The methane mystery on Mars just got stranger.
New results from ESA and Roscosmos' ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, has unexpectedly * not * detected methane in the atmosphere of Mars.
This result follows the 2013 detection of methane by NASA's Curiosity rover, a result seemingly confirmed by ESA's orbiting Mars Express the next day.
The issue is so interesting because life is a major producer of methane on Earth, leading to intriguing speculation that some sort of life -- possibly microbial life -- is creating methane beneath the surface of Mars.
Non-biological sources of methane are also possible.
Pictured is a visualization of the first claimed methane plume over Mars as detected from Earth in 2003.
The new non-detection of methane by the ExoMars Orbiter could mean that Mars has some unexpected way of destroying methane, or that only some parts of Mars release methane -- and possibly only at certain times.
As the mystery has now deepened, humanity's scrutiny of our neighboring planet's atmosphere will deepen as well.
Media Credits & Attribution
** Video Credit: ** NASA's GSFC, Scientific Visualization Studio