A Search for Evidence of Interplanetary and Atmospheric Microbial Delivery Systems

From 1936 to 1961 astronomers at the Norman Lockyer Observatory at Sidmouth England documented six major rain-water borne invasions of bacteria capable of rapidly liquefying astronomical photographic emulsions. Based on an American suggestion that endemic influenza originates in the upper atmosphere of Venus and gets blown by the solar wind to Earth, they checked and found strong positive correlation between Venus inferior conjunctions, concurrent geomagnetic storms, and their microbial invasions. This presentation highlights further research into the original premise about microbial transfers from Venus to Earth and their subsequent global distibution via long-range air-mass movements. The 1918 influenza pandemic is used as a starting point for this followup study. Findings to date will be summarized. Key Words: Exobiology, aerobiology