It might be life Jim, but not as we know it!

[blobrana]

Hum,
i have a link to the author’s paper.

The red rain phenomenon of Kerala and its possible extraterrestrial origin
Authors: Godfrey Louis, A. Santhosh Kumar (Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India)

"A red rain phenomenon occurred in Kerala, India starting from 25th July 2001, in which the rainwater appeared coloured in various localised places that are spread over a few hundred kilometres in Kerala. Maximum cases were reported during the first 10 days and isolated cases were found to occur for about 2 months. The striking red colouration of the rainwater was found to be due to the suspension of microscopic red particles having the appearance of biological cells.
These particles have no similarity with usual desert dust. An estimated minimum quantity of 50,000 kg of red particles has fallen from the sky through red rain. An analysis of this strange phenomenon further shows that the conventional atmospheric transport processes like dust storms etc. cannot explain this phenomenon. The electron microscopic study of the red particles shows fine cell structure indicating their biological cell like nature. EDAX analysis shows that the major elements present in these cell like particles are carbon and oxygen.
Strangely, a test for DNA using Ethidium Bromide dye fluorescence technique indicates absence of DNA in these cells. In the context of a suspected link between a meteor airburst event and the red rain, the possibility for the extraterrestrial origin of these particles from cometary fragments is discussed."

Read more (PDF)

Though i have read elsewhere that the red dust was actually from Red China, and studies of the wind patterns during that period tie in with that as a source.

[blobrana]

Hum,
Yeah, things fall out of the sky all the time...
a while ago i myself heard a meteorite sonic boom - from a meteorite that fell 20 km away into the North sea.

And recently it seems were are reports of spectacular "balls of fire" falling near Stirling Castle,  which  have sparked a hunt for the crash sites of two meteors .
If discovered, they would be the first meteorites confirmed to have landed in Scotland  in almost 100 years. The incidents, reported by several witnesses, were on the evenings of Friday, February 17 and the following Monday.

 "Although meteorite falls are rare everywhere, Scotland seems to have escaped remarkably lightly. There have only been four meteorites recovered from Scotland, compared with more than 18 from England and Wales. Statistically, we are overdue another one. There must undoubtedly be more people who saw these meteorites - people who just happened to be out walking the dog or looking out their window - and we need them to come forward. It can be difficult to judge exactly where a meteorite may have landed but it is exciting." - John Faithfull, curator of mineralogy and petrology at Glasgow University's Hunterian Museum.

There is a lot of moneys worth lying around there somewhere, so it's maybe worth a look in your backyard (ie...Vincent in Dundee - but if it moves ...run!)

BTW, here is a link to the red rain guys website
http://education.vsnl.com/godfrey/

[blobrana]

Hum,
What was the question?

BTW, possibly the red rain is from swarms of insects caught up in a storm.