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Signatures of life
 
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Mars
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Mars may have lost much of its atmosphere during asteroid impacts early in its history.
The Beagle 2 lander will look for signatures of life on Mars, whether long-dead or still-living, by measuring the ratio of two different types of carbon in the rocks. Biological processes on Earth favour the lighter isotope of carbon, carbon-12, over the heavier carbon-13. Hence, a high carbon-12 to carbon-13 ratio is taken as evidence of life and has been found in rocks up to 4 billion years old, even where geological processing has occurred. The hope is that the same occurred on Mars.

Credits: Illustration by Medialab, ESA 2001
 
 
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The martian meteorite ALH 84001
Controversy rages over whether this structure, found inside the martian meteorite ALH 84001, is a fossilised bacteria.

Credits: NASA
 
  Last update: 10 October 2005 


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