Announcement from Nasa was: Evidence of life on Mars
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Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:05 pm » by Nickelson
NASA scientists last night unveiled compelling evidence of life on Mars.
A special mission to the Red Planet has revealed the likely presence of a form of pond scum - the building blocks of life as we know it.
NASA unveiled the results of the recent Opportunity and Spirit probes sent millions of miles through the solar system to discover signs of extraterrestrial life.
The results are so promising boffins have already planned a host of other missions to discover whether there is extraterrestrial life in the universe.
The recent missions have gathered evidence of sulphates on Mars, a strong indication there is water on the planet and therefore life.
Previous missions to Mars have concluded there is probably water on the planet.
But the NASA boffins said the recent missions have gone further than any others in proving there is life on Mars.
They were particularly excited about the discovery of a sulphate called gypsum which, it has emerged recently, is found in large quantities among fossils in the Mediterranean.
Jack Farmer, researcher at the Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, said he was "optimistic" there was - or had been - life on Mars.
Another of the scientists Bill Schopf, researcher at the University of California in Los Angeles, added: "One, thanks to Opportunity and the rovers and orbital imaging it is clear that there are literally vast areas of Mars that are carpeted with various sorts of sulphates, including gypsum.
"Two, it turns out on earth there just hasn't been hardly any work done at all to show whether gypsum ever includes within it preserved evidence of former life.
"The age doesn't matter. We just didn't know that fossils and organic matter and things like that were well preserved within gypsum.
"So, three, it turns out that now we have made that first step we are going to find out how widespread it is in other sulphate deposits on earth.
"And those lines of evidence will then give us a way to justify going to Mars and looking at gypsum because it looks as though based on these findings that is going to turn out to be a really excellent place to find evidence of ancient life, regardless of age, if in fact it is there."
Five experts took part in last night's press conference to celebrate 50 years of astrobiology research.
Dr Steve Squyres, of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, said the only way of being sure there is life on Mars was to bring back a sample of Mars rock.
He also said that the detection of methane in the martian atmosphere - as revealed exclusively by The Sun - raised the possibility that there was still life on Mars today.
"Methane is a molecule that should go away very quickly. We need to send a mission to find out if the source is biological.
"We also need to send a mission to return samples from Mars. That would enable scientists to find out whether Mars might ever have harboured life.
"If we are ever going to show if there was ever life on Mars, I think we're going to have to study samples back on Earth."
Almost 30 other NASA missions to discover life in space - including one to bring back rocks from Mars - have already been planned.
There are also plans to visit Jupiter's moon Europa to explore its deep underground ocean and a moon of Saturn, Enceladus, which spouted ice volcanoes.
Long-term missions will also return to Saturn's biggest moon Titan, sending a balloon flying through its atmosphere and landing a probe in its surface lakes.
Future missions would also visit comets.
NASA scientists have been searching for extraterrestrial life on other planets for some time.
Last November the space organisation launched the Kepler space telescope to look for Earth-size planets in this galaxy.
The telescope is on a three-and-a-half-year mission to find planets.
NASA has so far been able to download data - but many believe there are aliens out there.
British physicist Stephen Hawking said this week aliens might be traveling through the cosmos right now - but he warned they might have evil intentions.
Source:
The Sun
A special mission to the Red Planet has revealed the likely presence of a form of pond scum - the building blocks of life as we know it.
NASA unveiled the results of the recent Opportunity and Spirit probes sent millions of miles through the solar system to discover signs of extraterrestrial life.
The results are so promising boffins have already planned a host of other missions to discover whether there is extraterrestrial life in the universe.
The recent missions have gathered evidence of sulphates on Mars, a strong indication there is water on the planet and therefore life.
Previous missions to Mars have concluded there is probably water on the planet.
But the NASA boffins said the recent missions have gone further than any others in proving there is life on Mars.
They were particularly excited about the discovery of a sulphate called gypsum which, it has emerged recently, is found in large quantities among fossils in the Mediterranean.
Jack Farmer, researcher at the Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, said he was "optimistic" there was - or had been - life on Mars.
Another of the scientists Bill Schopf, researcher at the University of California in Los Angeles, added: "One, thanks to Opportunity and the rovers and orbital imaging it is clear that there are literally vast areas of Mars that are carpeted with various sorts of sulphates, including gypsum.
"Two, it turns out on earth there just hasn't been hardly any work done at all to show whether gypsum ever includes within it preserved evidence of former life.
"The age doesn't matter. We just didn't know that fossils and organic matter and things like that were well preserved within gypsum.
"So, three, it turns out that now we have made that first step we are going to find out how widespread it is in other sulphate deposits on earth.
"And those lines of evidence will then give us a way to justify going to Mars and looking at gypsum because it looks as though based on these findings that is going to turn out to be a really excellent place to find evidence of ancient life, regardless of age, if in fact it is there."
Five experts took part in last night's press conference to celebrate 50 years of astrobiology research.
Dr Steve Squyres, of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, said the only way of being sure there is life on Mars was to bring back a sample of Mars rock.
He also said that the detection of methane in the martian atmosphere - as revealed exclusively by The Sun - raised the possibility that there was still life on Mars today.
"Methane is a molecule that should go away very quickly. We need to send a mission to find out if the source is biological.
