Life On Mars

[yuri]

I know this has nothing to do with the military.... but what do u all think? Also i have heard that America wants to turn Mars into another Earth by thickening the atmosphere and creating oceans, forests etc etc. Does anyone else have any scoop on this?

[Frank S.]

http://www.pbs.org/lifebeyondearth/alon ... rming.html

http://www.astrobiology.com/terraforming.html

[Mr Grimsdale]

Methane poses Mars life puzzle

Methane has been found in the Martian atmosphere which scientists say could be a sign of present-day life on Mars.

It was detected by telescopes on Earth and has recently been confirmed by instruments onboard the European Space Agency's orbiting Mars Express craft.

Methane lives for a short time in the Martian atmosphere so it must be being constantly replenished.

There are two possible ways to do this. Either active volcanoes, but none have yet been found on Mars, or microbes.

Spectral signature

Astronomers have reported seeing the spectral signature of methane in the Martian atmosphere using several of the world's largest telescopes.

The Infrared telescope on Hawaii and the Gemini South observatory in Chile detected the gas last year, it has been revealed.

Also scientists operating the Mars Express Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (FPS) have announced that they have found the spectral signature of methane in the Martian atmosphere.

In addition, the world's largest telescope, the twin Keck telescopes on Hawaii, have looked but have yet to report its findings.

Further evidence of methane on Mars will also be presented at a meeting next month by a consortium of astronomers using the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope.

Volcanic explanation

Methane is not a stable molecule in the Martian atmosphere. If it was not replenished it would only last a few hundred years before it vanished.

This means that the methane detected must be being replenished in some way.

Scientists see two possibilities, both of them scientifically important, one of them sensational.

It is possible that the methane is being produced by volcanic activity. Lava being deposited onto the surface, or released underground, could produce the gas.

That explanation has some difficulties, however. So far no active volcanic hotspots have been detected by the many spacecraft currently orbiting Mars.

If active volcanism is responsible then it is a major discovery with important implications. The sub-surface heat released by the volcano would melt the vast quantities of sub-surface ice discovered on Mars producing an environment suitable for life.

Life on Mars?

On Earth bacteria produce methane from hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Terrestrial microbes that produce methane do not need oxygen to thrive, and these are thought to be the type of microbes that could possibly live on Mars.

The twin rovers that landed on Mars in January will be unable to answer the question of the methane's origin as they are designed for geological work.

Future missions could include sensors to analyse the methane that may be able to determine if it is of biological origin.

The failed Beagle 2 mission had a device that could have sniffed the Martian atmosphere for methane.

[ashley]

I think Mars is gonna be pretty important in the years to come, what with China now capable of independantly putting something into Space.

[rambo]

This is not completely off of topic, but a very interesting read. Kind of got me thinking too.

http://batesmotel.8m.com/


I just wonder what everyone elses opinions on this are!

And just for a laugh.

http://www.dc8p.com/html/moonhoax.html

[rambo]

I however dont believe we will beable to build on other planets i believe this because About 20 miles about the Earth, there is a radiation belt named the Van Allen belt. No human can get through this belt, If you try than you get hit with 300+ rads of radiation. Unless they are surrounded on each side by 4 feet on lead.

[Mr Grimsdale]

So are you saying you think the moon landings were faked?
The International Space Station is higher than 20 miles above the surface and the occupants seem OK.

[rambo]

Ok prove it. How are you certain that this station is more than 20 miles. The evidence is there i dont understand why its not so hard to believe.

[Mr Grimsdale]

So you're proposing that all the engineers and scientists in the US, Soviet/Russian and Chinese programmes have been conned into working on projects that aren't actually happening and that no one has spilled the beans over the course of nearly 40 years of manned space flight?

[rambo]

I know it sounds completely unbelievable but it doesnt take much to cover up such an elaberate operation. Remember how competitive the whole space race was.