Why the universe's second most abundant element is harder to find than you think

Space · Published 8 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Helium is the cosmic heavyweight, making up 23 percent of the universe's mass. Yet, despite its abundance in stars, we face shortages on Earth. From solar eclipses to squeaky voices, this inert gas possesses properties that defy standard physics and drive modern high-tech science.

Helium's journey from a solar mystery to a terrestrial necessity began in 1868. During a solar eclipse, French astronomer Pierre Janssen detected a bright yellow line in the Sun's chromosphere. While initially mistaken for sodium, English astronomer Joseph Norman Lockyer identified it as a unique spectral line, which he named the D3 line. Using the Greek word for sun, hēlios, he and chemist Edward Frankland named the element. It wasn't until 1895 that Sir William Ramsay conclusively identified helium on Earth by matching the spectral signature of gas released from the mineral cleveite.

The physics of helium are truly exceptional. As a Group 18 noble gas, it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It possesses the lowest boiling and freezing points of any known substance, liquefying at -268.9 degrees Celsius. Remarkably, helium is the only element that cannot be solidified through cooling alone at normal atmospheric pressure; it requires a pressure of 25 atmospheres at 1 K (-272 °C) to reach a solid state.

Beyond its role in birthday balloons—where its low density causes it to float—helium is vital for advanced technology, appearing in semiconductors and the Large Hadron Collider. However, its supply is not infinite. While it is synthesized in stars through the nuclear fusion of hydrogen, Earth's supply is subject to human management. In the United States, a bill passed by Congress forced the sale of government helium stocks over a 20-year period, a process that began following the growth of reserves that had been building since before World War II.

While its properties make it useful, helium carries risks. Inhaling the gas to achieve a high-pitched voice is a common party trick, but it is dangerous because helium replaces oxygen in the lungs, which can be fatal.

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