klaes@wrksys.dec.com (CUP/ASG, MLO5-2/G1 6A, 223-3283) (07/20/89)
From the July 20, 1989 edition of THE BOSTON GLOBE -
"Meteorite Revives Hopes There May Be Life on Mars"
The possibility that life could have evolved on Mars, and perhaps
exists there now, has been given a boost by the discovery of large
amounts of organic material, the basis of all known life forms, in a
meteorite believed to have come from the red planet.
...it is virtually impossible that organic compounds could have
contaminated the rock after it reached Earth because the chemicals
were found deep within the solid rock and because the meteorite has
been handled with extreme care since its discovery on the sterile
Antarctic ice....
...The meteorite was handled under extremely clean conditions.
It was collected in a Teflon bag, placed in a pure nitrogen
atmosphere...it was treated like a lunar rock....
The evidence that the meteorite came from Mars is twofold, said
geologist William Cassidy in an interview yesterday:
* Tests show it was formed in volcanic processes about 1.3 billion
years ago, which rules out origin from asteroids or comets, which have
no volcanic activity, or the Moon, where such processes ended 4.5
billion years ago.
* Samples of air trapped in glass melted into the rock during its
formation exactly match the composition and elemental isotope ratios
of Martian air but not of any other known planet.
"Bush Sets Space Agenda Today: Outpost on Moon, Man on Mars"
President Bush today will seek to commit the United States to
building a manned outpost on the Moon and sending astronauts to Mars,
an administration official said yesterday. Bush will not outline a
specific proposal but will endorse the concept of a Moon-Mars mission,
which was recommended by Vice President Dan Quayle and the National
Space Council, which Quayle chairs, said the official. TJL@ceres.physics.uiowa.edu (07/21/89)
In article <8907201621.AA00301@decwrl.dec.com>, klaes@wrksys.dec.com (CUP/ASG, MLO5-2/G1 6A, 223-3283) writes: > From the July 20, 1989 edition of THE BOSTON GLOBE - > > "Meteorite Revives Hopes There May Be Life on Mars" > > The possibility that life could have evolved on Mars, and perhaps > exists there now, has been given a boost by the discovery of large > amounts of organic material, the basis of all known life forms, in a > meteorite believed to have come from the red planet. > I have been curious about the possibility of life on Mars for awhile. My understanding of current theories on the origin of life on this planet is that life is thought to have originated in tidal pools or near the ocean surface. Both of these places have ample sunlight, rather calm water, yet would have the necessary chemicals for proteins and their precursors to form and combine. My question is that all of the pictures from Mars have been of river channels, river channels which apparently handled immense quantities of water. How would this environment (i.e. the river) compare with the ocean? If the water was flowing fast enough to carve these channels, would there also be areas where the water would be stagnant for a long enough period of time for proteins and the like to form? Have there been areas discovered which resemble a sea or ocean basin, but just have not received as much press? -- Joe "Those who would sacrifice ** I disclaim none of my opinions. liberty for security, ** deserve neither." ** DECnet CERES::TJL B. Franklin ** tjl@ceres.physics.uiowa.edu
phssra@mathcs.emory.edu (Scott R. Anderson) (07/21/89)
In article <7037@ceres.physics.uiowa.edu> TJL@ceres.physics.uiowa.edu writes: >In article <8907201621.AA00301@decwrl.dec.com>, klaes@wrksys.dec.com >(CUP/ASG, MLO5-2/G1 6A, 223-3283) writes: >> >> The possibility that life could have evolved on Mars, and perhaps >> exists there now, has been given a boost by the discovery of large >> amounts of organic material, the basis of all known life forms, in a >> meteorite believed to have come from the red planet. >> >My question is that all of the pictures from Mars have been of river channels, >river channels which apparently handled immense quantities of water. How >would this environment (i.e. the river) compare with the ocean? If the water >was flowing fast enough to carve these channels, would there also be areas >where the water would be stagnant for a long enough period of time for >proteins and the like to form? The origin of these channels is believed to be due to the sudden melting of large quantities of subterranean ice and/or permafrost, which are then forced through the surface to produce a gigantic flash flood. However, the air pressure on Mars is so low that the water will quickly evaporate away, so there is little chance that these floods could provide "stagnant" pools of water. Speculation: subterranean chambers deep enough in the interior of Mars that liquid water could exist, and be warm and stagnant. Volcanic activity occasionally spits out a rock or two which then find their way to Antartica... millions of years ago, of course. * * ** Scott Robert Anderson gatech!emoryu1!phssra * * * ** phssra@unix.cc.emory.edu phssra@emoryu1.bitnet * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *