Astronomers observed a unique spectral line during an 1868 solar eclipse in India. This unexplained yellow line suggested an element unknown on Earth at that time. Norman Lockyer later named this element helium, derived from the Greek word for Sun. William Ramsay finally discovered helium on Earth by extracting it from a mineral. This discovery confirmed the element's existence, linking solar observations to terrestrial findings.

In August 1868, the Sun briefly became a laboratory for astronomers gathered in India to watch a total solar eclipse. Among them was the French astronomer Pierre Jules Janssen,…

Astronomers observed a unique spectral line during an 1868 solar eclipse in India. This unexplained yellow line suggested an element unknown on Earth at that time. Norman Lockyer…