Unusual methane “burps” that could be evidence of life have been detected on the surface of Mars.
Astronomers have described the discovery of periodic plumes of the gas by Nasa’s Curiosity rover as “tremendously exciting” — but they have also cautioned that they could be produced by unexplained geological or astronomical processes. More tests need to be performed to determine the source of the methane, they added.
On Earth, methane is predominantly made by biological processes, which has made it a prime target for those searching for life on Mars. Now new research, published in the journal Science, has described methane measurements that appear to fluctuate.
Although a certain level of methane would be expected as a result of impacts from micrometeorites, the nature