Posted on 05/26/2015 12:13:04 PM PDT by EveningStar
A scientist has raised questions about the latest detection of methane on Mars, suggesting that NASA’s rover could be responsible for the mysterious burp. Highly unlikely, but not impossible, says the Curiosity team.
(Excerpt) Read more at astrobio.net ...
Okay, who farted?
Oh
Will it help if we raise taxes and deindustrialize our country?
Fossil fuel. Heh.
Rover! :-D
Methane is one of the more common molecules in the universe (certainly in our solar system). It could be from non-life sources...or it could be from life sources.
Sounds like a good reason to seen research teams to Mars to me.
Google EXOTIC CHEMISTRY MARS VIKING
“Methane could also be produced by a non-biological process called serpentinization[a] involving water, carbon dioxide, and the mineral olivine, which is known to be common on Mars.[46]”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane#Biological_routes
From 2012...
Mars methane not biological in origin
June 1, 2012
Emma Woollacott
Disappointingly, scientists say they’ve been able to establish where the methane on Mars comes from - and it’s not from living organisms.
When methane was discovered in Mars’ atmosphere nine years ago, scientists drew paralles with Earth to conclude that it was probably produced either by volcanoes or - more excitingly - biological processes.
The planet appears to be generating about 200 to 300 tonnes of methane every year.
However, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz and the universities in Utrecht and Edinburgh have now shown that methane escapes from a meteorite if it’s irradiated with ultraviolet light under Martian conditions.
Since carbon-rich meteorites and interplanetary dust from space are continually hitting the Martian surface, they conclude that this is where the methane’s coming from.
“Methane is produced from innumerable, small micro-meteorites and interplanetary dust particles that land on the Martian surface from space,” says atmospheric chemist Frank Keppler.”The energy is provided by the extremely intense ultraviolet radiation.”
Unlike Earth, Mars has no protective ozone layer which could absorb most of the UV radiation from space. Moreover, the Martian atmosphere is very thin, so that much less of the meteorite burns up.”
Read more at http://www.tgdaily.com/space-features/63759-mars-methane-not-biological-in-origin#iB4ptbR3ObtB2uTA.99
“Sounds like a good reason to seen research teams to Mars to me.”
Nah, when Mars burps the alphabet in methane, then we can spend a trillion dollars to go check it out :P
The jokes just write themselves....
Global warming on earth has to be the reason /S
Marvin’s been to Taco Bell again.
Carbonaceous chondrites make up some 5 or 6 percent of all meteors and have all the stuff to make methane and other volatile organic chemicals and and have a good amount of water.
Must’ve been the Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator.
I thought Keppler died centuries ago,along with Archimedes and Copernicus .
Maybe Mars has cows !- and we have Keppler ,..again !
I am waiting for Copernicus ,... or Godot ! Whoever comes first !
I think sheila Jackson lee farted when she visited there...
One that finally needs to be exposed.
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