Methane discovery? Any meaning? | Blogs !!

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Methane discovery? Any meaning?

Mon 24 Mar 2008 08:44:41 | 2 comments

Hope u all wont try to shut my mouth!

We already heard a lot of these types of stories. What I wonder is that, why these type of chemistry related extra solar discoveries are short lived. Recently flashed news reads that (and in Nature 2008 also!), scientists scrutinizing the Hubble’s telescope data have found the presence of Methane in an extra solar planet named HD 189733b. The Planet is orbiting its sun some 65 lightyears away and recorded an atmospheric temperature of 1000K. This however ruled out the existence of methane emitting living organisms in HD 189733b.

If scientists say that the signature of methane is surprising in these types of distant planets, as they expected the planet's atmospheric carbon to be largely in the form of carbon monoxide, then why doesn’t it surprises the fellow researchers in chemistry? Is there any chemistry lies that we all don’t understand?

Comments

allanrov1983 3 years ago

Hi Kyra, I share your facination for extraterrestrial life possibilities in universe. Onething is true, life on earth originated from hot gases like methane combining with water to give carbohydrates, giving rise to primate microorganisms, and then extending their protein chains. But that doesnt mean that the presence of methane itself is a symbol of life. It could be the byproducts of some gaseous explosions, reactions, anything. What scientists look for, is the presence of water, which they believe will help to culture the first seeds of life and accelerate its growth. But even then, we are not exactly sure of any unknown kind of organisms which dont need water!