Life on Mars (a.k.a. Mount Sharp), on August 6, 2012. On 16 December 2014, NASA reported the "Curiosity" rover detected a "tenfold spike", likely localized, in the amount of methane in the Martian atmosphere. Sample measurements taken "a dozen times over 20 months" showed increases in late 2013 and early 2014, averaging "7 parts of methane per billion in the atmosphere." Before and after that, readings averaged around one-tenth that level. In addition, low levels of chlorobenzene (), were detected in powder drilled from one of the rocks, named "Cumberland", analyzed by the Curiosity rover. Some of the main reasons for colonizing Mars
International Year of Planet Earth International Year of Planet Earth The United Nations General Assembly declared 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth to increase awareness of the importance of Earth sciences for the advancement of sustainable development. UNESCO was designated as the lead agency. The Year's activities spanned the three years 2006-2009. The Year aimed to raise $20 million from industry and governments, of which half was to be spent on co-funding research, and half on "outreach" activities. It was intended to be the biggest ever international effort to promote the Earth sciences. Apart from researchers, who were expected to benefit under the