Methane suggests life on Mars

METHANE has been discovered on Mars, raising the possibility of past or present life on the Red Planet, scientists said yesterday.

The gas was detected using the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) on the European Space Agency orbiter Mars Express. Dr Vittorio Formisano, PFS principal investigator, said the finding could either be evidence of life or of volcanic activity. More studies were required to identify the source of the methane, he added.

“Eventually we shall perhaps be able to identify the source of methane,” said Dr Formisano. “The source is going to be a big issue. The source could be either simply volcanic activity, or life of biological origin. I am not stating there is life now. There is no conclusion yet.”

He said methane could only exist for a few hundred years in the Martian atmosphere, meaning here could still be volcanic activity or life on the Red Planet.

Dr Formisano added: “In my opinion it is most likely of volcanic origin. We can only say there is evidence of methane, and we have the possibility of accumulating more data and eventually finding the source.”

Prof Colin Pillinger, chief scientist of missing Mars probe Beagle 2, said the find could be evidence of “past or even current life”.