Absence of methane on Mars reduces chances of life on the planet - veja.com

Space

New data released by NASA on Thursday to bring bad news awaited search for life on Mars. After several analyzes in the Martian soil, Curiosity probe did not identify the presence of methane in the planet’s atmosphere. The presence of gas is considered a sign of biological activity – namely, the presence of living organisms.

The robot Curiosity conducted tests in search of methane from October 2012 until June of this year, and found nothing. Considering the sensitivity of the measuring instrument, researchers estimate that the amount of gas in the atmosphere does not exceed 1.3 parts per billion – that is about one sixth of what had been previously estimated from observations of the earth and of satellites in orbit around Mars.

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For researchers, this means that there is little chance of methane-producing organisms on the planet, but does not exclude the possibility of other life forms.

“This important result will help direct our efforts to examine the possibility of life on Mars,” said Michael Meyer, NASA scientist and leader of the exploration program on the planet. “It reduces the probability that there Martians methane-producing microbes, but that includes only one type of microbial metabolism. As we know, there are many types of terrestrial microbes that do not generate methane, “he adds.

History – The Curiosity probe landed in the Martian soil in August 2012 and has made observations that indicate that the planet could have supported microbial life in the past. In recent weeks, the robot began a journey of eight kilometers bound to Mount Sharp, a mountain about three miles and a half in height, formed by layers of sediments where NASA hopes to find more clues about the composition of the red planet.

(With Agence France-Presse)