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Question
What do scientists use to find methane on other planets?
Methane is detected by spectrometry, the same way other gases are detected and measured by astronomers. The spectrometer can be either at a telescope on the Earth or carried by a spacecraft to get a closer look. Methane has been measured in the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn,Uranus, Neptune, and Titan, and most recently on Mars. The amount of methane on Mars is very small, but it is of great interest to astrobiologists as a possible signature of microbial life. David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
April 6, 2006
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