Teleconference for Oct 18

There will be a telecon tomorrow at 1900 hrs GMT. There are indications that this one will be an update on methane (natural gas) gas detection by the rover which is actually one of its objectives. Methane is produced by two things that we know of on Earth at least; volcanic activity and life. The gas has been monitored in the Martian atmosphere for the past few years by orbiters but Curiosity will be the first to monitor the gas from the surface. What does the gas indicate? Maybe life, maybe still rumbling volcanoes on what is supposed to be a practically geologically dead planet. The rover team hopes to contribute data on the question. We'll see it all tomorrow! You can listen in via NASA's audio feed.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find a place to quietly contemplate the discovery of an earth-sized mass planet that has just been discovered orbiting Alpha-Centauri B, one of the nearest star systems to our solar system (only 4.5 light years away). We live in exciting times! Stay curious.

[Read the press release and paper about this EXTRAORDINARY discovery on nature's site]