More evidence of microbal life on Mars?

[PMC]

Analysis from the Mars Express probe suggests that minute quantities of ammonia are present in the Martian atmosphere.  Because ammonia can only exist for very short periods in the Martian atmosphere, it must be being replenished somehow, either by volcanic or microbal activity.  So far no evidence of volcanic activity can be found.

See link below to BBC website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3896335.stm

Exciting stuff...!

[bloodline]

Isn't this really old news?

[PMC]

bloodline wrote:
Isn't this really old news?

Not really...  The last report was about finding traces of Methane, so this is yet more evidence I guess.

[KennyR]

Still, they're relying on remote spectrographic evidence (I assume, since Mars Express is an orbital), which has a high degree of error compared to direct sampling.

Beagle would have been able to sample much more directly with a smaller degree of error, but crashed. I'm sure Enterprise mission will blame the aliens / ancient human civilisations / automated defence systems.

Best they can get a probe down there which can actually sample the air with a high degree of accuracy before making wild assumptions that life exists. I have the feeling NASA are only doing this to secure funding for later missions and for PR. I'm not impressed. It may be for the best in the long run, but I'm still not impressed.

[blobrana]

Hum,
i think the important thing here is that the life time of ammonia is only a few hours before it's broken down...

Which, if it's from a volcanic source, implies a `global` source... not just a few isolated volcanic vents; which would surly have been detected by now anyway.

My considered opinion is that, i would be extremely shocked (and wrong) if ammonia didn`t arise from life forms.



http://www.geocities.com/goarana668/qqqr/mars_spiritcolor.jpg

[cecilia]

geocities doesn't let you hotlink images.
you have to put it on a page.
really annoying, but that's life.

found some cool ring pics from here

[blobrana]

Hum,
it`s the thought that counts...

Anyway i came across this weird pair of photos...of freaky tracks from the Spirit rover on Mars ...they were taken 9 days apart and there are numerous differences...
Tracks appear
rocks, are rearranged
and one blueberry  appeared from nowhere!
( no trail -- but it may have dropped off the rock above it.)

[Karlos]

@blobrana

Perhaps the winds have shifted some of the finer dust and sands around, exposing the extra rock?

Either that or the Capricorn 1 visual continuity crew need sacking :lol:

[zudobug]

Beagle would have been able to sample much more directly with a smaller degree of error, but crashed.

I heard on the radio earlier that Beagle had ammonia in it's airbags. Admittedly not enough to spread out and produce the results that have been measured, but still, how stupid was that? Introduce a chemical compound that would possibly otherwise not exist where you are then gonna do tests to see what evidence there is of life. Hmm, maybe the evidence we brought with us? :-)

Ahh well, back to the drawing board. Beagle was a good effort, I'm looking forward to Europes next attempt.

-zudo

[blobrana]

@Karlos
just for you...

A bigger `SIZE OF AN ELEPHANT` picture of those tracks
(er, notice that there isn`t anything at the `ends` of them like something had rolled along, blown by the wind)

Ahh!
Ammonia in bags...hum, well spotted.

[Karlos]

@blobrana

Thanks, yeah I see what you mean now :-D

[blobrana]

Yeah,
 there have been a few weird/alien photos sent from the probes...

Nasa`s looking for sites that may contain (for future missions) fossils, and ESA`s looking at finding current life forms, and it`s all a  bit hush, hush.

Anyway check this photo out that Spirit took on `Sol` 70:


Click to EXPLODE.

It`s not a flaw on the lens...

[Karlos]

It looks like a small refraction glare to me :-?

[blobrana]

Hum,
Yea that's what i thought at first, but i haven't noticed refraction glares like that in any other Spirit photos, even those looking at the setting Sun...

But it`s probably some sort of cosmic ray striking the CCD.

[or the automated planetary defence system taking potshots]