REAL LIFE NEWS: MORE ALIEN INVADERS HITCHING RIDES ON COMETS
by Hazed
Following my story last week about the chemicals needed to kickstart life having maybe got to Earth on a comet we have another story about space substances hitching a ride here. This time, it involves a comet that burst 10km above Sri Lanka last December.
The yellow and green fireball appeared over the Indian Ocean island province of Polonnaruwa, and caused injuries from burns. A strong smell was reported from the remains of the rock, and one woman collapsed after inhaling the fumes.
Samples were collected and send to the island’s capital, Colombo. However, only three of the 268 chunks of rock sent in were actually remains of the comet. The rest of the fragments were terrestrial rock, masonry, industrial slag, that kind of thing.
The three genuine bits of space rock were sent to Cardiff University to be examined under a scanning electron microscope. Researchers discovered a complex, thick-walled microfossil 100 nanometres wide that is similar to a form of plankton found on Earth, and further tests showed it is almost certainly not from this planet.
So is this life from outer space? It’s certainly possible!
Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03/11/comet_algae_hystrichospheres/
