Take a time out for upcoming interstellar voyages, alien invasions, and animated galactic adventures
In 2004, the ESA's Mars Express orbiter detected methane in Mars' atmosphere. This was followed in 2013 and 2014 when the Curiosity rover detected a methane spike and organic molecules while exploring the floor of the Gale Crater on Mars. Curiosity detected an even larger spike in 2019 while exploring an outcropping of layered bedrock, which is part of the larger formation known as "Teal Ridge." Since that time, scientists have looked for possible explanations for the sudden detections of this organic molecule, which generally favored non-biological processes.

