Which element was discovered in the Sun before it was found on Earth?
Helium was discovered in the Sun before it was identified on Earth. In 1868, French astronomer Jules Janssen observed a solar eclipse and detected an unfamiliar yellow spectral line in the Sun's light. British astronomer Norman Lockyer independently studied the same spectral feature and concluded that it came from an unknown element. Lockyer and chemist Edward Frankland later named the element helium, derived from the Greek word Helios, meaning Sun. At the time, scientists had not yet discovered helium in terrestrial samples. In 1895, Scottish chemist William Ramsay identified helium on Earth while investigating the mineral cleveite. Helium is the second-lightest element in the periodic table, after hydrogen, and is known for its extremely low density and chemical inertness. Today, it is widely used in scientific research, medical imaging equipment and specialised industrial applications.
