Coronium
Encyclopedia
Coronium was the name of a suggested chemical element
, hypothesised in the 19th century. It was named after the solar corona
.
During the total solar eclipse
of 7 August 1869, a green emission line of wavelength 530.3 nm was observed in the corona
l spectrum
. Since this line did not correspond to that of any known material, it was proposed that it was due to an unknown element, provisionally named coronium.
In 1902, in an attempt at a chemical conception of the aether
, Dimitri Mendeleev hypothesized that there existed two inert chemical elements of lesser atomic weight than hydrogen. Of these two, he thought the lighter to be an all-penetrating, all-pervasive gas, and the slightly heavier one to be coronium. Later he renamed coronium as newtonium.
It was not until the 1930s that Walter Grotrian
and Bengt Edlén
discovered that the spectral line at 530.3 nm was due to highly ionized
iron
(Fe13+); other unusual lines in the coronal spectrum were also caused by highly-charged ions, such as nickel
, the high ionization being due to the extreme temperature of the solar corona
.
Chemical element
A chemical element is a pure chemical substance consisting of one type of atom distinguished by its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its nucleus. Familiar examples of elements include carbon, oxygen, aluminum, iron, copper, gold, mercury, and lead.As of November 2011, 118 elements...
, hypothesised in the 19th century. It was named after the solar corona
Corona
A corona is a type of plasma "atmosphere" of the Sun or other celestial body, extending millions of kilometers into space, most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but also observable in a coronagraph...
.
During the total solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
of 7 August 1869, a green emission line of wavelength 530.3 nm was observed in the corona
Corona
A corona is a type of plasma "atmosphere" of the Sun or other celestial body, extending millions of kilometers into space, most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but also observable in a coronagraph...
l spectrum
Astronomical spectroscopy
Astronomical spectroscopy is the technique of spectroscopy used in astronomy. The object of study is the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light, which radiates from stars and other celestial objects...
. Since this line did not correspond to that of any known material, it was proposed that it was due to an unknown element, provisionally named coronium.
In 1902, in an attempt at a chemical conception of the aether
Luminiferous aether
In the late 19th century, luminiferous aether or ether, meaning light-bearing aether, was the term used to describe a medium for the propagation of light....
, Dimitri Mendeleev hypothesized that there existed two inert chemical elements of lesser atomic weight than hydrogen. Of these two, he thought the lighter to be an all-penetrating, all-pervasive gas, and the slightly heavier one to be coronium. Later he renamed coronium as newtonium.
It was not until the 1930s that Walter Grotrian
Walter Grotrian
Walter Robert Wilhelm Grotrian was a German astronomer and astrophysicist.Grotrian studied the emission line from the solar corona in the green region of the spectrum; this emission line could not be attributed to any known chemical element and was thought to be a new element...
and Bengt Edlén
Bengt Edlén
Bengt Edlén was a Swedish professor of physics and astronomer who specialized in spectroscopy. He participated in solving the Corona Mystery: unidentified spectral lines in the sun's spectrum were speculatively believed to originate from a hitherto unidentified chemical element termed coronium...
discovered that the spectral line at 530.3 nm was due to highly ionized
Highly charged ion
Highly charged ions are ions in very high charge states due to the loss of many or most of their bound electrons by energetic collisions or high-energy photon absorption. Examples are 13-fold ionized iron , found in the Sun's corona, or naked uranium , bare all bound electrons, which requires very...
iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
(Fe13+); other unusual lines in the coronal spectrum were also caused by highly-charged ions, such as nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
, the high ionization being due to the extreme temperature of the solar corona
Corona
A corona is a type of plasma "atmosphere" of the Sun or other celestial body, extending millions of kilometers into space, most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but also observable in a coronagraph...
.