William Ramsay Extracts Helium in 1895, Solving 27-Year 1868 Eclipse Mystery

2 articles · Updated · The Economic Times · Aug 11

1895 brought the breakthrough: William Ramsay extracted helium from the mineral cleveite, proving the element seen in the Sun also existed on Earth.
The find resolved a 27-year puzzle that began during the August 18, 1868 total solar eclipse in India, when astronomers detected a yellow spectral line that did not match sodium.
Jules Janssen observed that line and advanced methods for studying solar prominences, but he did not identify helium or claim its discovery.
Norman Lockyer later investigated the unexplained D3 line, failed to reproduce it in laboratory tests and named the hypothetical new element helium after the Sun.
The episode became a landmark for spectroscopy, showing scientists could identify an element from its light signature decades before isolating it on Earth.