Scientist Claims To Have Solved The Strange Case Of The 'Jelly Rain'

Source: Dateline Zero

Scientists claim to have solved the mystery behind the strange blue jelly balls which ‘rained’ down on the garden of a UK resident a week ago.

Researchers at Bournemouth University say the mysterious balls were merely a common substance found in diapers and some potting soil. The balls retain moisture by soaking it up; which causes them to swell to a large size.

Steve Hornsby of Dorset was left puzzled when a torrent of gooey balls rained from the sky during a hailstorm. Making the story even more odd, he discovered the balls only in his garden.

Mr. Hornsby didn’t actually see them fall from the sky. He was working in his garden when the onset of a hail storm prompted him to go indoors. Upon returning to his garden, he noticed the blue jelly-like balls and presumed they fell from the sky.

Research assistant Josie Pegg confirmed the substance was sodium polyacrylate, sometimes used in gardening or agriculture to improve soil. It’s also used in disposable diapers.

Pegg speculated: “Perhaps someone was having a clear-out and chucked them over the fence.”

The Daily Mail adds another possible explanation. Perhaps the little spheres were already in the garden, and Mr. Hornsby didn’t know it — either someone else chucked them there, or they were in a soil mix that he had purchased. Later, a heavy rain turned effectively invisible dry crystals into the gel-like blue balls.

MORE: JELLY-LIKE BALLS THAT FELL OVER DORSET HAVE YET TO BE IDENTIFIED

Original post at Dateline Zero