NASA Rover Finds Active and Ancient Organic Chemistry on Mars. NASAs Mars Curiosity rover has measured a tenfold spike in methane, an organic chemical, in the atmosphere around it and detected other organic molecules in a rock-powder sample collected by the robotic laboratorys drill. This temporary increase in methane -- sharply up and then back down -- tells us there must be some relatively localized source, said Sushil Atreya of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a member of the Curiosity rover science team. There are many possible sources, biological or non-biological, such as interaction of water and rock. Researchers used Curiositys onboard Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) laboratory a dozen times in a 20-month period to sniff methane in the atmosphere. During two of those months, in late 2013 and early 2014, four measurements averaged seven parts per billion. Before and after that, readings averaged only one-tenth that level. Curiosity also detected different Martian organic chemicals in powder drilled from a rock dubbed Cumberland, the first definitive detection of organics in surface materials of Mars. These Martian organics could either have formed on Mars or been delivered to Mars by meteorites.... ~Kyle B jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4413
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 21:04:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015