Methane 'belches' detected on Mars

Nasa's Curiosity rover has detected methane on Mars - a gas that could hint at past or present life on the planet. 

The robot sees very low-level amounts constantly in the background, but it also has monitored a number of short-lived spikes that are 10 times higher.

Methane on the Red Planet is intriguing because here on Earth, 95% of the gas comes from microbial organisms.

Researchers have hung on to the hope that the molecule's signature at Mars might also indicate a life presence. 

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