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SEARCH FOR LIFE ON MARS
METHANE RELEASES ON MARS: In 2003, Goddard scientists detected methane on Mars. On Earth, methane is an indicator of biology and geology, and these observations may point to habitable regions on Mars, or active geological areas. On Mars, methane was found in large plumes (red, above).
The search for life (existing or extinct) has been a driving theme in exploration, giving rise to several NASA missions and to sensitive searches for gases related to biology. Mars is one of a select few Solar System bodies where life might have evolved and perhaps might survive in favorable niches even today. |