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	Frequently Asked Questions Send to a friend  Printable version  En Español Keywords Mars Pathfinder  Mars  Life on Mars  Meteors and Meteorites  Mars Global Surveyor  Resources FAQs about The Solar System Solar System Guide Astronomy Gift Shop 2009 Sky Almanac McDonald Observatory logo cap Is there life on Mars?  This meteorite from Mars is the subject of an intense debate that began in 1996, when a NASA-led team announced that it contained evidence of ancient microscopic life on the Red Planet. The possibility of life on Mars has intrigued skywatchers throughout the ages, but not until 1996 was the belief in Martians anything more than hopeful speculation. On August 6, 1996, a team of NASA scientists announced that they had evidence, which, though inconclusive, compelled them to believe that life had once existed on Mars. The evidence consisted of samples from a Martian meteorite -- named ALH84001 -- containing various organic chemicals and what appear to be clumps of "microfossils," similar to microscopic fossil bacteria found on Earth. Since then, researchers across the globe have produced competing claims as to whether the scenario is in fact the case. The temperature under which ALH84001 was formed remains an object of considerable debate, and recent work done at UCLA suggests the organic molecules found were produced by purely chemical processes, contradicting findings from the University of Wisconsin-Madison that indicate a biological process.Fortunately, the study of the Martian surface and the search for possible life existing there -- past or present -- remains a high priority for the world's space programs. The Mars Pathfinder mission has already returned important clues about the geologic history of the Red Planet, and the Mars Global Surveyor recently began mapping and photographing the Martian surface in great detail. Two more orbiters and a lander will begin exploring Mars later in 1999. With luck and hard work, this question may soon have a definitive answer. Other FAQs Select FAQ category Earth, Moon, and the Sun The Solar System Space Probes and Human Exploration Stars and Nebulae Astronomers and Observatories Galaxies and Cosmology Stargazing and Star Lore » FAQs about StarDate Online The Solar System Links Center for Mars Exploration Solar System Exploration NASA's Mars Exploration Program Cassini Mission to Saturn Voyager Mission to the Outer Planets ESA Mars Express Messenger Mission to Mercury New Horizons to Pluto
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