Revolutionizing Chemistry: The Eclipse and the Fiery Force of One of the World’s Most Dangerous Volcanoes

Helium is more than just a party balloon gas or the reason for squeaky voices. It’s the second most abundant element in the universe, yet on Earth, it’s quite rare. Its unique properties, like being lighter than air and non-reactive, delayed its discovery. The journey to find helium needed not only a solar eclipse but also a volcanic eruption.

On August 18, 1868, a total solar eclipse crossed from Africa to Oceania. This event is often referred to as “The King of Siam’s eclipse,” as King Mongkut (Rama IV of Thailand) calculated its path with great precision. French astronomer Pierre Janssen took advantage of the eclipse while in Guntur, India, where he made a remarkable discovery.

For decades, scientists had noted something strange in the sunlight’s spectrum, which is the range of colors seen when light passes through a prism. Known as Fraunhofer lines, these dark marks in the spectrum hinted at the presence of various elements in the Sun’s atmosphere. In 1859, Gustav Kirchhoff and Robert Bunsen established that many of these lines matched those of heated chemical elements.

During the 1868 eclipse, Janssen used a spectroscope to spot lines that didn’t match any known elements, hinting at the existence of a new one. Around the same time, British astronomer Norman Lockyer also made observations that led him to propose the name “helium,” derived from the Greek word for the Sun, Helios. Both scientists shared their findings with the French Academy of Science in October 1868.

But helium’s story doesn’t stop there. In 1881, Italian physicist Luigi Palmieri analyzed material from a volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, discovering helium in the process. This connection between a celestial element and a terrestrial source enriched our understanding of helium. It wasn’t until about a decade later that William Ramsay successfully extracted helium gas from minerals, confirming its presence here on Earth.

Interestingly, a recent report highlights helium’s importance in various industries today. For instance, it is used in MRIs, making it valuable in the healthcare sector. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, global helium production is under pressure, raising concerns about future supplies.

In the realm of social media, people have been sharing fun facts about helium, sparking curiosity about its potential applications beyond just balloons. This element continues to fascinate, linking the cosmos with our daily lives.

For those keen to dive deeper, you can explore more about helium’s discovery and its applications in reliable sources like NASA or the U.S. Geological Survey.



Source link