What is Neon?
Neon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless chemical element. Many consumers are familiar with neon because it is used in eponymous illuminated signs all over the world. The distinctive bright color of these signs has led to the use of the word “neon” to describe the hue of any very brightly colored object. There are a number of other uses for neon beyond advertising, however, making processing of neon a generally lucrative pursuit. Like many other elements, pure neon is difficult to find on Earth, so it must be obtained through a refining process. The element is classified in the noble gases, making it highly stable and relatively nonreactive. Neon is the second lightest noble gas, after helium, and it has an atomic number of 10. On the periodic table, neon is identified with the symbol Ne. The noble gases were recognized in the late 1800s, when scientists realized that an entire class of gases was missing from the periodic table of elements. Like other noble gases, neon does not readily
Colourless gaseous element of group 18 on the periodic table (noble gases). Neon occurs in the atmosphere, and comprises 0.0018% of the volume of the atmosphere. It has a distinct reddish glow when used in discharge tubes and neon based lamps. It forms almost no chemical compounds. Neon was discovered in 1898 by Sir William Ramsey and M.W. Travers.
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is a proposed continental-scale research platform for discovering and understanding the impacts of climate change, land-use change, and invasive species on ecology. NEON will gather long-term data on ecological responses of the biosphere to changes in land use and climate, and on feedbacks with the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
