Post by glactus on Mar 20, 2008 21:57:46 GMT
For the first time ever, astronomers using the Hubble space telescope have discovered the presence of the organic molecule methane in the atmosphere around a planet outside our solar system. While astronomers say there's no chance that life exists on the exosolar planet, methane is essential for life, opening up the possibility that there could be life somewhere else in the universe.
The planet where the methane was discovered is called HD189733b in a solar system that astronomers say is approximately 63 light years from our own.
Mark Swain made the discovery in observations at the US National Space Administration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
In a teleconference with reporters, Swain said there are 270 so-called exoplanets outside of our solar system and this is the first time astronomers have evidence of a chemical compound in the atmospheres around any of them.
"The methane, if we were able to detect it on a more hospitable planet in the future, would really be something exciting and that is the way in which these measurements really are the dress rehearsal for what we look forward to doing in the future,"
This discovery of organic methane in a distant solar system is reported in the journal - Nature.
Art planets
credits:
This article has been adapted from material supplied by Jessica Berman of Voice of America.
This is part text only. See full text and all scientists involved at voanews.com
www.voanews.com/english/2008-03-19-voa74.cfm
image credit:
www.scitech.ac.uk/resources/image/millplan.jpg
