Murchison Meteorite Carefully to Reveal Origin of Carbon in Mars

Research on the elements making up the atmosphere of Mars can help researchers to conduct a search mission for signs of life on the planet in the future. Scientists are trying to find answers to how the environment on the planet could contain methane gas which contains carbon which is an important constituent element of life.

Scientists find meteorites that bombard the Martian surface, containing the carbon component is sufficient to convert methane when exposed to sunlight exposure.

Quoted from marsdaily.com, Thursday (31/05/2012) Researchers say the discovery may provide clues about the planet’s atmosphere. The scientists plan future missions to Mars could use findings to refine their experiments, in order to get an added value of the mission .. To the researchers took samples from the Murchison meteorite that fell and was found in Australia 40 years ago. The research team then took some parts of meteorites that have a composition similar to Martian meteorites and then given to ultraviolet radiation which has the same level as the level of ultraviolet radiation of sunlight on Mars.

The team from the University of Edinburg, Max Planck Institute, and Utrecht University, found a number of methane changed significantly and could be part of the methane in the Martian atmosphere.