ESA Principal Investigator Suggests Bacteria Likely Source of Mars Methane

From: jonathan (Write_at_Instead.com)
Date: 11/28/04 

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 00:53:04 -0500

"Observation of Methane, Formaldehyde and HS (hydrogen sulfide):
Extant Life On Mars?"

"Vittorio Formisano, Ph.D., Principal Investigator of Planetary Fourier
Spectrometer (PFS), Dr. Formisano designed the Planetary Fourier
Spectrometer (PFS) for placement on the European Space
Agency's Mars Express Orbiter."

"A symbiosis of methanogenic bacteria with methanothrophic bacteria
in the Martian underground can be an alternative interpretation (to geothermal)
and looks more likely."

"September 20, 2004 Ischia Island, Italy - Today at the International Mars
Conference held September 19-23, by the Italian Space Agency, physicist
Vittorio Formisano, Ph.D., presented results from his analysis of the Martian
atmosphere in a paper entitled, "Observation of Methane, Formaldehyde
and HS (hydrogen sulfide): Extant Life On Mars?" Dr. Formisano designed
the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) for placement on the European
Space Agency's Mars Express Orbiter. Back on May 6, 2004, when I
interviewed him for Earthfiles and radio, he said his PFS data indicated
molecules of formaldehyde in the Martian atmosphere and told me,
"Formaldehyde is destroyed in the Martian atmosphere within 7.5 hours.
There is no way that formaldehyde can exist and remain for a long time
in the Martian atmosphere. If (formaldehyde) confirmed, possibly
life on Mars today, yes."

http://www.earthfiles.com/news/news.cfm?ID=796&category=Science

......................

Interview:

Michael Mumma, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, Planetary and Astrophysical
Sciences, Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, NASA/Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland:

  "It is, of course, one of the possibilities that we wish to investigate most
thoroughly. The first possibility is that there are forms of life below the
permafrost region on Mars which are reducing carbon and releasing
methane in the process, and probably several other organic gases as well.
Another possibility is that it is an abiotic process ­ that it does not involve
actual life itself. It could be a signature of a geothermal process."

Has NASA Confirmed Formaldehyde
in Martian Atmosphere?

"We have not confirmed the presence of formaldehyde on Mars, largely
because we have not spent much time searching for it. There are other
workers who have claimed the presence of formaldehyde from time to time.
But these have not generally been accepted by the scientific community.
So, if Dr. Formisano has a firm detection of formaldehyde, this probably
would be the very first one that would be accepted by the
scientific community."

http://www.earthfiles.com/news/news.cfm?ID=797&category=Science

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