Helium
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About Helium
Formula:
He
Name:
After "Helios", the sun.
Elemental, gaseous helium (not strictly a mineral). Most helium on Earth is formed through radioactive decay, and is thus found as traces in radioactive minerals like uraninite, thorianite etc. It is also found as a component of natural gas, from a few parts per million up to 7% from one gas field in San Juan Co., New Mexico.
Helium was first detected in solar spectra in 1868.
Palmeri, in 1881, claimed to have detected Helium in sublimations from Vesuvius, but this is doubted.
Hillebrand, in 1890, extracted gas from uraninite but incorrectly identified it as nitrogen, but his work was repeated by Ramsay, in 1895, who correctly identified helium gas within 'clevite', a variety of uraninite.
Note that the photo of liquid helium shown here is synthesised at very low temperature and is not indicative of its natural occurrence on earth.
Helium was first detected in solar spectra in 1868.
Palmeri, in 1881, claimed to have detected Helium in sublimations from Vesuvius, but this is doubted.
Hillebrand, in 1890, extracted gas from uraninite but incorrectly identified it as nitrogen, but his work was repeated by Ramsay, in 1895, who correctly identified helium gas within 'clevite', a variety of uraninite.
Note that the photo of liquid helium shown here is synthesised at very low temperature and is not indicative of its natural occurrence on earth.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
25563
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:25563:3
Chemistry of Helium
Mindat Formula:
He
Elements listed:
Other Language Names for Helium
Russian:Гелий
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Helium
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-25563.html
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References for Helium
Reference List:
[1]Lockyer, J. N. (1869) VIII. Notice of an observation of the spectrum of a solar prominence, by J. N. Lockyer, Esq., in a letter to the secretary. Communicated by Dr. Sharpey. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, 17. p.91-92. doi:10.1098/rspl.1868.0011
[2]Palmieri, L. (1881) Della riga dell’Helium apparsa in una recente sublimazione Vesuviana [On the Helium line that appeared in a recent Vesuvian sublimation]. Rendiconti della R. Accademia delle Scienze Fisiche e Matematiche, Napoli [Proceedings of the Royal Academy of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Naples], 20. p.150-172.
Localities for Helium
Showing 37 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
