Abstract:
A new element, helium, was added to the periodic table 150 years ago. It was the first element to have been discovered by astronomers, to be discovered much later on Earth by chemists. The story of the discovery of helium is a fascinating one, with major confusions about who were involved and how. I will tell the story of how the signature of this element was first detected in India during a solar eclipse in 1868,
About The Speaker:
Biman Nath is an astrophysicist at the Raman Research Institute. His research involves the study of the interaction between galaxies and diffuse gas in the Universe. He is also interested in the history of astronomy. He has written several articles and books on popular science, in both English and Bengali.
