On Another World

Forty years ago, man set foot on another world. The Moon. It is a great triumph for humanity. A symbol of man's inherent boldness for discovery and adventure.
How does it feel like to step on another world? Buzz Aldrin recounts a weird experience upon kicking moon dust which briefly flashes the shape of a petal on the trajectory back to the moon's airless surface. It must have felt something like walking on water.
It's been 40 years since man felt an other-worldy experience. The Moon may have truly felt like "another world" forty years ago, but the moon is not an "other" planet (at least not in the way we defined what a 'planet' is).
Landing on the moon has been a giant leap for mankind, but now it's time for the next step. A step into another world.
Mars.
What could be in store for us on a red planet? The only way to find out is to get our foot on it's surface. Then it will be the first terrestrial planet to dip our feet other than earth. Who knows what mysteries lay hidden on another planet?
Let us celebrate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 with the hope of a bold move to a brave new world.
In another time, in another place, I could have chosen to root for Alpha Centauri. But the time is now. And so I choose Mars.

Father and Son Conjunction

A photo overlooking NYC (captured from Hoboken, New Jersey) during the close conjunction of Mars, Venus and the crescent Moon shortly before sunrise on May 21, 2009. By the time this photo was taken, Mars is already drowned out by the oncoming sunlight, but still barely visible in binoculars.
Although not included in the upper-right side of the frame, Jupiter and three of it's Galilean moons were a nice binocular treat as tiny pinpoints of light.

Mars as an exoplanet

I know, i know. Mars is not an exoplanet. So I better keep away because this blog is only about exoplanets. But the prospect of life on Mars is irresistible to not think about, lest write about. So let's pretend the Mars is an exoplanet for now so I have a valid reason to write about it.
What do i think about the methane on Mars? Is it geological in nature, or biological? At this point, it can go either way. I could end this post with a 50/50 to play it safe. But that would be boring.
So i'll share what's on my mind: I have a 60% hunch that the methane is caused by microbes. 40% chance it is caused by geochemical means.
Let me give 2 clues why i think so.
First, Mars has no magnetic field. It may have little movement going on within it's interior by way of lava. That is why there are no active volcanos on Mars.
Second, there are microbes known to man that can thrive in temperatures as frigid as Mars. If "psychrotolerant" doesn't ring a bell, feel free to visit this discovery made by NASA scientists themselves way back in 2005. I think the Marsian organisms responsible for the methane are similar to Carnobacterium pleistocenium, an extremophile that can survive a frozen state.
The "seasonal" detection of methane may be due to the thawing of these hardy creatures. And you know what happens when microbes wake up during the warmer Martian summers - they eat, and fart (there goes your methane). Then they sleep again when the Martian winter sets in.
It will take years to send probes and dig up the site, or do some methane isotope-testing to settle the score. Until then, one thing i can suggest is to measure the seasonal methane emissions at exact intervals and see if they increase over time. If the level of seasonal methane increases every Martian year, then that could mean the population of microbes are increasing. Now that further increases the probability that the methane is indeed caused by, well...microbes.
If I'm wrong, well just remember: I was pretending that Mars was an exoplanet. Now if there are tons of Mars-like exoplanets out there, my scenario must be right in at least one of them!

Congratulations NASA: Phoenix Mars Lander Team

The Phoenix Mars Lander has touched down on Martian regolith after successfully carrying out the entry, descent and landing (EDL) phase of the mission.
Congrats!

Links:
Phoenix Mission Website
Mars Foundation

Habitable Zone: Starting from Home

We had to start somewhere. In trying to determine where life might likely arise in other parts of the universe, a guide and yardstick had to be set. Where else should we begin with but home? Such is what i think is behind the concept of the Habitable Zone (HZ), a region of space where conditions are favorable for life as it may be found on Earth. More specifically, HZ is a region around a star in which water can exist in liquid form.
Its very anthropomorphic, I know, and is constrained for water-based and carbon-based lifeforms, but it's a very good start in the search for exoplanets and life in deep space.
Probabilities and the likelihood of finding life in other places begins with Earth as the model and guide, hinging on Water. Planetary missions, such as the Mars Exploration are on the lookout for signs of water. Because water means life, er to begin with.
Slowly but surely, we are now expanding our sphere of thought from the basic Habitable Zone concept to other worlds. From Mars, Jupiter and its moon Europa, all the way to an exoplanet called Gliese 581c. Soon there will be more worlds to think about. And more platforms of life to speculate on, not just carbon, but perhaps methane.
And the day will come when a variety of Habitable Zones will be identified, not just the traditional Earth-like or water-based kind that we know of.
When we finally find signs of life or life itself on a distant exoplanet, we will remember the day when the concept of the most basic Habitable Zone was formulated...hey, we had to start somewhere.