Origin of the name helium

Answer 1

This name arose because helium was first observed, albeit indirectly, in the sun.

In 1868 Jules Janssen and Norman Lockyer noticed a hitherto unknown yellow spectral line (at about 587 nanometres) in light from the sun's chromosphere. Lockyer postulated that this was due to a previously unknown element, which he named helium from the Greek helios (sun).

It wasn't until somewhat later that century, in 1882, that Luigi Palmeri detected the first evidence of Earth-based helium, when he observed the same 587 nm line being emitted from lava from Mount Vesuvius. Another decade later (1895) Sir William Ramsey became the first person to actually isolate terrestrial helium.

Answer 2

It comes from the Greek name for the Sun, because it was first detected there (the Sun, that is, not Greece).

Answer 3

Helium was first discovered spectroscopically in the sun. It gets its name from the Greek word, Helios, meaning the sun

Answer 4

Helium was first discovered in the sun. It gets its name from the Greek word, Helios, meaning "the sun".

Answer 5

Helium was first discovered in the sun spectroscopically. The name comes from the Greek word, helios, meaning the sun.