Are there any Chemistry Career paths that centre around Space?
All matter needs Chemistry and the knowledge. After the Chemistry progressed on terrestrial environment when the periodic table was almost complete the first estimate of the abundance of the elements was made by Meghnad Saha a century ago. Spectrography made it possible and even now is the central theme of Astrophysics. It was followed up by similar estimates of Earth, Solar system etc. During a Solar eclipse in 1869 whose Umbral shadow passed over Guntur (India) a new spectral line was discovered. It was thought to be the third Sodium line (D3) but the later day confirmation led to the discovery of Helium, the second most abundant element and the second most important by way of its extraordinary chemical & physical behavoiur. In Exobiology the central theme again is the probable and possible materials (elements in particular) and their Chemistry that can shape up the processes of ‘life’. The debate about other than Oxygen-Carbon based life is possible or not, is raging. We haven’t tou
