Everything we know about science makes the likelihood of life elsewhere, indeed widespread life, an overwhelming probability.

AtomicHorror

The NASA press release:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/news/marsmethane.html

Much more cautious, but certainly exciting.

aidan24326

AtomicHorror wrote: »

Only way to know will be to take a look at the genetic material. Might not even be DNA-based, which could be very exciting.

...and potentially dangerous!!

BenjAii wrote: »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7829315.stm

However seriously contemplating the idea that Earth might be the only place in the Universe to have developed life is one riddled with superstitious religious ideas. Everything we know about science makes the likelihood of life elsewhere, indeed widespread life, an overwhelming probability.

Not necessarily. Life on earth may be a bizarre fluke for all we know. Unlikely as that may seem it can't be ruled out as a possibility. And even if life is common enough, intelligent life like us (supposedly intelligent anyway) may be very rare. Personally I'd imagine there probably is intelligent life out there but it might be so far away as to make contact nigh on impossible.

Svenolsen

aidan24326 wrote: »

And even if life is common enough, intelligent life like us (supposedly intelligent anyway) may be very rare.

So far all efforts to listen in to them have resulted in utter and total silence.

Not a whisper has reached us yet from "Them".

We may not be the only ones.

But we sure are "The Lonely Ones".

.

Capt'n Midnight

methane on it's own doesn't prove a lot

having methane and oxygen or indeed any combination of gases that are not stable is a better indicator that some process is happening

timbrophy

Surely, when you consider the vast timescale needed to develop stars like the Sun, the Universe is just too young to have produced life YET. The fact that we are here is a huge fluke. Some group had to be first and I suspect it is us. I am convinced that the Universe will team with life, even intelligent life, but not yet. We are the children of the dawn with the Universe still vibrating like a giant bell with the echo of creation.