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Wether or not you believe in extraterestrial life is not important what is important is that we understand that we are not only part of this Planet Earth but also part of a Galaxy that also can have and affect on our natural world. The Kerala red rain is a real example of an unexplained occurrence that did happen and can not be explained by any natural earthly presence. Things outside our atmosphere can and do impact this Planet and have been impacting Planet Earth for millions of years.

Gary Lindner

Director Planet Sanctuary

The Kerala red rain phenomenon was a blood rain (red rain) event that occurred from 25 July to 23 September 2001, when heavy downpours of red-coloured rain fell sporadically on the southern Indian state of Kerala, staining clothes pink.[1] Yellow, green, and black rain was also reported.[2][3][4] Coloured rain was also reported in Kerala in 1896 and several times since,[5] most recently in June 2012.[6][7]

Following a light microscopy examination, it was initially thought that the rains were coloured by fallout from a hypothetical meteor burst,[5] but a study commissioned by the Government of India concluded that the rains had been coloured by airborne spores from locally prolific terrestrial algae.[5]

It was not until early 2006 that the coloured rains of Kerala gained widespread attention when the popular media reported that Godfrey Louis and Santhosh Kumar of the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam proposed a controversial argument that the coloured particles were extraterrestrial cells.[3][8][9] Red rains were also reported from 15 November 2012 to 27 December 2012 occasionally in eastern and north-central provinces of Sri Lanka,[10] where scientists from the Sri Lanka Medical Research Institute (MRI) are investigating to ascertain their cause.[11][12][13]

The coloured rain of Kerala began falling on 25 July 2001, in the districts of Kottayam and Idukki in the southern part of the state. Yellow, green, and black rain was also reported.[2][3][4] Many more occurrences of the red rain were reported over the following ten days, and then with diminishing frequency until late September.[3] According to locals, the first coloured rain was preceded by a loud thunderclap and flash of light, and followed by groves of trees shedding shrivelled grey "burnt" leaves. Shriveled leaves and the disappearance and sudden formation of wells were also reported around the same time in the area.[14][15][16] It typically fell over small areas, no more than a few square kilometres in size, and was sometimes so localised that normal rain could be falling just a few meters away from the red rain. Red rainfalls typically lasted less than 20 minutes.[3] Each millilitre of rain water contained about 9 million red particles, and each litre of rainwater contained approximately 100 milligrams of solids.[clarification needed] Extrapolating these figures to the total amount of red rain estimated to have fallen, it was estimated that 50,000 kilograms (110,000 lb) of red particles had fallen on Kerala.[3]

Chemical composition[edit]
Elemental analysis
Analysis by the CESS
(%) Analysis by Louis & Kumar (%)
Al 1.0 0.41
Ca 2.52

C 51.00 49.53
Cl 0.12
H 4.43
Fe 0.61 0.97
Mg 1.48

N 1.84
O 45.42
K 0.26

P 0.08

Si 7.50 2.85
Na 0.49 0.69

Photomicrograph of particles from red rain sample
Several groups of researchers analysed the chemical elements in the solid particles, and different techniques gave different results.[citation needed] The particles were composed mostly of carbon and oxygen[clarification needed] with lesser amounts of hydrogen, nitrogen, silicon, chlorine and metals.[citation needed]

Some water samples were taken to the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) in India, where they separated the suspended particles by filtration. The pH (acidity) of the water was found to be around 7 (neutral). The electrical conductivity of the rainwater showed the absence of any dissolved salts. Sediment (red particles plus debris) was collected and analysed by the CESS using a combination of ion-coupled plasma mass spectrometry, atomic absorption spectrometry and wet chemical methods. The major elements found are listed below.[5] The CESS analysis also showed significant amounts of heavy metals, including nickel (43 ppm), manganese (59 ppm), titanium (321 ppm), chromium (67ppm) and copper (55 ppm).

Louis and Kumar used energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis of the red solid and showed that the particles were composed of mostly carbon and oxygen, with trace amounts of silicon and iron.[3] A CHN analyser showed content of 43.03% carbon, 4.43% hydrogen, and 1.84% nitrogen.[3]
Weather or not you believe in extraterestrial life is not important what is important is that we understand that we are not only part of this Planet Earth but also part of a Galaxy that also can have and affect on our natural world. The Kerala red rain is an example of the possibility of the affect of that things outside our atmosphere do impact this Planet and have been impacting Planet Earth for millions of years.

J. Thomas Brenna in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University conducted carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses using a scanning electron microscope with X-ray micro-analysis, an elemental analyser, and an isotope ratio (IR) mass spectrometer. The red particles collapsed when dried, which suggested that they were filled with fluid. The amino acids in the particles were analysed and seven were identified (in order of concentration): phenylalanine, glutamic acid/glutamine, serine, aspartic acid, threonine, and arginine. He concluded[citation needed] that the results were consistent with a marine origin or a terrestrial plant that uses a C4 photosynthetic pathway.[17]

"The red cells found in the red rain in Kerala, India are now considered as a possible case of extraterrestrial life form. These cells can undergo rapid replication even at an extreme high temperature of 300 °C. They can also be cultured in diverse unconventional chemical substrates. The molecular composition of these cells is yet to be identified".

Researcher Chandra Wickramasinghe used Louis and Kumar's "extraterrestrial origin" claim to further support his panspermia hypothesis called cosmic ancestry.[42] This hypothesis postulates that life is neither the product of supernatural creation, nor is it spontaneously generated through abiogenesis, but that it has always existed in the universe. Cosmic ancestry speculates that higher life forms, including intelligent life, descend ultimately from pre-existing life which was at least as advanced as the descendants.[43][44][45][46][47]