Admiral Refuge Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 http://www.marstoday.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=27336Life on MarsThursday, January 15, 2009ALIEN microbes living just below the Martian soil are responsible for a haze of methane around the Red Planet, Nasa scientists believe.The gas, belched in vast quantities in our world by cows, was detected by orbiting spacecraft and from Earth using giant telescopes.Nasa are today expected to confirm its presence during a briefing at their Washington HQ.And the find is seen as exciting new evidence that Martian microbes are still alive today.Some scientists reckon methane is also produced by volcanic processes. But there are NO known active volcanoes on Mars.Furthermore, Nasa has found the gas in the same regions as clouds of water vapour, the vital “drink†needed to support life.Experts speculate that the methane is being emitted as a waste product by organisms called methanogens living in water beneath underground ice.And they would have to be alive today because the methane would otherwise have been lost from the Martian atmosphere.John Murray  a member of the Mars Express European space probe team  believes the mini-Martians may be in a form of suspended animation and could even be REVIVED.He has found overwhelming evidence of a vast frozen ocean beneath the dust near the Martian equator where simple life could have thrived as microbes.Today’s briefing will feature a star panel of Mars experts headed by Michael Meyer, chief scientist for Nasa’s Mars programme.UK Mars expert Professor Colin Pillinger believes the methane can only point to the presence of life on the planet.His ill-fated Beagle 2 probe was carrying a laboratory that would have looked directly for such signs of life when it crashed on Christmas Day 2003.Prof Pillinger, below, told The Sun last night: “Methane is a product of biology. 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.â€ÂNasa’s findings confirm studies by Europe’s Mars Express probe, which has been orbiting the planet for five years and also reported signs of methane in 2004.Britain’s top space expert Nick Pope last night hailed the new evidence of life as “the most important discovery of all timeâ€Â.He said: “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.“If it’s happened here on Earth, then why shouldn’t it happen anywhere? The implication is this is a universal law.“Mars is very similar to Earth. It’s about the same size, it’s a rocky inner planet.“Most scientists believe it probably has liquid water which is almost universally agreed as the pre-requisite for life. I am certain there is other life in the Universe and, most likely, intelligent life.â€ÂThe Red Planet has gripped the public imagination for more than a century as a possible home for aliens.But life could not survive on its surface because, unlike the Earth, Mars has no magnetic shield to protect it against deadly sun radiation.The planet resembles our own in many ways. It is made of rock, it has an atmosphere and weather systems.Although much smaller with a diameter of around 4,222 miles, Mars’ day is just 40 minutes longer than ours and its tilted axis gives it seasons.Water has been found in the form of buried ice and scientists believe that two billion years ago, Mars was covered with liquid oceans.Proof that water is still on Mars came in 2007 when Mars Express used ground-piercing radar to study the region around the planet’s South Pole.Nasa’s latest lander Phoenix dug up chunks of Martian ice last year. It swiftly evaporated into the thin atmosphere.Nasa have controversially hit the headlines before for claiming evidence for Martians.In 1996, they said they had discovered fossilised organisms in a meteorite from the planet.But other scientists were sceptical.Today’s conference will be broadcast live online by NASA TV (www.nasa.gov/ntv ) at 7pm.* * *http://www.marstoday.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=27336 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylexus44 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Very nice find AdmiralIm wondering though…Did Mars once have an entire civilization as so many believe? Or perhaps it's starting it's evolution in a slightly different way than Earths... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devogen Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Nasa will never confirm life, on any planet.. ever.This is simply due to the fact that the religious nuts would have to face the inevitable, their religion is a scam.Feel free to flame me, but a friendly warning the last mormon who knocked at my door was an athiest by the time he left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falnax Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 @Admiral:> http://www.marstoday.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=27336> But there are NO known active volcanoes on Mars.Not necessarily true. There are several volcanoes on Mars, most famously Olympus Mons, that have lava flow from them from time to time, and are classified as, at the very least, dormant. It is possible for volcanoes to release methane gas even when they are not erupting, so it would be foolish to completely discredit the theory of volcanism as a source, at least with a word of the discredit occuring in all caps.Though, I'd certainly consider life on Mars to be an exciting discovery. I just don't want everyone thinking it's certain until they have more solid evidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sowtis Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 It WOULD be pretty incredible to find some life form living on there…Has anybody else wondered... Like since our sun is a star, what if all other stars are suns, and they have planets around them as well, and there was another planet that was just like Earth! It would be insane! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylexus44 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 @Devogen:> Nasa will never confirm life, on any planet.. ever.> > This is simply due to the fact that the religious nuts would have to face the inevitable, their religion is a scam.> > Feel free to flame me, but a friendly warning the last mormon who knocked at my door was an athiest by the time he left.Flame you? I congratulate your epic logic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Comnena Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 @Devogen:> Nasa will never confirm life, on any planet.. ever.> > This is simply due to the fact that the religious nuts would have to face the inevitable, their religion is a scam.> > Feel free to flame me, but a friendly warning the last mormon who knocked at my door was an athiest by the time he left.Troll or not troll…@Nexus:> It WOULD be pretty incredible to find some life form living on there…> > Has anybody else wondered... Like since our sun is a star, what if all other stars are suns, and they have planets around them as well, and there was another planet that was just like Earth! It would be insane!There are planets around other stars; they are called extrasolar planets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devogen Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 @Anna:> > Troll or not troll…> There are planets around other stars; they are called extrasolar planets.Yes, you Trolled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Refuge Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 About a half hour left until the press conference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 watch online http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Refuge Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 IT'S ON! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 same old balls "we can't be sure" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRgamer Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Hmm… An interesting conclusion wasn't derived. Destiny did not plan to reveal the answer to us just yet... But still, live on another planet, albeit small, would be great indeed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kusy Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 @Devogen:> Nasa will never confirm life, on any planet.. ever.> This is simply due to the fact that the religious nuts would have to face the inevitable, their religion is a scam.> Feel free to flame me, but a friendly warning the last mormon who knocked at my door was an athiest by the time he left.Nobody will bother flaming you. You fighting atheists are soooo damn funny. You are more devoted to your atheism than most christians are to theyre religion. You are trolling + there's no logic in your words.That's a nice information. Microbes… yeah... like meh. I know it would be a huge discovery but still microbes are small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Oracle Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 if you notice: mike myers is the first guy. lol. (idk how u spell his name) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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