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NASA's Curiosity rover has detected unusually high methane levels in what could be the latest evidence of life on Mars.
Scientists revealed the rover detected the largest amount of methane ever measured during the mission - about 21 parts per billion units by volume (ppbv).
The levels are three times higher than those detected in 2013.
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has detected a huge spike in Methane, generating excitement among scientists. (EPA/AAP)
According to the space agency, this could mean life actually does exist on Mars as methane is often generate by microbes underground known as methanogens.
The Curiosity team has detected methane many times over the course of the mission, also noting there has been sudden spikes in the past.
"With our current measurements, we have no way of telling if the methane source is biology or geology, or even ancient or modern," said SAM Principal Investigator Paul Mahaffy of NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Curiosity has detected methane on Mars in the past but not on such high levels. (AP/AAP)
The team of scientists aren't able to say what the source of the methane is.
In an email sent to the New York Times, scientist Ashwin R Vasavada said the result was surprising and researchers are now looking at running a follow up experiment.
© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2019
https://www.9news.com.au/world/news...mars-usa/fd83bfa2-e0e6-4e28-8087-cff42b2fa50d
Scientists revealed the rover detected the largest amount of methane ever measured during the mission - about 21 parts per billion units by volume (ppbv).
The levels are three times higher than those detected in 2013.
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has detected a huge spike in Methane, generating excitement among scientists. (EPA/AAP)
According to the space agency, this could mean life actually does exist on Mars as methane is often generate by microbes underground known as methanogens.
The Curiosity team has detected methane many times over the course of the mission, also noting there has been sudden spikes in the past.
"With our current measurements, we have no way of telling if the methane source is biology or geology, or even ancient or modern," said SAM Principal Investigator Paul Mahaffy of NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Curiosity has detected methane on Mars in the past but not on such high levels. (AP/AAP)
The team of scientists aren't able to say what the source of the methane is.
In an email sent to the New York Times, scientist Ashwin R Vasavada said the result was surprising and researchers are now looking at running a follow up experiment.
© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2019
https://www.9news.com.au/world/news...mars-usa/fd83bfa2-e0e6-4e28-8087-cff42b2fa50d
