Where and by what technique was the element helium first discovered?
A) in radioactive rocks, by radioactive measurements of uranium deposits
B) on the Sun, from spectroscopy during a solar eclipse
C) in the laboratory, by examining the spectrum of heated chemicals in a flame
D) in the upper atmosphere of Earth, by studying the spectrum of the aurora, or northern lights

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Helium was first discovered on the Sun by Jules Janssen and Joseph Norman Lockyer in 1868, who noticed a yellow spectral line in the light of the Sun during a solar eclipse. They used spectroscopy, a technique that analyzes the spectrum of light, to identify this element, which was not yet known on Earth at the time.

Where and by What Technique Was the Element Helium First