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Methane like all other simple and even complex organic and near organic compounds is produced through photochemistry constantly in the solar system.

Titan is full of it, Jupiter has more of it likely than all of the solar system combined, and we’ve already proven that cosmic dust and comets smell like farts.

Mars with its thin atmosphere and lack of magnetic field would be producing organic compounds constantly as high energy cosmic and solar radiation hits the surface.

If anything for Mars it seems that the source of hydrogen might be a bigger mystery but it should have enoguh water in the soil to be ionized and broken down into molecular hydrogen and oxygen allowing organic compounds to form.

The interesting part is the cyclical release during the hottest months of the year it could be biological but it could also and much much much more is just a seasonal pheonomon tied to the temperature.



> cosmic dust and comets smell like farts.

Just imagining a kid at a science fair having made that legitimate discovery but being dismissed by teachers


Methane is odorless [1].

AFAIK the smell in farts is mercaptanes (thiols, organic sulfur compounds).

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane


Yep but Sulfur compounds are not rare, ammonia, sulfuric acid many other sulfides and non sulfuric complex molecules like formaldehyde exist in space in plenty.




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