[meteorite-list] Kerala Red Rain Was From A Comet, Study Suggests

[Ron Baalke]

http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7BEC0520F4-92DC-452E-AB55-AD89E642DF32%7D&CATEGORYNAME=National  

Kerala red rain was comet disintegration
Ceannai Online
May 31, 2006

Kottayam, May 31: The "red rains" in Kerala five years ago was the result 
of the atmospheric disintegration of a comet, according to a study.

The study conducted at the School of Pure and Applied Physics of the MG 
University here by Dr Godfrey Louis and his student a Santosh Kumar 
shows that red rain cells were devoid of DNA which suggests their 
extra-terrestrial origin.

The findings published in the international journal 'Astrophysics and 
Space Science' state that the cometery fragment contained dense 
collection of red cells.

Commenting on the study at a press conference here, Dr N Chandra 
Wikramesinghe, Director of Cardiff Centre for Astrobiology, UK, said 
"what makes this study most important is the similarity of the red 
particles with living cells."

"If the red rain cells are finally proved to be of extra-terrestrial 
origin then that would be one of the most important discoveries in 
human history. It will change our concept about the universe and 
life," he added.

The red coloured rains were reported in different parts of Kerala 
from July to September 2001.