Posted on 12/09/2008 6:36:06 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (AFP) NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered both carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the atmosphere of a distant planet, in a key step for finding extraterrestrial life, the space agency said Tuesday.
Detecting organic compounds that can be a by-product of life processes on an Earth-like body could one day "provide the first evidence of life beyond our planet," NASA said in a statement.
The discovery was made on a Jupiter-size planet 63 light years away from Earth that is too hot for life, and is all gas and liquid.
"We're not closer to discovering life on this particular planet," admitted Ray Villard of the Space Telescope Science Institute.
"But it has the mix of chemistry that on the right planet could be a biotracer for life," he said.
Scientists have studied the planet intensively, finding the organic molecule methane as well as water vapor, Villard added.
The carbon dioxide and monoxide were detected by Mark Swain, a research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, using Hubble to study infrared light emitted from the planet.
"The carbon dioxide is the main reason for the excitement because, under the right circumstances, it could have a connection to biological activity as it does on Earth," Swain said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Hubble CO2 Ping
clearly suv killed the planet
This visible-light image from the Hubble released on November 13, 2008 shows the newly discovered planet, Fomalhaut b, orbiting its parent star. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered both carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the atmosphere of a distant planet, in a key step for finding extraterrestrial life, the space agency said Tuesday. (AFP/NASA/ESA/Paul Kalas)
I’m sure it’s George Bush’s fault that there are rising CO2 levels there.
Send Algore to stop this NOW!
Ya, if they are finding carbon dioxide, doesn’t that imply that some kind of chemical reaction caused it? I bet the aliens there drive Hummers.
OMG, OMG, it’s everywhere!
“... has discovered both carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the atmosphere of a distant planet ...”
No. It was there 63 years ago, we don’t know what’s there now.
Must be Venus. lol
How the heck did they get the SUVs there?
I don’t know, but I would hate to see the “destination charge” the dealer slapped on them!
Those poor people just killed themselves off with runaway global warming. Everything melted. RIP. We're next! After this cold weather breaks.
Man made galactic warming alert
Wait . . . carbon dioxide??? Cool. Other planets have SUV’s too.
Somebody call Algore.
Will this deliberate destruction across the galaxy ever end !!!!
Must we pollute EVERYTHING in the Universe??? /s
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