Helium is one of the most abundant elements in the universe, second only to hydrogen, and is found in every star including our sun. In fact, helium was first discovered in the sun during a solar eclipse in 1868 and gets its name from the Greek sun god, Helios. Despite the enormous abundance of the element in our solar system and beyond, helium is relatively rare on our planet. This has been a factor in a well-documented shortage of the gas over the past several years from which we are slowly emerging.
In order to understand why this shortage is so concerning and the steps that are being taken to protect and conserve our planet’s helium supply, it is important to first understand what helium is and how it is used.
The Essential Role of Helium
Helium is classified as a noble gas along with other naturally occurring gases that share similar properties, including argon, krypton, neon, radon, and xenon. Under normal conditions, these gases are all colorless, odorless, and do not chemically react with any other elements.
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