'More research needs to be done':

Red rain has extra terrestrial matter

By Manjula Fernando

The red rain samples referred to Cardiff University and Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology (BCA) of Buckingham University by the Medical Research Institute (MRI) have been confirmed as containing extra terrestrial matter.

MRI Director Dr. Anil Samaranayake said the elements found in the red rain samples had 'evidence of structures similar' to that of the meteorite that fell on Araganwila in the Polonnaruwa district on December 29 last year.

The red rain samples collected after the fall of meteorites in Araganwila in Polonnaruwa district and a piece of the meteorite were referred to the laboratories of these universities for further analysis after the tests carried out at MRI showed unknown micro organisms in the rain water and the extracted piece of meteorite.

When the Sunday Observer contacted Dr. Samaranayake the previous week, he said the results of the confirmation tests were expected soon and he would wait for the results to make any comments.

Following the supplementary -tests carried out at the two universities, the scientists who worked on those samples said, 'in the samples referred, the existence of a well identified class of an algae known as diatoms is beyond refutation.'

The Araganwila meteorite has been examined using the most sophisticated microscopes and equipment at the Marshall Space Flight Centre in Huntsville Alabama by a renowned NASA Scientist Richard Hoover. He has confirmed that this rock is unquestionably a meteorite.

A four-member team of scientists including Director Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology Prof. Chandra Wickremasinghe and Dr. Anil Samaranayake published a paper in the Volume 21 of the Journal of Cosmology on January 10, 2013 where they have briefed the findings. "These diatoms are not contaminants as they are trapped in the rock" they confirmed.

Referring to the traces of unknown algae the authors went on to say, "Some are "fossilled" having only the hard siliceous outer shells or frustules as they are called. Others appear to be alive, with mucous membranes and biofilm around."

Following the publication in the Journal, in a note to media Prof. Wickremasinghe confirmed that Dr. Samaranayake and his team at the MRI have actually recovered viable diatoms from the interior of the meteorite.

The scientists refute the argument that the meteorite could be a lightening struck earth rock since the theory is inconsistent with all the data that they have gathered so far. These findings reveal that 'the General characteristics of the new meteorite (extracted from Araganwila) bear a striking similarity to those of the unusual Maribo CM condrite that fell over Denmark on January 17, 2009'.

Prof. Wickremasinghe has also been involved in studying the red rain that occurred in Kerala in 2001 and 2009 but so far he has not arrived at any definite conclusion as to the scientific elements found.

Preliminary studies have shown that the red cells in the red rain in Sri Lanka are similar to those of the cells found in Kerala in 2001. These cells have not yet been identified with any known terrestrial organism. The scientists also refuted a statement widely publicized in the media and internet that a common algal type Trentepohlia has been identified in the meteorite and red rain, as plain wrong. 'There is indeed a red algal-type cell involved, but it is different from Trentepohlia and to this day remains unidentified.'

Prof. Wickremasinghe told the media 'the sample of Sri Lankan red rain that Dr. Samaranayake gave me contains an algal- type cell that has still to be identified'. He says a remarkable coincidence that should be noted is the episode of red rain experienced, within several days of the fall of meteorite.

However, according to the Met Department the first red rain in Sri Lanka was reported on November 14 at 8.30pm, nearly one and half months before the discovery of the meteorite and this fact remains to be explained by the scientists.