"We also need to send a mission to return samples from Mars. That would enable scientists to find out whether Mars might ever have harboured life.
"If we are ever going to show if there was ever life on Mars, I think we're going to have to study samples back on Earth."
Almost 30 other NASA missions to discover life in space - including one to bring back rocks from Mars - have already been planned.
There are also plans to visit Jupiter's moon Europa to explore its deep underground ocean and a moon of Saturn, Enceladus, which spouted ice volcanoes.
Long-term missions will also return to Saturn's biggest moon Titan, sending a balloon flying through its atmosphere and landing a probe in its surface lakes.
Future missions would also visit comets.
NASA scientists have been searching for extraterrestrial life on other planets for some time.
Last November the space organisation launched the Kepler space telescope to look for Earth-size planets in this galaxy.
The telescope is on a three-and-a-half-year mission to find planets.
NASA has so far been able to download data - but many believe there are aliens out there.
British physicist Stephen Hawking said this week aliens might be traveling through the cosmos right now - but he warned they might have evil intentions.
Source:
The Sun
- Thepriceisright
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Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:18 pm » by Thepriceisright
The recent missions have gathered evidence of sulphates on Mars, a strong indication there is water on the planet and therefore life.
Why hasn't anyone stated this about the moon yet? last i heard they'd found 600 meteric tons of water on the moon, and the article refered to a "low atmosphere" rather than no atmosphere.
This really is getting closer and closer though!
Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:21 pm » by Nickelson
Dr Steve Squyres, of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, said the only way of being sure there is life on Mars was to bring back a sample of Mars rock.
He also said that the detection of methane in the martian atmosphere - as revealed exclusively by The Sun - raised the possibility that there was still life on Mars today.
"Methane is a molecule that should go away very quickly. We need to send a mission to find out if the source is biological.
"We also need to send a mission to return samples from Mars. That would enable scientists to find out whether Mars might ever have harboured life.
"If we are ever going to show if there was ever life on Mars, I think we're going to have to study samples back on Earth."
Anyone else reading a slight contradiction here?
Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:28 pm » by Theduck
Another 20 years at this pace and we'll be there 
"In Order To Live, You Must Be Willing To Die."
"Exist In The Realm Of What Could Be...Not What Is" - Me
"The Truth Cannot Be Told... It Must Be Realized"
Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:34 pm » by Nickelson
theduck wrote:Another 20 years at this pace and we'll be there
They're scared little fucks. Nothing more, nothing less!
Announcements on E.T. will be made more often in the future, but little ones, because they're scared little fucks.
The day will come, when it's undeniable for the public and that will be the day the officials will be hanged.
- Lighthouse
- Posts: 1132
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- Location: South-Sweden
Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:35 pm » by Lighthouse
Funny how NASA keeps us occupied with bits and pieces of information while they know there are human and alien bases on Mars and the Moon.
It's like they feel they need to give us something, but will (or at least plan to) stall full disclosure for another 20 years.
It's like they feel they need to give us something, but will (or at least plan to) stall full disclosure for another 20 years.
__________________________________
Nothing is hidden that will not be made known,
Nothing is secret that will not come to light
Nothing is hidden that will not be made known,
Nothing is secret that will not come to light
Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:46 pm » by Theduck
I need an individual to direct my anger at, who runs NASA? some NASA employees will just be ignorant up there own arse type f**ks others may be regular Joes...
Need names lol
Need names lol
"In Order To Live, You Must Be Willing To Die."
"Exist In The Realm Of What Could Be...Not What Is" - Me
"The Truth Cannot Be Told... It Must Be Realized"
Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:52 pm » by Aardvaaks
We had this from Nasa a few years back, drip slow fed info infusion.
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur ... s%3Disch:1
There was the report from the meteorite in Egypt also so its all adding up!
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/0 ... orite.html
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur ... s%3Disch:1
There was the report from the meteorite in Egypt also so its all adding up!
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/0 ... orite.html
' I'm leaving because the weather is too good. I hate London when it's not raining'.
Groucho Marx
Groucho Marx
Thu Apr 29, 2010 2:35 pm » by Thesaint
I need an individual to direct my anger at, who runs NASA? some NASA employees will just be ignorant up there own arse type f**ks others may be regular Joes...
Need names
Contact the F.O.A.H. (friends of Adolf Hitler) at
Adolf Hitler & Sons,
Ve Haf Vays of Making You Talk Avenue
Schickelgruber Way
Goosestep
Bavaria
ICU DED
Any questions, Ask for Fitz Nizantite (the inventor of the German Bra)
Thu Apr 29, 2010 2:46 pm » by Theduck
thesaint wrote:I need an individual to direct my anger at, who runs NASA? some NASA employees will just be ignorant up there own arse type f**ks others may be regular Joes...
Need names
Contact the F.O.A.H. (friends of Adolf Hitler) at
Adolf Hitler & Sons,
Ve Haf Vays of Making You Talk Avenue
Schickelgruber Way
Goosestep
Bavaria
ICU DED
Any questions, Ask for Fitz Nizantite (the inventor of the German Bra)
Ever thought of a career in comedy
"In Order To Live, You Must Be Willing To Die."
"Exist In The Realm Of What Could Be...Not What Is" - Me
"The Truth Cannot Be Told... It Must Be Realized"
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