Rover finds methane in Mars air, organics in rocks

Curiosity reports signs of gas, other chemicals possibly produced by ancient life

IN THE AIR  Measurements collected by NASA’s Curiosity rover indicate that methane is periodically released into Mars’ atmosphere from an unknown source.

JPL-Caltech/NASA, MSSS

SAN FRANCISCO — NASA’s Curiosity rover has caught a whiff of methane in Mars’ atmosphere and has for the first time detected organic molecules in rocks on the planet’s surface.