European scientists believe in life on Mars

[norml]

European scientists believe in life on Mars
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-26 10:09


NOORDWIJK, Netherlands - European Space Agency scientists think that there was and could even still be life on Mars and want a new European mission to the red planet to take samples, a conference heard on Friday.

"Mars is the most Earth-like planet in our solar system," said Agustin Chicarro, ESA Mars Express Project Scientist at the end of a one-week conference during which scientists from around the world discussed ESA's Mars mission findings so far.


European Space Agency scientists think that there was and could even still be life on Mars and want a new European mission to the red planet to take samples, a conference heard on February 25, 2005 in Noordwijk, The Netherlands.This hand out image taken from the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft shows the Martian north polar ice cap with layers of water, ice and dust for the first time in perspective view. This image shows cliffs which are almost two kilometres high, and the dark material in the caldera-like structures and dune fields could be volcanic ash.
They found a large ice sea near Mars' equator that was formed less than 5 million years ago and believe volcanic activity is still continuing on the North Pole.

snip http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/26/content_419716.htm

[norml]

1. Martian gases pose life question

Last Updated: Friday, 25 February, 2005, 09:23 GMT

Martian gases pose life question

Mars Express has been orbiting the Red Planet for a year now
An Italian scientist working on the Mars Express probe says gases detected in the planet's atmosphere may indicate life exists on the Red Planet today.

Vittorio Formisano told a Dutch space conference methane and formaldehyde could signify biological activity.

But the cautious professor, from the Institute of Interplanetary Space Physics in Rome, said only soil analysis on the planet could prove it.

Confirmation came through hard data, not "fantasy", he told BBC News.

snip

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4295475.stm

*** Edited by Admin for copyright. Please post no more than four paragraphs from copyrighted material. ***

[Mabel Dodge]

2. Ok I can't resist....

Methane gas? Those microbes are farting!

[Moderator]

3. norml

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source.


Thank you.


DU Moderator

[norml]

4. Sorry about that. Sometimes it's difficult to know what are paragraphs,

and what are sentences. Those last three paragraphs, being one sentence long, look a lot more like sentences, than paragraphs.