Methane is a colorless, odorless gas that is the main part of natural gas used for fuel. It is also a powerful greenhouse gas that traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere.
From ‘methyl,’ a chemical group name, plus the suffix ‘-ane’ used for simple hydrocarbons. The name was created in the 19th century as chemists began organizing carbon-based compounds.
The gas from cow burps and rotting garbage is largely methane, and molecule for molecule it warms the planet far more than carbon dioxide. On other planets and moons, finding methane can even be a clue that something—geological or biological—is going on.
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