This presentation will focus on the  "discoveries" of (in chronological order) nebulium, helium, and coronium (with very brief excursions to asterium, newtonium, and a few others).  The three discoveries occurred in a narrow temporal cluster, 1864, 1868, and 1869.  All three attracted attention through a single emission line in the yellow-green part of the spectrum, and this occurred just before photographic emulsions  on spectrographs began replacing human eyes at spectroscopes.  Note:  The  discoveries could not have happened with early photographic emulsions, which have almost no sensitivity at those wavelengths, so that the standard stellar spectra for many years extended only a bit redward of H-beta.  All three are "interesting" atomic transitions.

Hydrogen, helium, and metals: When astronomy met the periodic table

2019 Fall National Meeting

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